Aaron Ray Thomas, 27, allegedly gripped his wife’s throat and the back of her head with both hands and violently twisted — all while she screamed on a 911 call. It wasn’t the first time he tried to kill her.
A Utah man who had just gotten out of jail allegedly went straight home and tried to kill his wife — placing both hands on her throat and the back of her head and violently twisting, all while telling her, “Why won’t you die?”
Aaron Ray Thomas, 27, was arrested on May 7 after police responded to a 911 call from his wife at their Tooele County home. Officers could hear her screaming in the background when she called.
When police arrived, they observed red marks on the victim’s neck. She told them Thomas had placed one hand on her neck and under her chin and his other hand on the back of her head — and then “violently twisted,” according to an arrest affidavit.
“I hope you die. Why won’t you die?” — Thomas to his wife, per police affidavit
Before she could escape, Thomas allegedly tried to strangle her first. She managed to flee the residence and attempted to drive away — but Thomas reportedly jumped behind her vehicle to stop her from leaving.
Thomas has since been charged with attempted murder, aggravated kidnapping, and reckless endangerment. He is currently held without bail at the Tooele County Detention Center.
Not the first attack. This was not an isolated incident. Court records show that just two months earlier, in March, Thomas was involved in a separate domestic violence incident with the same victim. During that confrontation, he allegedly stabbed his wife in the hand with a pair of scissors following an argument — and then stabbed himself twice in the arm, later claiming she had done it.
Authorities say Thomas has been involved in at least 10 prior domestic violence incidents with the victim that were reported to police. In addition, he had reportedly called in 11 welfare checks on his wife — each time seeking to locate her after an unreported domestic incident.
By the numbers
- 10+ reported domestic violence incidents involving the couple
- 11 welfare check calls placed by Thomas to locate the victim
- 2 stab wounds Thomas inflicted on himself in March, blaming his wife
- 1 hand wound suffered by the victim in the March scissors attack
- 0 bail — Thomas held without bail after the May 7 arrest
“Several times the victim has been contacted by officers and she tells them that she does not want him to know where she is due to his violent tendencies,” police stated in the affidavit.
According to police, Thomas had just gotten out of jail when the May 7 neck-twisting attack occurred.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (available 24/7).
