GAGE COUNTY, Neb. (KMTV) — Joshua Keadle got one last chance to plead his case to a judge on Wednesday and was eventually sentenced to 35 years to life in prison for the 2010 murder and disappearance of Tyler “Ty” Thomas.
“She was my best friend so my view on people has changed,” said DJ Thomas, Ty’s brother.
Ty’s brother and other family members told Joshua Keadle to his face how it’s impacted their family.
“Joshua Keadle doesn’t deserve any leniency for what he has done. Not a shred,” said Ty’s father, Kevin Seamans.
In December 2010, the Peru State College freshman went missing after a night of partying with friends. She left a dorm and was never seen again.
Her family is satisfied with the sentence.
“It’s going to be a start of our healing I think -- more than what we expected to be because we’ve been holding our breath for a long time… nightmares,” said mother Latanya Thomas.
Keadle told authorities that he took Thomas down to the Missouri River so she would perform sex act for a ride to Omaha. He said she got mad and he left her down there.
Keadle said he thinks of Thomas’ mother everyday… but maintained his innocence.
He was found guilty of 2nd-degree murder.
Though their healing can start, they have one major question they hoped to have answered: where is Tyler’s body?
“We haven’t been able to heal, we can’t really mourn, we don’t have a body to bury. We don’t have that closure.... we don’t have that,” said Latanya.
Keadle is still serving a 15-to-20 year sentence for a sexual assault in Fremont while he was at Midland College. He will be eligible for parole when he’s about 73 years old.
See also: Jury finds Josh Keadle guilty of second degree murder in death of Tyler Thomas
