MARTINEZ — An Oakland man who murdered his ex-girlfriend and injured a clerk at an Antioch gas station was sentenced Friday to life without parole eligibility for 82 years.
Thomas Williams Jr., 37, was convicted in July of murdering Cynthia Flores-Crose, 27, who Williams shot at point-blank range after punching her in the face during an argument. Williams claimed during the trial to have no memory of the May 2016 shooting.
Before handing down a sentence of 82 years to life — the maximum allowable under state law — Judge Barry Baskin said the defendant had displayed a hatred of women through his actions and words.
“(Williams) seems to view women as something less than human,” Baskin said, adding that he didn’t believe Williams’ testimony during trial, where he claimed he loved Flores-Crose and did not remember shooting her.
Baskin said he had counted five different times Williams could have walked away from the argument without turning to violence. Aside from battering and shooting Flores-Crose, Baskin said Williams’ testimony — as well as his referring to prosecutor Alison Chandler in a derogatory way during an interview with a probation officer — bolstered the notion Williams “failed to recognize the humanity in women,” the judge said.
“I appreciate what (Baskin) said,” Cynthia’s mother, Eva Crose, said after the sentencing. “There were many victims. We were all victims of this. … Justice was served.”
The day she was killed, Flores-Crose had received a promotion and was excited to start her new job. It was her habit to stop by the Quik Stop, and when she showed up, Williams was there, waiting.
“Cynthia was full of love, affection, and was warmhearted,” her aunt said during the sentencing hearing. “She took care of the elderly. That was her job and she loved it. … She always wanted to be sure that everyone around her was OK.”
The shooting was caught on security video cameras. The footage shows Williams following Flores-Crose into a Quik Stop located at 2760 Tregallas Road, after the two argued about their relationship. He can be seen knocking her down with a punch, leaving the store and then coming inside armed with a pistol.
Williams backed the clerk away with his pistol, shot Flores-Crose, then chased Payne around the store, firing at him. The clerk was struck in the arm.
After the shooting, Williams testified, he met briefly with a family member to say goodbye and then turned himself in to police.
Williams’ defense was that he had blacked out after having a panic attack during the argument, and that his extreme emotional state clouded his judgement. His lawyer argued Williams was guilty of manslaughter, not murder. It took jurors roughly three hours to reach a guilty verdict on murder and attempted murder charges, along with enhancements for use of a gun.
“Domestic violence is a crippling epidemic that escalates to heartbreaking proportions – even murder. Cynthia Flores-Crose, a caregiver, and Thomas Payne, a hero and protector, were both victims of an especially heinous display of domestic violence in this case,” Chandler said in a written statement. “I am pleased that justice was served today, and I am glad that the family can finally begin to heal. The District Attorney’s Office will continue to fight for justice for the many other domestic violence victims in the communities we the serve in Contra Costa County.”