Mobile doctor convicted of reckless murder in crash that killed USA medical student Samantha Thomas
A Mobile jury found Jonathan Nakhla guilty of reckless murder Tuesday in the death of 24-year-old University of South Alabama medical student Samantha Thomas.
The jury began deliberations Monday and reached a unanimous verdict around midday Tuesday, according to a report from WKRG. The verdict brought to a close a three-week trial which began March 1.
Nakhla is scheduled to be sentenced at 3 p.m. on April 20. He faces a term of 20 to 99 years in state prison.
Prosecutors said Nakhla had been impaired by several hours of drinking alcohol prior to the Aug. 1, 2020, and had a blood alcohol content of .11, above Alabama’s legal limit of .08.
Video evidence was presented at trial showing Nakhla is seen drinking what witnesses testified was whiskey and wine at the apartment complex where he and Thomas both lived during the hours leading up to the crash.
Nakhla, with Thomas as a passenger, was driving south on the west Interstate 65 service road at an estimated 138 mph when it left the roadway, flipped several times and came to rest in a ditch.
Thomas was pronounced dead at the scene.
Both the black box from Nakhla’s Audi Spyder sports car and testimony from police investigators refuted Nakhla’s claim he was only driving 50-55 at the time of the wreck.
Defense attorneys had also claimed Nakhla was drinking coffee during the time prior to the crash and that another driver who had cut in front of Nakhla was at fault.