If you’re looking into the dark corners of New York City’s criminal history, you might’ve stumbled upon a name that doesn't always make the front-page "greatest hits" of true crime, but remains a permanent fixture in the records of the New York State Department of Corrections. Derrick Groves. It’s a name tied to a specific, violent moment in Brooklyn during the late eighties—a period when the city was grappling with record-high homicide rates and a crack epidemic that turned entire blocks into war zones.
So, let's get straight to the point: who did Derrick Groves kill?
Derrick Groves was convicted of the murder of Kevin "T-Bone" Thomas.
The killing wasn't a random act of street violence or a botched robbery. It was a targeted, cold-blooded execution that happened on the night of December 22, 1988. If you look at the court transcripts from the subsequent trial—specifically the records from the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division—the details are pretty chilling. This wasn't just a "wrong place, wrong time" situation for Kevin Thomas. It was an ambush.
The Night of the Murder: What Really Happened
Picture Brooklyn in December '88. It's freezing. The neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant was seeing a lot of friction between local crews. According to eyewitness testimony that eventually put Groves behind bars, Kevin Thomas was sitting in a parked car on a residential street when things went south.
Groves didn't act alone.
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He was part of a group. Eyewitnesses identified Groves as one of the shooters who approached the vehicle and opened fire. It wasn't a warning shot. They peppered the car with bullets. Kevin Thomas died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. When the police arrived, they found a crime scene that was sadly typical for that era of Brooklyn, but the specific identification of Groves by people who knew him from the neighborhood changed the trajectory of the investigation.
The legal system moved slowly, as it often does. Groves wasn't just some kid who got caught up; the prosecution painted a picture of a calculated hit.
The Trial and the Conviction
When the case finally went to trial in the early 90s, the jury had to weigh the testimony of people who were actually there. You have to understand that in 1988, coming forward as a witness in a Brooklyn murder case was basically a death wish. People were terrified. But the witnesses against Groves held firm.
He was eventually convicted of Murder in the Second Degree.
Under New York law, specifically Penal Law § 125.25, Murder 2 signifies an intent to cause the death of another person. It carries a heavy sentence, usually 25 years to life. Groves was also hit with charges related to criminal possession of a weapon.
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You might wonder why he wasn't charged with Murder in the First Degree. In New York, back then, First Degree Murder was reserved for very specific circumstances, like killing a police officer or witness tampering. For a standard—if "standard" is even the right word—street execution, Murder 2 was the top charge.
Groves didn't take it lying down. He appealed.
His legal team tried to argue that the evidence was insufficient or that the witnesses weren't credible. They even tried to get the verdict tossed by claiming the trial judge made errors regarding what the jury was allowed to hear. In 1993, the Appellate Division, Second Department, reviewed the case (People v. Groves, 157 A.D.2d 747). The judges basically said: "No." They affirmed the conviction, stating that the evidence was more than enough for a rational jury to find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Why People Still Search for This Today
Honestly, the internet has a weird way of reviving old cases. Sometimes it’s because of a parole hearing. Other times, it's a family member of the victim or the perpetrator looking for closure or trying to set the record straight on social media.
In the case of Derrick Groves and Kevin Thomas, the story is a grim reminder of a New York that many people have forgotten—or never knew. In 1988, there were over 1,800 murders in NYC. For context, in recent years, that number has hovered way lower, often under 500. Every one of those 1,800 names represents a family destroyed. Kevin "T-Bone" Thomas was one of them.
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There’s also the "urban legend" factor. In certain Brooklyn circles, names like Groves carry weight because of who they were affiliated with or the specific blocks they controlled. While Groves isn't a "celebrity" criminal in the vein of an Alpo Martinez or a "Preacher" Cole, his case is a benchmark for the legal crackdowns that eventually cleared the streets in the 90s.
The Aftermath and Current Status
Groves was sent to the New York State prison system. Records indicate he spent decades behind bars.
When you look at the "Who did Derrick Groves kill?" question, you’re looking at more than just a name. You’re looking at the end of Kevin Thomas’s life and the effective end of Groves's freedom. The ripple effects of that December night in 1988 are still felt by the Thomas family.
It's easy to get lost in the "true crime" of it all, but the reality is just a messy, violent incident over thirty-five years ago that left one man dead and another in a 6x9 cell for the better part of his adult life.
Actionable Steps for Researching NY Criminal Records
If you’re trying to dig deeper into cases like this—whether for a genealogy project, a book, or just personal curiosity—there are specific ways to get the real facts without relying on hearsay.
- Use the NYS Department of Corrections (DOCCS) Lookup. You can search by name or DIN (Department ID Number). This will tell you if an individual is still incarcerated, their release date, or if they are on parole.
- Access the NY Courts "WebCrims" or "WebCivil" Portals. While older cases from the 80s might not be fully digitized, you can often find appellate records which summarize the facts of the crime.
- Search the Appellate Division Reports. Searching "People v. [Name]" in a legal database like Google Scholar (set to "Case Law") is the fastest way to find the official narrative of the crime as accepted by the court.
- Local Library Archives. For a case like the Groves/Thomas shooting, the Brooklyn Eagle or the Daily News archives from December 1988 and January 1989 are your best bets for contemporary reporting.
The case of Derrick Groves is closed in the eyes of the law, but for those who lived through that era of Brooklyn, the names remain etched in the history of the borough's toughest years.