After years of investigation, the Abilene Police Department announced Thursday its detectives, along with the North Texas Fugitive Task Force, arrested Luke Matthew Sweetser, 48, on a murder warrant in connection with a 2016 homicide in Abilene.
Sweetser was found in Dallas and taken into custody at approximately 5:05 p.m. Thursday. His bond is set at $750,000, according to the release from the APD.
The murder warrant stems from the ongoing death investigation of Thomas Niblo, who was murdered Dec. 12, 2016. Niblo’s family has been notified of Sweetser’s arrest.
"I am very thankful for many people and organizations that assisted the Abilene Police Department. The North Texas Fugitive Task Force is comprised of the US Marshals Service, Dallas Police Department and the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office. They were instrumental in Sweetser’s successful arrest. The FBI also assisted over the course of several years, and I remain very thankful for their help in processing electronic evidence. I am also very thankful for the diligent APD detectives, officers, supervisors, crime analysis, property and evidence technicians and forensic employees who remained committed to bringing this case forward for prosecution," Chief Stan Standridge said in the release.
A December 2019 press release from the APD said, "The Abilene Police Department never closes an unsolved homicide and remains committed to arresting the offender who murdered Tom Niblo."
At that time, Sweester was identified as remaining a person of interest in the Niblo homicide.
