Jacksonville police investigate murder of 30-year-old woman who was tortured, beaten
A woman died after she was tortured, waterboarded and beaten last month at a home on Soforenko Road in Oceanway, according to Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office records.
On Nov. 10, according to a police report, an unresponsive 30-year-old woman, who was identified by her relatives as Chelsea Nicole Thompson, was brought to Fire Station No. 35 on North Main Street and then taken to a hospital, where she died.
“She was a mother. She has two daughters. She was a great person,” said her aunt, Elizabeth Colageo, who spoke to News4JAX by phone in South Carolina. “She would do anything for anyone.”
According to an arrest warrant, doctors found she had facial swelling, was bleeding from an ear, had brain swelling, had a fractured vertebra, and had bruising on her wrists and ankles consistent with being tied up.
The warrant states an older woman, who brought the 30-year-old to the fire station, said the 30-year-old had been arguing throughout the day with 37-year-old Henry Lannon II. According to JSO, Lannon then took off, but when police took possession of the older woman’s phone, they learned Lannon had gone to a friend’s house in St. Marys. Police there went to the home and talked to the friend there. According to the warrant, he said Lannon had been staying with him and Lannon told him that he “he killed a girl in Jacksonville” and “needed to burn some stuff.” Police said a burn pile was observed in the friend’s backyard.
The friend told police that Lannon said he tied up the 30-year-old, waterboarded her, smothered her with a pillow and hit her, according to the warrant. The warrant states the friend told police that Lannon said he wanted her to shut up, so he “tortured her” and that “the girl begged for her life.”
