JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A St. Johns County man turned himself in to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Tuesday, more than 17 months after his girlfriend was shot and killed on Christmas morning in 2024.
Thomas Banks, 48, was booked into the Pretrial Detention Facility on May 26 on charges of aggravated manslaughter and carrying a concealed weapon as a convicted felon.
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Victim found outside apartment on Christmas morning
According to the arrest warrant, JSO officers went to an apartment complex on Dunn Avenue in the early morning hours of Dec. 25, 2024, after receiving a call about a person who appeared to have been stabbed.
Officers arrived to find a 41-year-old Lisa Santos lying on the ground. Investigators later determined she had not been stabbed but died after she was shot once in the chest.
Inside Santos’ apartment, investigators found a black 9mm handgun on the kitchen counter and a spent shell casing on the floor nearby, according to police. Detectives say they also found a bullet strike on the refrigerator door and a projectile on the kitchen counter.
Witness was on phone during shooting
A key witness told investigators she had known Santos for approximately 10 years and had been on the phone with her at the time of the shooting.
According to the arrest warrant, the witness said she received two missed calls from Santos between 4:09 a.m. and 4:18 a.m. on Dec. 25, 2024, and called her back, fearing an emergency. The witness said Santos placed the call on speakerphone so Banks could also speak with her.
The witness said she heard muffled noises and then, minutes later, heard a dog barking — followed by JSO officers announcing themselves as they entered the apartment.
She told investigators she spent the rest of the morning calling local hospitals to check on the victim’s condition and later learned she had died.
Friends described relationship as violent, ‘toxic’
Santos’ ex-boyfriend of more than 13 years contacted investigators the day after the shooting and described Banks’ relationship with her as extremely violent.
The ex-boyfriend told detectives he had personally observed bruises on Santos’ body on multiple occasions and said Santos had purchased a handgun approximately four months before her death to protect herself from Banks.
A close friend of the victim echoed that account, describing the relationship between Santos and Banks as “toxic” confirmed he was aware of domestic violence between the two, though he said he had not personally witnessed it.
That friend also told investigators Santos had purchased a handgun from an unknown pawn shop about four months before her death, specifically to protect herself from Banks.
Medical examiner ruled death a homicide
An autopsy was performed and the medical examiner ruled the manner of death a homicide and determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the chest.
Investigation spanned more than a year
The investigation into the victim’s death stretched across more than a year and involved multiple agencies, including the FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Investigators got a cell site search warrant for Banks’ phone and sent the data to the FBI for analysis and mapping. The Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield semiautomatic pistol recovered from the scene was sent to FDLE for functionality and trigger pull testing.
In September 2025, investigators served a DNA search warrant on Banks. His DNA was collected and sent to FDLE to be compared against DNA swabs taken from the firearm recovered at the scene. A report from FDLE regarding those DNA results was received by investigators on Feb. 28, 2026, though the specific findings are redacted in the publicly available arrest report.
Banks also submitted a written affidavit through his attorney in lieu of a second in-person interview, providing a chronological account of his interaction with the victim on the night of the shooting. The contents of that affidavit are redacted in the publicly available document.
Banks turned himself in after warrant issued: JSO
An arrest warrant was issued on May 22.
According to his arrest report, Banks was notified by his attorney that the warrant had been issued. Four days later, police say he turned himself in at the JSO District 3 Substation.
Banks was booked on charges of aggravated manslaughter, a first-degree felony, and carrying a concealed weapon as a convicted felon, a second-degree felony. Bond was set at $750,003 on the manslaughter charge and $100,003 on the weapons charge.
Resources
If you or someone you know is or has been a victim of domestic violence or abuse, here’s a list of resources available:
- Hubbard House Hotline (904) 354-3114 or Textline (904) 210-3698
- The Florida Domestic Violence Hotline, which will direct you to the nearest shelter, is 1-800-500-1119.
- The National Domestic Violence Hotline is open 24 hours a day. The number is 1-800-799-SAFE.
- The Micah’s Place (Nassau County) Domestic Violence Help Hotline is 904-225-9979.
- The Quigley House (Clay County) hotline is 904-284-0061. https://www.quigleyhouse.org/.
- The Betty Griffin Center (St. Johns County) can be reached at 904-824-1555.