What we learned about 'gruesome' cold case in which woman was allegedly killed by girlfriend, who then assumed her identity for years

ATLANTA — Authorities in Fulton County on Tuesday announced new details in a cracked cold case they described as "gruesome," "calculate," and "meticulous," involving a woman allegedly murdered by her girlfriend after moving to Georgia from New York City in 2007.

According to law enforcement, 24-year-old Nicole Alston was abused and exploited — effectively trafficked — by the girlfriend, Angel Thompson, who is now facing murder charges.

The case involves several jarring allegations — one being that Thompson cut Alston's body into 13 pieces and separately disposed of the head, feet and hands (which were never found), leading to the 16 years it took to identify the remains found in 2007 as Alston's before DNA testing made the match in 2023.

Another is that Thompson then assumed Alston's