A MONSTER husband used the death of his ex to threaten and control his current wife before he raped and murdered her.
Michael Thompson kept his former girlfriend Rhonda Anderson’s death “in his arsenal” to manipulate Kimberley Thompson.
Rhonda had tragically been electrocuted when a radio fell into the bath in July 2000.
A coroner ruled her death was accidental and a murder probe did not result in any charge due to insufficient evidence.
Evil Thompson used the “unusual circumstances” of her death to “threaten and intimidate” Kimberley.
The couple had been married for 19 years but were separated in the two years before the murder.
One friend had urged her to leave but she said Thompson “would kill her and get away with it”.
Another witness said Thompson told her: “You know what happened to the last person that tried to do this to me.”
The chilling threats can now be revealed for the first time after Thompson was found guilty of rape and murder.
In 2013, she made contact with a domestic abuse support service but withdrew her complaint due to the fear of what would happen if Thompson found out.
Jurors heard Thompson and Kimberley, 43, had lived at the same house in Northampton despite their separation.
The mum was planning to move out before the horror in August last year and had started a new relationship.
She was also planning to visit her daughter, who was studying in the United States, and divorce proceedings were ongoing.
Thompson had become obsessed with Kimberley’s new life and began secretly recording her, tracking her location and even rifling through bins.
Prosecutor Miranda Moore KC said she had gone from being a “healthy, happy and bubbly” woman to someone who had become “thin, self-doubting and fearful”.
On the night of the murder, Thompson had been in his room watching sexual videos of his ex, “stewing” about the fact she had a new boyfriend, was planning to move out and had asked for about £65,000 as part of their divorce settlement.
After killing Kimberley, he sent messages claiming to be from his estranged wife that suggested she had been drinking.
But friends became suspicious as the posts contained typos she would not usually make.
Thompson also sent a message from Kimberley’s phone to himself suggesting she wanted sex.
He then called 999 claiming: “I can’t wake my wife up”.
The amateur boxer then spent time in the bedroom to make it look like Kimberley had taken her own life.
This included placing a picture of the couple on their wedding day and a photo montage of Kimberley’s late sister, who killed herself ten years previously, on the bed next to her body.
Thompson then spun a web of lies – claiming the couple had consensual sex before he found his estranged wife unresponsive.
She was discovered surrounded by empty pill packets, bottles of vodka and gin and family photographs.
But his twisted lies unravelled when a post-mortem showed Kimberley only had low levels of medication in her system.
Thompson denied but was convicted of rape and murder and two counts of perverting the course of justice.
Detective Chief Inspector Torie Harrison said: “Early in our investigation into Kim’s death we were told of the death of Michael Thompson’s former partner Rhonda Anderson, 29, who died in July 2000.
“Rhonda’s death had been investigated at the time, and an inquest ruled it was accidental.
“However, after concerns were raised about the circumstances of Rhonda’s death and in light of what happened to Kim, we launched a fresh murder investigation.
“As part of our inquiries we arrested Michael Thompson, 56, on suspicion of murder.
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“We also revisited reports from 25 years ago and issued a fresh appeal for anyone who may have known Rhonda at the time to contact us.
“This work has now concluded, and it has been determined there is insufficient evidence to take the investigation further, with no further action being taken against Michael Thompson.”
