TikTok influencer Mr. Prada, born Terryon Ishmael Thomas, was arrested Tuesday evening in connection to the brutal murder of a prominent Baton Rouge, Louisiana, therapist.
Thomas, age 20, holds a following of over 8.2 million users across social media platforms. He was apprehended in Dallas, Texas, after he had been identified as a person of interest in the murder of William Nicholas Abraham. He was found driving Abraham’s car in the days after the therapist’s murder. When local police tried to make a traffic stop on the vehicle, Thomas crashed and fled on foot. An officer identified Thomas from a lineup as the driver.
The influencer is held without bond for a series of charges, including resisting an officer, aggravated criminal damage to property and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, according to jail records reviewed by TheWrap.
While Thomas has not yet been charged with murder, the Baton Rouge police have identified him as a primary suspect in Abraham’s murder over the weekend. The therapist’s body was found wrapped in a tarp and dumped in a ditch on the side of a highway. Sheriff Gerald Sticker told news outlets Monday that the fatal trauma was to Abraham’s head, neck and shoulders and called it a “very physical, very violent death.”
Thomas will now have to go before a Texas judge for an extradition hearing that will determine if he should be returned to Louisiana to face charges in the warrant from the Baton Rouge Police Department.
Representatives for the Baton Rouge PD did not provide additional comment for TheWrap.
Known for his comedy content on TikTok, fans online are starting to look back on Thomas’ viral videos with a closer eye, particularly some posts of a darker nature in which he shares he suffers from bipolar disorder and depression.
One video that has resurfaced shows Mr. Prada practicing for his mugshot in May 2023, writing “someone gonna meet God if they p–s me off too much.”
@mr.pradaofficial #mrprada #fyp #foryou #fypシ #viral #funny #greenscreen ♬ original sound – PRADA
Another TikTok compilation shows Thomas detailing his struggles with mental health. The TikTok star noted that he has bipolar disorder: “I was trying to hide it, but it just slipped out.”
@learntoxjzb Pay attention to the loved ones in your life you never know what people are going through #therapist #mrprada #2024 #wanted #prada ♬ original sound – Jazzlyn
The most recent video he posted to TikTok was on Sept. 10. Across two accounts on TikTok, Thomas has 8.2 million followers and over 550 million likes.
In 2015, Abraham was arrested in Baton Rouge after allegedly groping an 11-year-old boy during a therapy session, but was never charged. Even though the age and time frame would match up, the therapist’s former attorney Jarrett Ambeau defended the therapist Wednesday, saying “it’s unequivocally not [Thomas].”
Police have not shared a potential motive for Abraham’s murder.
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