The case of Thomas S. Sanders has resurfaced in the national spotlight as a Louisiana state Grand Jury indicted him for the 2010 murder, despite his federal death sentence being commuted by Biden. This haunting story reminds Americans that justice can follow winding paths but remains persistently in pursuit of those who commit heinous crimes against the most vulnerable victims. How are victims’ families affected when death sentences are commuted decades after conviction?
Biden’s Controversial Clemency Meets State Justice
Thomas S. Sanders, convicted of the 2010 kidnapping and murder of 12-year-old Lexis Kaye Roberts, now faces a renewed death penalty pursuit after a Louisiana grand jury indictment. Despite Joe Biden commuting Sanders’ federal death sentence to life imprisonment without parole in December 2024, state prosecutors have moved forward with their case against the child killer.
The federal commutation was part of Biden’s broader action to spare 37 men on federal death row, a decision that sparked outrage among conservatives and victims’ advocates. Sanders’ horrific crimes, which included murdering both Lexis and her mother, Suellen, during what was supposed to be a trip to the Grand Canyon, had originally resulted in a death sentence from a federal jury in 2014.
Killer whose death sentence was commuted by Biden is indicted for first-degree murder of 12-year-old girl https://t.co/Af7XKqehWv
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) April 17, 2025
The Brutal Crime That Shocked America
The details of Sanders’ crimes remain as disturbing today as when they first came to light over a decade ago. After killing Suellen Roberts, Sanders held 12-year-old Lexis captive for several days before brutally murdering her and abandoning her body in the woods of central Louisiana.
A hunter eventually discovered Lexis’s remains over a month after her disappearance, triggering a nationwide manhunt that ended with Sanders’ capture at a Mississippi truck stop. Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell described the case as “heartbreaking,” a sentiment echoed by jurors who quickly returned a guilty verdict after hearing testimony about Lexis’ character and the crime’s brutality.
Thomas Steven Sanders, a man whose death sentence was commuted by Biden, has been indicted for the 1st degree murder of 12 year old Lexis Kaye Roberts.
In 2010 he shot Suellen Roberts – the girl's mother, and then kidnapped Lexis, eventually shooting her in the head and chest… pic.twitter.com/ZHH9MnX690
— Leftism (@LeftismForU) April 16, 2025
State Prosecution Presses Forward Despite Federal Action
Seventh Judicial District Attorney Bradley R. Burget has made it clear that Biden’s commutation does not affect the state’s case against Sanders. “In 2010, the state deferred prosecution to the federal authorities, who successfully prosecuted and achieved justice for Lexis,” Burget stated, adding, “Yet, Mr. Biden commuted the federal death sentence imposed on Mr. Sanders to a sentence of life in prison, choosing to spare the life of a convicted child killer over the victim, Lexis Kaye Roberts.”
The case has become a flashpoint in broader political debates about criminal justice, with President Trump sharply criticizing Biden’s clemency decisions. Trump wrote on social media about “the 37 most violent criminals, who killed, raped, and plundered like virtually no one before them, but were just given, incredibly, a pardon by Sleepy Joe Biden.”
Louisiana’s determination to seek the death penalty highlights an important aspect of American federalism, where state and federal legal systems operate independently. Sanders now faces potential execution under state law despite the federal government’s decision to spare his life, demonstrating the complex interplay between different levels of justice in the American system.
The renewed pursuit of justice for Lexis Roberts underscores the enduring impact of violent crime on communities and the persistent efforts of prosecutors to hold perpetrators accountable. Whether through federal or state proceedings, the case continues to remind Americans of the gravity of crimes against children and society’s responsibility to protect its most vulnerable members.