Charter Communications to Pay $1.5 Billion to Family of Woman Who Was Murdered By Cable Technician After House Call Betty Thomas, 83, was murdered in her home on December 2019.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

A Dallas County judge has ruled that telecommunications company, Charter Communications, has to pay the family of a woman that was murdered by one of the company's cable workers $1.5 billion.

Betty Thomas, 83, was murdered in her Irving, Texas home by Charter cable tech Roy Holden in December 2019. Holden, who had visited Thomas' home on a house call the day prior, returned to her home the next day in uniform where he attempted to rob her before ultimately killing her with a knife.

While on trial, it was found that Charter "ignored countless red flags" on behalf of Holden, including that he was fired multiple times prior on account of "misconduct."

It was also discovered that the company forged a service agreement on behalf of Thomas after she had been murdered "in an attempt to force the lawsuit into arbitration" which would have set the maximum number of damages Charter could have paid at under $200, according to plaintiffs' attorney.

"We are grateful that, after careful consideration and review of the law and trial record, the Court entered judgment ordering Charter to pay more than $1 billion in total damages to the victim's family," said Chris Hamilton, lead trial lawyer. "The final judgment includes findings that Charter further committed felony forgery in causing harm to the plaintiffs, which properly eliminates the cap on punitive damages under Texas law."

Charter, however, is not going down without a fight.

The company is attempting to appeal the verdict, according to The Hollywood Reporter, despite the fact that this week's verdict is a reduction from the original $7.38 billion Charter was ordered to pay Thomas' family this past July.

"We are committed to the safety of all our customers and took the necessary steps, including a thorough pre-employment criminal background check — which showed no arrests, convictions or other criminal behavior," Charter said in a statement. "Nor did anything in Mr. Holden's performance after he was hired suggest he was capable of the crime he committed, including more than 1,000 completed service calls with zero customer complaints about his behavior."

Holden is currently serving life in prison.

Charter was down over 51% in a one-year period as of early Wednesday afternoon.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Leadership

7 Telltale Signs of a Weak Leader

Whether a bully or a people pleaser who can't tell hard truths, poor leadership takes many forms.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

'Everyone Can Profit From It': What Is DeepSeek? China's 'Cheap' to Make AI Chatbot Climbs to the Top of Apple, Google U.S. App Stores

DeepSeek researchers claim it was developed for less than $6 million, a contrast to the $100 million it takes U.S. tech startups to create AI.

Business News

Elon Musk's DOGE Is Hiring People Eager to 'Work Long Hours' to Eliminate 'Waste, Fraud and Abuse' in the Government. Here's How to Apply.

The Department of Government Efficiency is hiring U.S. citizens to help cut spending and headcounts in the federal government.

Business News

'I Love Doing Product Reviews': Bill Gates Stepped Down from Microsoft in 2020, But Admits He Still Spends 15% of His Time Working at the Company

In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Gates also said he is still close with Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella.

Leadership

Strong Leaders Thrive in Complexity — Here Are 5 Leadership Level-Ups for 2025

Leadership isn't static. It's a journey of continual learning and evolution. Here are some lessons for leaders this year.