December 15, 2025
Thom Carroll/For PhillyVoice
Coy Thomas, 53, is facing murder and related charges for allegedly stabbing to death Lafayette Dailey, 93, on Dec. 3, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office says.
A former neighbor of Lafayette Dailey, the 93-year-old man fatally stabbed in his North Philadelphia home earlier this month, has been charged in his killing.
Coy Thomas, 53, of Philly, allegedly killed Dailey, ransacked his house in Logan and stole his 2007 Chrysler 300, investigators said Monday. He has been charged with murder, robbery, unauthorized use of a vehicle and related charges and is being held without bail in Montgomery County Prison.
Dailey was found dead in his home on the 4500 block of North 16th Street at 3 p.m. on Dec. 5 after he failed to show up at the West Oak Lane Senior Center, which he frequented daily. His body had chest lacerations and evidence of blunt force trauma to his head, investigators said. An autopsy determined the stab wounds to be his cause of death.
Video evidence shows Thomas entering the home on Dec. 3 and leaving in Dailey's 2007 Chrysler — which was only ever driven by him, Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski said. There were no signs of forced entry. Dailey likely allowed Thomas to enter his house, knowing him as a former neighbor, investigators said.
No weapon was found at the scene, but Toczylowski said the inside of the home was ransacked and there were signs of struggle.
Thomas allegedly stole Dailey's wallet and car keys. Thomas sold the stolen Chrysler, investigators said, but it was recovered by police after they tracked it using license plate data. Thomas also allegedly attempted to use Dailey's credit card at multiple locations.
State Sen. Sharif Street (D-Third), who represents the neighborhood where Dailey lived, said it was "disturbing" that someone of Dailey's age would be targeted.
"The reason certain things are off limits is because the community decided that some things were completely unacceptable," Street said during Monday's press conference. "All homicides should be unacceptable, but going after a person 93 years old — a veteran, a person who goes to the senior center — is something that we as a community have to say is unacceptable."
Thomas has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Dec. 29.
