JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. — Editor’s note: The above photo is from a previous court appearance
Accused Catholic Supply Store killer Thomas Bruce appeared in court through video chat on Monday on separate charges out of Jefferson County.
Bruce entered a not guilty plea to five charges that stemmed from a home invasion in September 2018.
According to court documents, Bruce arrived at the woman’s door between 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 27, 2018. He told her he was with AMVETS and wanted to ask a few questions. He then forced open the door, which knocked her to the floor. He went into the home and sexually assaulted her. While dragging her to a spare bedroom, the house phone rang, court documents said.
Court documents said she informed Bruce that her husband was calling to say he was on his way home. Bruce then stated he would kill him when he got home. Bruce then put her in the bedroom and left with her cell phone. Her elbows and knees were injured.
On Nov. 21, 2018, while watching the news, the woman saw Bruce’s mug shot and identified him as the man who assaulted her.
Prosecutors asked for Bruce’s bond to be revoked. It was previously set at $500,000. The judge agreed to revoke it and said he believed Bruce would be a danger to the community because of his charges out of St. Louis County.
The public defender for Bruce argued he had no criminal history.
5 On Your Side’s PJ Randhawa was in the courtroom for the hearing. Bruce showed no emotion through the video chat and he had his hands clasped in front of him the whole time.
The I-Team has been following Bruce's criminal history since last year.
In October of 2018, he was captured on Missouri Highway Patrol dashcam video during a road rage incident. That was approximately a month after the home invasion.
"I am a citizen, you work for me! I pay your taxes, mother-f***er!" Bruce can be heard telling a State Trooper after being pulled over.
Bruce wasn't ticketed or charged for that incident, but five weeks later, his behavior would seemingly escalate.
Editor’s note: Some may find the details of this story disturbing.
In November 2018, Bruce was charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, sodomy and other charges in connection with the Catholic Supply homicide and sexual assaults.
Bruce posed as a customer and left the store to go get something from his car. When he returned, he forced the three women into the back room of the store at gunpoint. In the back room, he demanded all three to perform sex acts on him. One of the victims, 53-year-old Jamie Schmidt, refused so he fatally shot her.
Schmidt was a local mother visiting the store that day to buy crucifixes.
Schmidt's husband spoke with us Five On Your Side exclusively earlier this year.
"Even to this day, I haven't really focused on him," Schmidt told 5 On Your Side in February. "I've been more focused on my family, you know what we're missing. I don't have hate in me for him. I don't have love for the man and I've struggled with trying to forgive him."
Bruce has pleaded not guilty to Schmidt's murder.
His trial in that case is scheduled to begin in St Louis County on Oct. 13, 2020.
Bruce will be back in court in Jefferson County on Oct. 15. He faces at least 50 years in prison is he is found guilty on the home invasion and sexual assault charges.
