A former long-haul trucker accused of killing a woman during a sexual assault near Desert Center more than three decades ago will be tried for first-degree murder in Riverside County, even though he’s already been convicted of a separate murder in another state.
Douglas Thomas, 71, allegedly took the life of 30-year-old Sherri Herrera of Tulare in 1993.
Along with murder, Thomas is charged with a special-circumstance allegation of perpetrating murder during the commission of a rape.
He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Wednesday before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Gail O’Rane, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Dec. 3 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Thomas is being held without bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta, where he was jailed following extradition from Texas in the last week of August.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, the defendant was recently convicted in the Lone Star State of murder after Texas Rangers in 2022 completed a cold case homicide investigation involving a woman in Titus County in April 1992. He was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.
For more than four decades, Thomas traveled extensively across the country while driving big rigs for logistics operations.
Prosecutors allege that on March 30, 1993, he encountered Herrera, a mother of four, sexually assaulted and killed her, dumping her body adjacent to the Hayfield Road entrance to eastbound Interstate 10, just west of Desert Center.
Despite sheriff’s detectives’ efforts, they were unable to develop leads at the time that would enable them to file charges in the case. It went dormant until the Riverside County Regional Cold Case Squad re-examined DNA evidence from the crime scene, resulting in a hit that pointed to Thomas as the alleged contributor of the forensic matter, according to the prosecution.
After the defendant’s whereabouts were confirmed — the Texas prison system — the D.A.’s office initiated efforts to have him extradited to California to answer the criminal complaint in Riverside County. Coordinating with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, arrangements were finalized last month.
“This legal process allows California authorities to take custody of Thomas, despite his Texas incarceration, ensuring he will face justice in Riverside County,” the D.A.’s office said.
After legal proceedings are completed in Riverside, the defendant will be returned to Texas to complete his sentence there.
The Riverside County case comes with a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if Thomas is convicted.
It’s unknown whether he may be tied to other violent crimes elsewhere in the country.