Who is Rafiq Thompson? Pennsylvania man guilty of killing girlfriend and their unborn baby faces death penalty
KING OF PRUSSIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Rafiq Thompson, a 40-year-old man from Pennsylvania, was convicted of first-degree murder and other charges for shooting his former girlfriend Tamara Cornelius and their unborn baby at a gas station in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, in April 2022.
He now faces the death penalty, according to the Montgomery County DA Office.
Cornelius, a 31-year-old mother-of-three, was 14 weeks pregnant with Thompson’s child at the time of her death.
How did Rafiq Thompson kill Tamara Cornelius?
She had met up briefly with Thompson for dinner before he followed her to the Exxon Station at 113 N Gulph Road and opened fire on her as she pumped gas, prosecutors said.
He continued to shoot her as she tried to run away, the DA’s office added.
“This was a chilling murder of a young woman and her unborn child,” Montgomery County DA Kevin Steele said in a statement, NBC 10 reported.
Jury finds Rafiq Thompson guilty of First-Degree Murder in the killing to Tamara Cornelius and First-Degree Murder of her unborn baby as well as other charges. It now moves to the death penalty phase.
— Montgomery County DA (@MontcopaDA) September 13, 2023
Was Thompson enraged by unanswered calls and texts?
Investigators said Thompson had texted Cornelius 93 times and called her 21 times between April 4 and April 6, which she did not answer, as per 6abc.
On April 8, 2022, Thompson texted to invite her out to dinner and Cornelius responded with several phone calls between them.
According to the waiter who served them, they were having a tense conversation. When he came with the food, Thompson had already left.
She paid the waiter who packed the food for her, following which she walked out of the restaurant on her own.
Rafiq Thompson had followed Tamara Cornelius to the Exxon with lights off
Police say Thompson pursued Cornelius to the Exxon at 113 North Gulph Road with his lights off after she drove there.
He got out of his car and fired several shots at her even as she tried to flee. He hit her with bullets.
She was taken to Paoli Hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later.
“This violent criminal is now safely behind bars due to the great work of the Upper Merion Police and Montgomery County Detectives.
"I want to thank the public for the many tips we received, which put a spotlight on the defendant," DA Steele said at the time of his arrest.
The police also recovered a gun in the lawn along the 400 blocks of S Gulph Road.