VICTIMS & DEFENDANT
The victims whose lives were taken and the defendant who committed these crimes.
The Victims
Allison Sousa
Allison Sousa was stabbed 6 times by Thomas Rigterink on September 24, 2003, in Winter Haven, Florida. She was attempting to call for help when she was attacked.
Date of Death: September 24, 2003
Location: Winter Haven, Polk County, Florida
Cause: Stab wounds
Photo not available
Jeremy Jarvis
Jeremy Jarvis was stabbed 22 times by Thomas Rigterink on September 24, 2003. He was attacked at a warehouse unit during an attempted robbery and died from his injuries.
Date of Death: September 24, 2003
Location: Winter Haven, Polk County, Florida
Cause: Stab wounds (22 wounds)
Impact
The deaths of Allison Sousa and Jeremy Jarvis left families devastated and a community shaken. Their lives were cut short by an act of senseless violence. This case serves as a reminder of the impact violent crime has on victims' families and the importance of justice in the legal system.
While the legal system has worked through multiple trials and appeals, the loss of these two individuals remains permanent. Their memory lives on through the investigation and documentation of this case.
The Defendant
Thomas William Rigterink
Born: 1982
Background: Former model and college student
Crime Date: September 24, 2003
Arrest Date: October 15, 2003
Current Status: Incarcerated in Florida (not on death row)
Case Summary
Thomas William Rigterink, a former model and college student, committed a brutal double stabbing on September 24, 2003. He stabbed Jeremy Jarvis 22 times and Allison Sousa 6 times in Winter Haven, Florida.
Rigterink was arrested on October 15, 2003, and provided a videotaped confession to detectives. He was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in 2005 and initially sentenced to death by a 7-5 jury vote.
On April 6, 2017, his death sentence was overturned under the landmark Hurst v. Florida ruling, which found that non-unanimous jury recommendations violated the Sixth Amendment. He remains incarcerated in Florida's prison system.
Court Documentation
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