Thomas Horne

Serial Killer

Thomas Horne: Suspected Serial Killer in Richmond, Virginia

Overview

Thomas Horne was a Richmond, Virginia, man whom police posthumously identified as the suspected killer of his wife, Annie Doris Horne, and as a suspect linked to four additional homicides. Authorities publicly disclosed these conclusions in 2022, five years after Thomas Horne died in 2017. Because he was never tried for the killings and investigators have released few details about the four other cases, he is most accurately described as a suspected serial killer rather than a convicted one. The case that brought Horne renewed attention was the disappearance of Annie Doris Horne. Annie was a dependable insurance-company secretary, a mother and a woman with close family ties. Her unexplained disappearance from her Richmond home was immediately suspicious because she left behind nearly everything she would have needed to travel or begin a new life.

The Disappearance of Annie Doris Horne

Annie Doris Horne was last known to be at her residence in the 2900 block of Yorktown Avenue on Richmond's Southside on June 3, 2001. She was approximately 37 or 38 years old at the time. She was never seen or heard from again. Inside the residence, investigators found Annie's prescription eyeglasses, Bible, winter coat, keys, wallet, credit cards, checkbook and van. The presence of these essential belongings strongly suggested that she had not planned to leave. Her disappearance was also inconsistent with her normal behavior. Annie was described as reliable, family-oriented and committed to her job. She did not ordinarily disappear without contacting relatives or her employer. Thomas Horne gave unusual statements about the hours preceding his wife's disappearance. He reportedly said that Annie had awakened him while gasping for breath and that he had given her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation before she returned to sleep. He also acknowledged that he had discussed separating from her earlier in the week, although he later minimized the importance of that conversation. Investigators reportedly found that Thomas made multiple inaccurate or contradictory statements about Annie's disappearance. He was considered a person of interest for years, but no body was recovered and no criminal charge was filed against him while he was alive. ...

Confirmed Victims: (1)

Annie Doris Horne , Date of Death: 2001

Annie Horne Presumed Dead