Man Pleads Guilty to Murder of 94-Year-Old Woman

A Ramona man has pleaded guilty to the murder of a 94-year-old woman who was bludgeoned to death inside her mobile home last spring.

On Monday, Gary Allen Thomas, 64, pleaded guilty to killing friend Mary Jean Eskridge in her home on May 1, 2012, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis confirmed.

According to prosecutors, Eskridge -- a beloved retired dance teacher who owned Jean’s Dance Studio in Spring Valley -- had let Thomas spend the night in the guest bedroom of her mobile home in the Ramona Terrace Estates on April 30, 2012.

The pair had previously established a friendly relationship, according to prosecutors.

The next morning, investigators say Thomas grabbed a hammer from a toolbox in Eskridge’s kitchen and used it to beat Eskridge to death inside her bedroom as she slept.

When officials arrived at the scene, they found Eskridge’s body with obvious signs of trauma and homicide detectives took the investigation over from there.

Allen was arrested two days later as a suspect in the murder. He pleaded not guilty on charges of first-degree murder on May 4, 2012.

The brutal, sudden slaying of Eskridge left her famly, neighbors and the dancing community devastated.

Following her death last May, neighbors honored Eskridge at a community dance – an event the retired dance teacher loved to attend even at 94 years old. A special dance recital featuring more than 100 dancers was held in her honor in June 2012.

In an interview last May, Eskridge’s daughter, Suzanne Mollenhauer, said that despite her mother’s dark death, she would always be remembered for her bright spirit and positive energy.

“Her kind heart and her smile – that’s just what she was. She brought happiness to everyone who knew her,” said Mollenhauer in a previous interview with NBC 7.

Now, nearly a year after Eskridge’s murder, closure and justice are near for her loved ones.

Thomas now awaits his sentencing, which has been scheduled for June 26. Dumanis says Thomas will be sentenced to 26 years to life in state prison for the murder of Eskridge.