Ex-Skyline, Texas A&M player randomly attacks, kills Dallas jogger

Image 1 of 3

An upset former Dallas Skyline HS and Texas A&M football player randomly attacked and fatally stabbed a jogger along the White Rock Creek trail early Monday.

Police said Thomas Johnson, 21, used a large, edged weapon to kill the unidentified male jogger on Monday morning.

The incident happened about 8 a.m. Monday where the trail runs under the Walnut Hill Bridge, near the Fair Oaks Crossing intersection.

Brandon, a Richardson attorney and cyclist, was riding the White Rock Creek Trail and witnessed the horrific attack.

"You could tell it was a machete, coming down on what I wasn't sure at first but when I got closer I could tell it was a body. And he was repeatedly hitting it in the back of the neck."

Police said Monday afternoon that Johnson admitted to the crime and even called police from a nearby location after the stabbing. Johnson had recently been kicked out of his home, police said.

“He was angry about his situation,” said DPD Deputy Chief Rob Sherwin. “It’s very unusual. It’s quite shocking.”

Thomas’ criminal history includes evading arrest, burglary and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

Thomas was a highly regarded wide receiver who graduated from Dallas' Skyline High School and briefly attended Texas A&M. Johnson went missing after A&M's stunning 2012 win over Alabama, triggering a search. When Johnson was finally found, it was announced the then-freshman was leaving A&M.

Police said there was no identification found on the jogger who was described as a white male, age 25-30. The victim was taken to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital but died.

Anyone with information about the potential ID of the jogger is asked to contact Dallas police.

The trail is a popular place for bikers and joggers. They were all being turned away on Monday.

"Weekends it's pretty busy, but it's usually quiet during the week. It's really surprising that something like that would happen here, isn't it?" said Don Umphrey, a biker who uses the trail.

Dallas police said they plan to step up patrols along the trail.

FOX 4 is on YouTube -- http://bit.ly/fox4subscribe