The adopted father of a young child in Texas has received his sentence for the murder of the 7-year-old boy. Authorities declared the outcome with the phrase: “Justice served.”

Jemaine Thomas, aged 45, was given a 50-year prison sentence for the murder of young Troy Koehler during the summer of 2022, as stated by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday. Court documents indicate that Thomas admitted guilt to the murder charge and accepted the subsequent sentence.

Although Thomas was apprehended in November, the investigation by authorities commenced on the morning of July 28, 2022. Deputies from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office responded to a missing child report at a residence on the 4400 block of Rosegate Drive. Investigators subsequently discovered Koehler in a washing machine, and he was declared deceased, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez’s statement at the time.

Additional details into law enforcement’s arrival at the home revealed the distressing discovery of the body.

A probable cause affidavit examined by Law&Crime following Thomas’ arrest revealed that the search—which included drones and canines—concluded when a deputy found Koehler’s body at the base of a tub inside a top-loading washing machine located in the home’s garage and utility area.

Initially, Thomas informed investigators that he became aware of his son’s absence around 4 a.m. when he woke up to prepare for work, as noted in the affidavit. He last saw the boy between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. the evening prior. Tiffany Thomas, Koehler’s mother, aged 38, reportedly claimed she last saw her son when he was tucked into bed before 9 p.m. the previous night.

Tiffany Thomas was also arrested in her son’s death. She pleaded guilty in February to the charge of injury to a child and is being held on a $300,000 bond. She is expected to be sentenced on Sept. 10.

Her arrest also traces back to that summer morning. Upon finding the child’s body, the investigator is said to have “yelled out to other deputies and tried to assess if [the child] was breathing.”

“While doing so, [the deputy] stated he was pushed out of the way by the Jemaine Thomas, who reached into the washing machine and pulled the child out of the washer,” the affidavit read. “[The deputy] stated Jemaine Thomas was instructed to place [the boy] on the floor and CPR was immediately began by other deputies.”

An investigator at the home said the child’s arms and legs were “warm to the touch but his torso was cold.” The investigator also noticed blood around the child’s nose and a large bump on his forehead, over the right eye. The smell of urine was “emanating from the body,” and the boy’s clothing was damp, the affidavit added.

Furthermore, his “pants were pulled down to his knees, exposing his underwear and the presence of bruises on his upper legs,” the document stated. Authorities also believed the washing machine was not turned on while the boy was inside given the presence of urine and visible blood at the base of the tub.

After Koehler was pronounced dead, a forensic examiner investigated his body. The boy had suffered from “asphyxiation” and possible drowning – as well as “both remote and new blunt force trauma that was indicative of inflicted trauma.” The examination, paired with the sheriff’s office’s preliminary investigation, indicated that the death was a homicide.

Left: Tiffany Thomas (Harris County Sheriff’s Office). Right: Jemaine Thomas (Harris County Sheriff’s Office).

Upon being interviewed, Tiffany Thomas reportedly said that at about 1 a.m. that morning, Jemaine Thomas sent her a text saying Koehler was gone and the front door of the home was open. However, she said she remembered locking the doors before leaving for work at approximately 6:30 p.m. the previous evening. She also said she tried to contact Jemaine Thomas but he didn’t answer, per the affidavit.

Then came Jemaine Thomas’ telling of events. He allegedly said that he got home from work at approximately 11 p.m. and yelled for his son but got no answer. He then, per his account, sent his wife a text to see if she knew where Koehler was, then went to sleep until 4 a.m. and realized he’d missed several calls from his wife.

He also later allegedly admitted to punishing the child on July 24, 2022, by hitting him on his buttocks with an open hand, saying at one time he “missed” and hit him in the back.

A review of the parents’ cellphone records allegedly showed evidence of motive. In a text thread between the two, the parents “expressed deep contempt” for the victim, the affidavit stated.

Tiffany Thomas is said to have told Jemaine Thomas that Koehler “told her the truth about eating her oatmeal cream pies only because she ‘threatened to put him in the stove and turn it on.'” Jemaine Thomas also reportedly told Tiffany Thomas, “when he learned [Koehler] had eaten his donut sticks, that ‘I need to get the (locks). I’m going to end up kill him. You going to come home and he going to be hanging from the f– tree outside,'” the affidavit states.

On July 7, 2022, Tiffany Thomas allegedly said, “F– that. I’m for not doing s— for his birthday. I’m so sick of this boy. Like I’m really tired of him and don’t want him in this house no more.” On July 25, 2022, three days before Koehler’s body was found, she reportedly wrote, “This boy got life f–ed up. Why I come out the restroom from taking my shower and his funky a– in the living room watching TV.”

Koehler was a foster child adopted in 2019, Houston’s NBC affiliate KPRC reported, adding that Texas’ Child Protective Services had a history with the family.

The Harris County District Attorney’s Office, in its statement announcing Jemaine Thomas’ sentencing, recalled how Koehler would have been a fifth grader this year.

“As Troy’s beloved former first grade teacher, Sheryl Reed, said in court this morning — ‘now, we will never know what he could have become. His future, his dreams, his life — were stolen by someone who was supposed to love, protect, and nurture him,'” the district attorney’s office said. “Ms. Reed’s victim impact statement will forever stay with those who heard it in the 184th district court this morning.”

The child was remembered as an avid reader brimming with joy and loving to share stories with classmates. “He led me, too. He led me to become a better teacher, a better mentor, and a better person,” Reed is quoted as saying. “His energy, his smile, and his love for learning reminded me daily why I chose this path.”

“Troy, you touched so many lives in your short time here,” the district attorney’s office wrote. “May those who love you find peace. Justice served.”