LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear an appeal from a man convicted of killing a woman and her daughter during a 2015 home invasion in East Drumore Township, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office announced.
Leeton Thomas, 42, was convicted in 2017 of killing Lisa Scheetz and her 16-year-old daughter because they were potential witnesses in his pending sexual assault case, according to the DA.
Thomas also nearly killed Scheetz’ 15-year-old daughter in the attack, prosecutors say.
He was convicted at trial of two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and related charges, and later sentenced to death.
Thomas filed to have the U.S. Supreme Court hear his appeal, which challenged the constitutionality of the death penalty.
The country’s highest court recently issued a filing denying the allowance of appeal.
At trial, the surviving victim testified that “Pie” – a nickname for Thomas – was the intruder and killer.
Prosecutors presented these aggravating factors for the jury in consideration of a life or death sentence:
- Thomas killed witnesses in a separate criminal prosecution (his pending sex-abuse case)
- Thomas committed the killings during the commission of another felony (burglary)
- Thomas killed multiple people
- Thomas broke a no-contact order issued by the court during the killings
- Thomas presented a grave risk of death to another individual (the 15-year-old girl) besides those he killed.
The jury decided on a death sentence.
While imposing the death sentence, Lancaster County Judge Dennis Reinaker said that should Pennsylvania lift a moratorium on executions, Thomas “should go to the very top of the list.”
