Stephanie Thompson

Stephanie Michelle Thompson, a 40-year-old White woman with a background in law and data management, was remembered by friends as a cherished member of a close-knit group who supported each other through life’s challenges, big and small. A graduate of George Mason University Law School, Stephanie had built a life in Virginia, first in Yorktown and later in Newport News. She was part of a circle of friends who called themselves the "Git R Dun Gals," a group of women who met regularly to help each other with home projects, from painting rooms and staining fences to cleaning garages. They shared their lives, offered support during difficult times, and celebrated their bond of friendship, which they considered as close as family.

The friendship that sustained Stephanie through hardship, including the tragic loss of her daughter, Nina, to cancer years earlier, could not protect her from the violence that ended her life. On the morning of Friday, January 13, 2023, officers from the Newport News Police Department were dispatched to a residence in the 5200 block of Arlington Avenue to conduct a welfare check. The request to check on the home’s occupants led to a grim discovery.

Inside the house, police found Stephanie Thompson and a man, both of whom had sustained fatal gunshot wounds. They were pronounced dead at the scene around 9:45 a.m. The initial quiet of the residential street was broken by the presence of law enforcement as investigators began the difficult task of piecing together the final moments of two lives. The incident was one of several homicides in the Hampton Roads area that January, a month that saw 23 people killed across the region.

The Newport News Police Department launched an investigation into the two deaths. Within days, authorities publicly confirmed the case was being treated as a murder-suicide. On January 17, a police spokesperson officially identified the man found with Stephanie as 42-year-old James Aaron Thompson, who was also reported as Aaron James Thompson. Investigators announced their conclusion that James Aaron Thompson was the offender, believing he shot and killed Stephanie before turning the gun on himself.

With the perpetrator deceased, the police department was not seeking any other suspects in connection with Stephanie’s death. The investigation formally concluded, and the case was closed. While authorities asked anyone with information to contact the Crime Line, the resolution of the case as a murder-suicide meant there would be no arrests or trial.

Friends remembered Stephanie as someone who faced struggles with the support of her community. Her group, the "Git R Dun Gals," was more than a social club; it was a testament to their deep bond. They tackled overwhelming household chores together, shared meals, and provided emotional support for one another. They had cried together over the loss of Stephanie’s child and celebrated the strength they found in their sister-like friendship. Her death left a void in the lives of those who knew and loved her. The case now stands as a resolved murder-suicide, a final, tragic chapter in the life of a woman remembered for her resilience and the powerful friendships she forged.