City Man Gets Life for Mother-in-Law's Murder

A city man was sentenced to life in prison today for murdering his 76-year-old mother-in-law and leaving her body behind a Dumpster, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said.

Forrest Thomas, 45, had lived with and cared for Carol Spratt at Garden Senior Apartments. On Jan. 18, 2010, Spratt’s corpse was found in a shopping cart and wrapped in a garbage bag behind 180 South Orange Ave.

After identifying Spratt, authorities learned that five days earlier, on Jan. 13, 2010, Thomas had been banned from Spratt’s apartment for abusing and stealing from her. Spratt was last seen alive that day.

Thomas kept the body of Spratt, who had been choked to death, in the apartment for three days before depositing her remains near the Dumpster. During that period, Thomas tried to sell her belongings to neighbors, telling them she had tripped over her oxygen cord and was in the hospital, but would be moving to Florida when she was released.

 Thomas was convicted of murdering Spratt and disturbing human remains on Friday, Dec. 16, 2011 before the Hon. Peter V. Ryan. Thomas also had prior convictions for robbery, receiving stolen property and narcotics.

“This is a man who promised his dying wife that he would take care of her sick mother.  In reality, the only person he ever took care of was himself.  When Carol Spratt banned him from the building, cutting off his only source of income and the roof over his head, he killed her.  We are satisfied that the sentence imposed by Judge Ryan is appropriate given the defendant’s blatant disregard for decency and human life,” said Assistant Prosecutor Michele Miller.