The Horrific Murder of J'Anaya Thompson

In 2020, the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled that Alberto Garcia is ineligible to be spared execution, ruling the court did not err in their sentence, but instead, that death is a proportionate sentence to the crime, exhausting any further potential appeals.

(Okay. So let’s do this then. Make it public and I’ll buy popcorn for everyone. Make some money and offer the execution as a PPV. Watch how fast we buy it.)

Garcia horrifically (vaginally and anally) raped and murdered 5-year-old J’Anaya Thompson, then helped family members look for the missing girl after they visited his house searching for her.

Police found her body hanging by her neck with a pair of socks from a window cranks inside a rat-infested trailer just 50-ft. From her home the day after she went missing, about 12-hours after an intensive search for the little girl began.

Details of the case are pretty shocking.

J’anaya went missing from her Gulfport, MS, home on July 16, 2014. Her mother and other family members immediately searched for J’Anaya in the neighborhood, starting in the complex they lived.

J’Anaya’s family knocked on Garcia’s door asking if he had seen the little girl after she went missing. He looked the family in their eyes and told them he had not seen the little girl.

About 12-hours after she disappeared, police initiated a search. Many neighbors joined the search, including Garcia, knowing that he had brutally raped and murdered the precious baby girl a few minutes before.

Police Find J’Anaya’s Body

Police found J’Anaya’s body inside of a trailer during the search. During Garcia’s pre-trial hearing, Gulfport Police Detective Samuel Jewell stated

‘She was hung with what we know now as two pairs of socks and that was attached to a metal bar in a small window attached to above the tub. She was suspended.’

Police Talk to Garcia

Police visited Garcia’s home after finding J’anaya’s body. As soon as they informed him that they found the girl, he said, “Hey, my fingerprints might be in that trailer where the girl’s body was found.” He went on to explain that he robbed the trailer days earlier, likely leaving his fingerprints behind.

He was arrested on burglary charges but continued speaking with police. He stated that on the night J’anya went missing, he blacked out but remembered smelling feces on himself but wasn’t sure why. He showered and cleaned himself up. When police asked questions about the evidence suggesting he was responsible for the murder, he requested an attorney.

Garcia Charged With J’anaya’s Murder

Police charged Garcia with the sexual assault and murder of J’Anya.

Five days later, detectives received a handwritten note from Garcia stating that he wanted to speak with police. The day before his pre-trial was set to begin, Garcia confessed to the murder of J’Anaya Thompson. Garcia confessed to the murders to avoid having his mother hear and see the evidence against him at trial.

DNA found on J’Anaya’s body matched Garcia’s and with more than 100 pieces of evidence tying him to the murder, he was quickly found guilty for the crime and sentenced to death.

Last Execution in 2012

Mississippi has not executed any death row inmates since 2012. The state executed six people this year:

• Edwin Hart Turner
• Larry Matthew Puckett
• William Gerald Mitchell
• Henry Curtis Jackson
• Jan Michael Brawner
• Gary Carl Simmons Jr.

Nine years since an execution of a condemned killer is far too long for comfort. Let’s get the execution of Alberto Garcia going already, state of Mississippi!! Make it public, for the safety and well-being of fellow Mississippians and children worldwide.

To the family: Written to honor J'Anya's memory. I am SO SORRY for your loss. Seeing the mother's photos -I can feel her pain.