Thomas S. Sanders, convicted of kidnapping and murder, is once again facing the death penalty after a Louisiana Grand Jury indictment. The state prosecution represents a significant legal development where Louisiana authorities can pursue capital punishment despite federal clemency. How might this affect public perception of Biden’s broader death penalty commutations?
Biden’s Controversial Commutation
Thomas Sanders, who received a federal death sentence in 2014 for the heinous murder of 12-year-old Lexis Kaye Roberts, had his sentence commuted to life imprisonment without parole by Biden in December 2024. The commutation was part of Biden’s broader decision to spare 37 federal death row inmates, including several convicted child killers and mass murderers, sparking nationwide controversy among conservatives and victims’ advocates.
Sanders’ case has become emblematic of the fierce debate surrounding capital punishment in America. His crimes were particularly brutal—after killing Lexis’s mother, Suellen, during what was supposed to be a trip to the Grand Canyon, Sanders held the young girl captive for several days before murdering her and leaving her body in a wooded area where it wasn’t discovered for over a month.
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
Louisiana Fights Back with State Charges
In a significant legal development, a Louisiana Grand Jury has now indicted Sanders on state-level first-degree murder charges for the same crime. Seventh Judicial District Attorney Bradley R. Burget announced the state would seek the death penalty, effectively challenging the presidential commutation by pursuing capital punishment at the state level.
Burget publicly criticized Biden’s decision, stating, “In 2010, the state deferred prosecution to the federal authorities, who successfully prosecuted and achieved justice for Lexis. 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.”
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
Political Backlash and Legal Complexities
President Trump has publicly condemned Biden’s clemency decisions, writing 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.” A Trump spokesperson described the commutations as “abhorrent,” reflecting the deep partisan divide over criminal justice policies and presidential clemency powers.
The case highlights the complex interplay between federal and state legal systems in the United States. While presidential clemency powers are extensive at the federal level, they do not extend to state prosecutions, creating a situation where someone can face different outcomes for the same crime depending on which jurisdiction processes the case.
The brutal details of Sanders’ crime continue to haunt those familiar with the case. Following a nationwide manhunt, Sanders was captured at a Mississippi truck stop and subsequently convicted after jurors heard testimony about Lexis’ character and the shocking brutality of her murder.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell summed up the sentiment of many involved in the case when she described it as “heartbreaking.” The state prosecution represents Louisiana’s determination to seek what they consider appropriate justice for Lexis Roberts despite the federal clemency decision.