User talk:Sotaguy

Daniel Roger Thomas a brief history:

AKA - Dan Thomas, Danny Thomas, Danny Rogers, Tommy Rogers and Tommy Daniels

Born in Virginia Minnesota on April 4th, 1970.

Daniel Roger Thomas was born, raised and lived in a small mining town in northern Minnesaota until the summer of 1987. Daniel Thomas moved to live with his mother in Sturgis South Dakota following unfortunate circumstances in his hometown.

Daniel Thomas and three other teenage boys allegedly broke into the local high school and started a fire on June 4th, 1987. Two boys, Jason Joseph Townsley and Russel Anthony Poderzay were both killed as a result of the fire. Reports from the police investigation pointed to Daniel Thomas as the main person of interest regarding the starting of the fire. Local Authorities charged Daniel Thomas with 2 counts of 2rd degree murder, 1 count of attempted murder and 1st degree arson. The fourth teenage boy involved was Mark William Webster, Mark Webster was severly injured as a result of the fire and was too injured to testify or speak to investigators. Mark Webster is still suffering from his injuries and to this day has not been able to speak about the fire.

During the trial it was implied that the four teenage boys were invloved in the selling of illegal drugs. Prosecuters attempted to prove that Daniel Roger Thomas (alleged ring leader) was ordered by a well-known drug dealer in Minneapolis to kill the other three teenage boys. This was reported to the investigators by an informant that testified he was involved with the selling of drugs with Daniel Thomas. The killing would have to appear to be a prank or vandalism gone bad, but all of the evidence in the trial was circumstantial. The lead prosecuter could not find evidence that clearly pointed to Daniel Thomas being souly responsible for the fire.

The defense attorney would attempt to prove that Daniel Thomas left the three other teenage boys in the high school before the fire was started. Daniel Thomas testified on his own behalf and informed the court that Russel Poderzay wanted to start the fire and that he did not want any part of it. According to Daniel Thomas' testimony Russel Poderzay attempted to start a fire in a garbage can but could not get the wall to start on fire. At that point Daniel Thomas left the group in the high school. Daniel Thomas testified that before he left the high school he overheard Russel Poderzay say he was going to purchase a liquid fire starter from a local store. Evidence showed that an accelerant was used to start the fire and the defense attorney presented a video surveillance tape filmed at a local 7-11 store that clealy showed Russel Poderzay purchasing Kingsford® Lighter Fluid close to 2 hours before the fire was reported to start. The defense attorney called the store clerk to testify during the trial. The store clerk testified that he remembers two other teenage boys with Russel Poderzay in the store that afternoon. The store clerk testified that the two teenage boys with Russel Poderzay fit the desrcription of Jason Townsley and Mark Webster.

Due to a lack of evidence, the compelling testimony of Daniel Thomas and the store clerk the prosecutor had no choice but to drop the charges of 2rd degree murder, attempted murder and 1st degree arson. Daniel Thomas pleaed guilty to four lesser charges listed below and the penalty under Minnesota State Juvenile Law.

1. Breaking and Entering in the 1st degree - 6 months internment. 2. Vandalism in the 3rd degree - 3 months internment. 3. Obstruction of an Investigation in the 1st degree - 2 years internment. 4. Obstruction of Justice in the 1st degree - 2 years internment.

The judge decided that even though Daniel Thomas was not forthcoming during the investigation he did not impede the progress of the investigation with his silence. The judge included that it is the right of the accused to not speak to investigators and not to testify. The judge added that due to the fact that Daniel Thomas admited to the Breaking and Entering and the Vandalism charges the accused should receive punishment. The judge therfore suspended the sentences on the two obstruction charges and sentenced Daniel Thomas to 5 years of probation for the Breaking and Entering and Vandalism charges.

Following the trial Daniel Thomas and his family decided it would be best for Daniel Thomas to leave the state of Minnesota and in an attempt to get a new start. During the summer of 1987 Daniel Thomas moved to Sturgis South Dakota to live with his mother and attend Sturgis Brown High School for his senior year in high school. The problems of Daniel Thomas' past followed him to Sturgis, SD. Daniel Thomas was questioned following any vandalism or unlawful entry of a residence or business. Daniel Thomas decided to forgo his education at Sturgis Brown High School in the early part of 1988.

Daniel Thomas joined the US Marine Corps on Feburary 3rd, 1988. Daniel Thomas attened the Recruit Training Depot at Parris Island, South Carolina from Feburary to the end of April. After leaving the RTD Daniel Thomas was transfered to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune near Jacksonville, North Carolina to attend Marine Combat Training (MCT) Battalion, School of Infantry, for futher training. It was while attending MCT that Daniel Thomas' miltary career was cut-short. During a routine training excercise using the Dragon Weapon System the unit experienced a catastrophic malfunction. A projectile exploded after exiting the launcher sending shrapnel and high explosive fuel in the vacinity of 5 Marines. 2 Marines were killed instantly and a 3rd Marine died later of his wounds. Daniel Thomas (who was the furthest from the DWS) was hit in the upper back and head with a large piece of shrapnel, he suffered a large laceration and a major fracture of his left scapula and a cracked skull. Due to the violent force of the explosion he also suffered 6 broken ribs, broken left collerbone, broken left arm and broken left leg. These wounds found Daniel Thomas in the hospital for nearly 3 months attempting to recover. It was during his recover that the doctors made the determination that service in the US Marine Corps would not be suitable for Daniel Thomas. An investigation into the DWS malfunciton showed that the weapon was improperly loaded by one of the Marines that was killed. On September 1st, 1988 Daniel was honorably discharged from the USMC.

Daniel Thomas returned to Minnesota for a brief time before moving to South Dakota to live with his mother. It is at this point that we have lost touch with Daniel Thomas.

Rumors:

1. Daniel Thomas has joined the Merchant Marines and is traveling the world. 2. Daniel Thomas has moved to Alaska and is working on the Alaskan pipeline. 3. Daniel Thomas has moved to Europe and based on family connections is living in the north western region of Slavania or north eastern Italy. 4. Daniel Thomas recovered from his injuries and has returned to the military, gone off the map and is conducting black ops around the world.

If you know please let us know by editing this transcript, it's checked almost weekly. This was put here with the hopes that someone will know where Daniel Thomas is so his friends back home can once again share some laughs and memories with him. We have asked his family but they continue to tell us the same tale. The story is that Daniel Thomas is living peacfully somewhere in northern California is married and doesn't wish to reach back to his past but would rather forget.....unlikely!! That doesn't sound like the wild, adventurer we knew as kids.

EBO - if your listening drop us a line we miss you!!!

Signed: THE MIDWAY MAFIA