A 35-year-old Florida man accused of stabbing an elderly woman to death two months ago allegedly called the victim’s son afterwards and admitted to the crime, PEOPLE confirms.
According to a criminal complaint, Thomas Evans, who’d befriended the victim’s son at work, admitted over the phone to killing retired guidance counselor Frances Axley, 78, inside her Naples, Florida, home on January 1.
Evans was arrested three days later in Georgia and his extradition was completed last weekend.
Evans remains in custody without bond and has yet to enter a plea to the single felony charge he faces. PEOPLE was unable to determine if he has retained an attorney who could comment on the allegations.
The criminal complaint alleges Evans and Axley’s son met on an unspecified job site several weeks before the murder, and, discovering they had some common interests, formed a friendship.
The victim’s son was with three friends in Fort Meyers when he received the call.
All three told police Evans said he was “not a virgin anymore” during the speakerphone conversation, though the complaint does not indicate what he could have meant. He then admitted to killing Axley, the complaint alleges.
Police were asked to check in on Axley on New Year’s Day, and they found her in a pool of her own blood in the living room of her home, draped in bed sheets.
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Police also discovered bloody footprints going up the stairs and in the kitchen of Axley’s home.
The victim’s son told investigators he believes Evans may have stalked him to learn where he lives. He further stated to police Evans may have targeted his mother because he “was upset at [the son] for appearing to take over the friend group and be the Alpha Male of the group,” reads the criminal complaint.
Investigators allegedly discovered Evans was using one of Axley’s credit cards, and managed to track down video surveillance footage connecting him to the killing.
Her death was determined to be a homicide caused by “sharp force injury,” according to the Naples Police Department.
While at the home processing the crime scene, a detective heard a telephone message being left by a credit card company stating Frances Axley’s Visa card was being used fraudulently, according to the court document.
An arraignment for Evans has been scheduled for March 25.
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