Jason Bohn was convicted of strangling and beating to death his 27-year-old girlfriend in their Astoria apartment. Photo courtesy NYPD
A University of Florida law school graduate was convicted of strangling and beating to death his former girlfriend inside their Astoria apartment, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said last week.
Following a seven-week jury trial, Jason Bohn, 35, of Astoria, was found guilty of first-degree murder after killing Danielle Thomas, a 27-year-old who had reportedly moved to New York City to pursue her dream job in business.
“The jury bravely listened to harrowing evidence – including a recording of the victim begging for her life as the defendant tortured and ultimately killed her – and correctly returned a verdict of first-degree murder,” Brown said in a prepared statement.
“The victim was a young woman who fought for her life until she was overcome by the defendant,” the DA continued. “He has justly been held accountable for his actions, and it is likely he will spend the rest of his life in prison.”
According to trial testimony, police were called to Bohn’s apartment on Tuesday, June 26, 2012 and discovered Thomas’ body laying face up in the bathtub surrounded by bags of ice, the DA said. There was bruising on her forehead, face, shoulders, chest and neck, as well as lacerations on her face, mouth and chest, according to Brown.
The city Medical Examiner’s Office reported the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the neck and torso.
When police discovered her body, they also found two handwritten notes, with the first stating,, “It was an accident…I had been drinking and I was drunk when I got home…She was already asleep…I woke up and there was fighting between us…When I woke up again she was unconcsious…I am sorry,” the DA said. The second note read, “Dani, I will love you forever.”
Bohn will be sentenced April 2.
The deadly assault on Thomas was captured in a cell phone recording received by an acquaintance of the woman’s in what is believed to have been an accidental dialing. In the recording, which was played at trial, Thomas is heard begging for her life as Bohn strangles her, demanding to know why she had called a certain area code and saying things to her like, “This is your life” and “Danielle, you don’t have a lot of time.”
Thomas had gone to the 114th Precinct on June 7, 2012 to report an assault that had occurred a month earlier, at which time Bohn had injured her face and leg. While she was at the precinct, she received a phone call from Bohn, and a police sergeant said he heard him say that “this was war, that he would hunt her down like a dog in the streets, and make her life impossible,” Brown said.
Bohn was arrested that day and charged with assault and aggravated harassment. Thomas was provided with an order of protection. Those charges were pending at the time of Thomas’ death.
