Robert Thomas was in the Allegheny County Jail for domestic violence charges. He was accused of kidnapping and strangling his girlfriend.
However, Thursday afternoon a judge dismissed those charges in Allegheny County.
Channel 11 was the only one in the courtroom for Robert Thomas’ court appearance Thursday.
He was arrested and charged with kidnapping and strangling his girlfriend in December.
According to the criminal complaint, the victim told police she was in a relationship with Thomas at the time and they got in a fight while in her car.
The victim said Thomas punched her, attempted to strangle her with his hands and then wrapped a seat belt around her throat.
She also said Thomas pulled out a gun and wouldn’t let her out of the car.
But the victim hasn’t shown up to testify so Thomas’s attorney requested the charges be dismissed.
“There were allegations raised from a female companion. All charges were dismissed today. This was the third hearing. Multiple times, an alleged victim failed to appear in court. It’s our position based on the circumstances that these allegations are frivolous,” said attorney Casey Mullen.
Thomas was also one of the two men accused in the 2016 Wilkinsburg mass shooting where six people were killed.
The District Attorney’s office pursued the death penalty for Thomas, but a judge dismissed the case for lack of evidence.
Thomas is currently involved in a civil rights lawsuit against Allegheny County and Pittsburgh law enforcement claiming the officers framed him in the Wilkinsburg case.
Thomas’ attorney said Thomas still faces domestic violence charges in Westmoreland County.
The hearing is scheduled for Monday.
Thomas will be transferred from the Allegheny County Jail to the Westmoreland County Jail so he won’t be released immediately.