by Janae Hunter
A law school graduate student was found guilty last month for torturing and beating his ex-girlfriend to death in their Queens apartment.
The University of Florida law school graduate Jason Bohn, 35, was convicted of first-degree murder on March 5 for torturing and killing his ex-girlfriend Danielle Thomas, 27, a financial analyst for Weight Watchers.
The two had been fighting repeatedly over phone calls and conversations that Thomas was having. On June 26, 2012, Thomas was found in the bathroom tub of the 33rd Street apartment in Astoria which she shared with Bohn, her body bloodied and bruised. Police also found a note in the apartment written by Bohn that said “it was an accident” and that he was “sorry.” Bohn was later found in White Plains and was arrested for the murder.
“The victim was a young woman who fought for her life until she was overcome by the defendant,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown in a press release. “He has justly been held accountable for his actions, and it is likely he will spend the rest of his life in prison.”
Police reports show that Thomas had multiple problems with Bohn in the past and filed previous complaints against Bohn for assault and harassment in the weeks leading up to her death, as well as trying to get a restraining order. On the day she was murdered, Thomas called the police while Bohn was threatening her.
According to a civil lawsuit filed by her family, she could be heard over the phone asking for help but police never showed, even after a neighbor had also called 911. Thomas was found two days later, after Bohn called to admit that they had a physical dispute and that they should go check on her. Thomas’ parents are suing the NYPD for $10 million for failing to deal with the threats earlier on and ignoring their daughter’s call.
Bohn was in court in July of 2012 charged with 10 counts including second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence and first-degree criminal contempt. The murder in the second-degree was later changed to murder in the first-degree after jurors decided that he acted “brutally” in the situation. During the trial, Bohn said that he was diagnosed with “Intermittent Explosive Disorder”, an impulse control disorder in which a person is unable to control their aggressive impulses, causing them to hurt and harm other people and property, according to Psychology Today. Bohn claimed that he had no recollection of killing Thomas, and his lawyer tried to lessen the charge to manslaughter due to his mental illness, but Bohn was still convicted of the murder charge.
“[I am] certainly disappointed,” said Bohn’s lawyer Todd D. Greenberg after the verdict. “I know Mr. Bohn committed a terrible act, but I believe he was mentally ill at the time.”
