Executive Summary
- Austin Thompson sentenced to five consecutive life terms without parole for the 2022 Raleigh mass shooting.
- Judge Paul C. Ridgeway ruled Thompson displayed “irreparable corruption,” meeting the legal standard for juvenile life sentences.
- The court rejected defense claims that acne medication and video games caused the violence, citing extensive evidence of premeditation.
- Thompson pleaded guilty to killing five people, including his brother and an off-duty police officer.
A North Carolina judge has sentenced 18-year-old Austin Thompson to five consecutive terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole for the October 2022 mass shooting in Raleigh that left five people dead, including his own brother and an off-duty police officer. Superior Court Judge Paul C. Ridgeway delivered the sentence on Friday following a seven-day hearing, ruling that Thompson exhibited "irreparable corruption," a legal standard required to impose such a sentence on a juvenile offender.
Thompson, who was 15 at the time of the rampage, pleaded guilty in January to five counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. The victims included his 16-year-old brother James, Nicole Connors, 52, Susan Karnatz, 49, Mary Beth Marshall, 35, and Raleigh Police Officer Gabriel Torres, 29. Two others were injured in the attack, which began in the Thompson family home before moving to the streets of the Hedingham neighborhood and a nearby greenway.
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors presented evidence detailing extensive premeditation. According to court testimony, investigators recovered a handwritten note in which Thompson declared he "hated humans" and confirmed his sanity and lack of regret. Judge Ridgeway noted that the defendant spent months researching other mass shooters, the lethality of various weapons, and specific anatomical details regarding fatal injuries. "The evidence reflects a defendant who, for many months… fantasized, researched and planned his criminal acts," Ridgeway stated.
Defense attorneys argued that Thompson’s actions were influenced by a adverse reaction to minocycline, a prescription acne medication, combined with an immersion in violent video games like "Call of Duty." They contended this combination caused a psychotic "depersonalization." However, Judge Ridgeway rejected this theory, citing forensic analysis of Thompson's DNA which showed no genetic inability to metabolize the drug, and noted that the planning of the attack predated the prescription.
The hearing was necessitated by North Carolina law, which was updated following the 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Miller v. Alabama. That ruling declared mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juveniles unconstitutional, requiring judges to consider the offender's youth and potential for rehabilitation. After hearing testimony from 39 witnesses, including grieving family members and forensic experts, Judge Ridgeway concluded that Thompson was the "rare offender" permanently incorrigible, thus warranting the maximum penalty.
Judicial Precedent and Juvenile Sentencing
This sentencing highlights the rigorous legal threshold prosecutors must meet to secure life without parole for juvenile offenders in the United States. Under the framework established by the Supreme Court and subsequent state statutes, the judiciary must explicitly rule out the possibility of rehabilitation. Judge Ridgeway's specific finding of "irreparable corruption" serves as the critical legal determinant allowing the state to bypass the protections typically afforded to minors, setting a significant precedent for how premeditation and documented intent are weighed against biological age in capital murder cases.
It is important to note that while Austin Thompson pleaded guilty, all other individuals mentioned in related legal proceedings, such as those in the referenced Georgia case, are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
