GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - Demaryius Thomas, a Denver Broncos legend, died on December 9th. He was 33 years old.
New details show that in the 33 days after his death, Thomas was robbed.
The Roswell Police Department in Georgia has confirmed they are investigating a series of thefts from Thomas’ home. Roswell Police says that former sheriff’s deputy Vashone Jones is a suspect in the theft investigation. The first of those apparent robberies happened on or before January 11th, when “shjo-5101″ joined eBay.
According to police reports obtained by ESPN, Jones was arrested for trespass inside Thomas’ house early last week, along with two other people. He was released shortly after on $2,000 bond. According to that report, Jones told police he used to live with Demaryius and helped him with medical issues. Jones said he continued to visit the house to check on it after Thomas died.
Thomas’ mother told police they changed the locks, and that Jones was not allowed access to the home. A spokesperson for the Thomas family says that many possessions went missing, including thousands of dollars in cash, sports memorabilia, an ESPY award, and a hyperbaric chamber.
It appears at least two of those items were sold online months ago. One is a signed Tom Brady jersey, personally written to Demaryius Thomas. They were briefly teammates on the New England Patriots. The jersey reads: “D.T. – A great player and competitor! Best always, Tom Brady.”
The eBay account shjo-5101 sold that jersey on January 13th. The Thomas family didn’t know anything was missing until Jones was arrested for trespass on March 13th.
Theft charges have not been filed against Jones, and police have not stated whether he was responsible for the missing or sold items. Vashone Jones declined to comment for this story.
The Roswell Police Department provided us with this statement: “We are aware of past resales of Mr. Thomas’ memorabilia and are in contact with those involved. We would encourage anyone else who believes they may have purchased stolen memorabilia to contact Detective McCoy at Jmccoy@roswellgov.com, or 770-640-4573. Vashone Jones and Demaryius Thomas were familiar with each other, but determining the exact nature of their relationship is a part of our ongoing investigation.”
When reached by phone, a representative for DT’s family told us they are now aware many of his possessions have been missing for months. The Thomas family says they believe Vashone Jones stole nearly all of Demaryius’s missing possessions in January, though they had no idea until Jones was arrested last week.
Demaryius Thomas’ family is asking anyone with stolen items to contact the Roswell Police Department immediately.
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