Arrest made in connection to 2007 murder in Troup County

TROUP COUNTY, Ga. - Authorities have identified human remains discovered in 2007 in Troup County, leading to the arrest of a woman accused of concealing the death.

On Dec. 6, 2007, Troup County Sheriff's deputies responded to a report of a suspicious black bag burning at the corner of Whitfield Road and Stitcher Road. Upon arrival, they found partially burned human remains with the hands, feet, and head missing. The case remained unsolved for years.

"That part of the case we feel pretty confident did not occur here in Troup County. We believe it occurred somewhere else, and she was just disposed of here in Troup County," said Sgt. Stewart Smith with the Troup County Sheriff's Office.

In early 2023, the case was reviewed, and DNA evidence was sent to Innovative Forensic Investigations in Virginia and Gene by Gene Laboratories in Texas for analysis. The results were then compared by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) crime lab. On Dec. 13, 2023, authorities confirmed the remains belonged to Nicole Alston, a 24-year-old woman whose last known residence was in Manhattan, New York.

"The DNA match it just kinda got the ball rolling, and then we got a name with it, and then we were able to contact the family who gave us information about where she went at that time," said Smith.

Investigators learned that Alston had left New York in 2007 to live in Atlanta with her friend, Angel Marie Thompson, who was wanted in New York for theft and identity fraud at the time. Alston’s family last heard from her around Thanksgiving of that year.

Angel Marie Thompson (Troup County Sheriffs Office).

Further investigation revealed that after Alston's remains were discovered, Thompson began using Alston's identity to collect Social Security benefits, food stamps, and Section 8 housing under Alston's name for eight years. In 2015, when contacted by the Social Security Administration to requalify for benefits, Thompson resumed using her original identity. The estimated value of the fraud is around $200,000, and additional agencies in Georgia are investigating.

On Aug. 19, 2023, Angel Marie Thompson was arrested and charged with concealing the death of Nicole Alston. The investigation into who killed Alston is ongoing.

"That charge just stems from the fact that she knew this person was deceased did not report that this person was deceased and then assumed her identification," Smith said.

No further details are available at this time.