Newark Man Convicted of Murdering His Mother-In-Law

An Essex County jury Friday convicted a 44-year-old Newark man for the 2010 murder of his mother in law, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. 

A Superior Court jury found Forrest Thomas guilty in the murder of his 76-year-old mother-in-law Carol Spratt, also of Newark. He also was found guilty of disturbing human remains. 

Sprat, who was frail and ill, was on oxygen 24 hours a day and relied on Thomas for her care. 

According to prosecutors, on Jan. 18, 2010, two junk collectors found Spratt’s body placed in a shopping cart by a Dumpster behind 180 S. Orange Ave. in Newark. The body was clothed in only a nightgown. 

The junk collectors called police, who were unable to identify the woman. Police began a missing person’s investigation before identifying the dead woman as Spratt. 

On Jan. 13, 2010, officers discovered Thomas had been permanently banned from Garden Senior Apartments, owned by New Community Corporation, because he was abusive to Spratt and was stealing from her. That was the last time she was seen alive.

After killing Spratt, Thomas allegedly lived with her body for three days in her apartment before disposing of her body. 

During that three-day period, he tried to sell the victim’s 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. 

The medical examiner ruled her death a homicide by strangling. 

“This is a man who promised his dying wife that he would take care of her sick mother,” said Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Michelle Miller. “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,’’ Miller added.

Thomas will be sentenced on Feb. 17. He faces 30 years to life in prison.

Prior to this murder, Thomas had three convictions for robbery, receiving stolen property and narcotics.