Year: 2017

Metairie man sentenced to life in prison for raping boy

A Metairie man who was convicted of raping a young boy was sentenced Monday (Dec. 11) to a life sentence in prison.

Charles Turner, 38, was convicted as charged on Nov. 8, of the aggravated rape of the boy, who was abused over a two-year period beginning in 2013, when he was 8 years old.

The victim, who is now a teenager, did not attend the sentencing hearing but wrote a letter to Turner that was read aloud in court. Expressing forgiveness for Turner, the victim noted the prison sentence. “My life sentence ends today as yours begins,” he wrote.

Turner, who has denied sexually abusing the child, said in court he was “not guilty.” After denying defense motions for a new trial and to overturn the jury’s verdict, Judge Conn Regan of the 24th Judicial District Court sentenced Turner to the mandatory punishment.

Assistant District Attorneys Lynn Schiffman and Andrew DeCoste prosecuted the case.

Waggaman father sentenced to 40 years in prison for teen son’s beating death

A Waggaman man who caused his teenage son’s death through a disciplinary beating over a failing grade at his middle school was sentenced Monday (Nov. 27) to 40 years in prison, the maximum punishment allowed by law for manslaughter.

Furnell Daniel Sr., 45, was held criminally responsible for the death of 14-year-old Jalen Daniel. A Jefferson Parish jury found him guilty of manslaughter on Nov. 18.

Using a length of hardwood that had been a railing on a baby crib, Daniel repeatedly struck his son in their Clifford Court home on Feb. 5, 2016, after the teen returned home from school with an ‘F’ in one course.

Despite his complaints of pain and his urinating and vomiting in his bed, his father did not call 911 until more than 19 hours after the beating, when the teen became unresponsive. He died days later.

Daniel stood trial on a charge of second-degree murder. He admitted to striking his son with the board but denied intentionally killing him.

After denying a defense motion for a new trial, Judge Stephen Grefer of the 24th Judicial District Court handed down the 40-year sentence, saying in part that he believes Daniel would abuse his other children.

Assistant District Attorneys Lindsay Truhe and Laura Schneidau prosecuted the case.

 

Waggaman man convicted of causing teen son’s death over ‘F’ class grade

A Waggaman man was convicted of manslaughter early Saturday morning (Nov. 18), for causing his teenage son’s death by beating the middle-school student with a piece of wood as punishment for one failing class grade.

Furnell Daniel Sr., 45, faces up to 40 years in prison for the death of 14-year-old Jalen Daniel. Using about a 4 1/2-foot length of hardwood that had been a railing on a baby crib, Daniel repeatedly beat the teen in their Clifford Court home on Feb. 5, 2016.

Only after the teen vomited and urinated in his bed and then became unresponsive did the father call 911 – more than 19 hours after the beating.

Jalen died from an untreated epidural hemorrhage caused by a blow to his head. In addition to numerous bruises, Jalen suffered from five bone fractures, including his skull, a wrist, a hand and a knee. Jalen suffered three strikes to his head, one of which caused bleeding in the brain cavity that led to heart failure.

Daniel denied intentionally killing his son but admitted in testimony that he paddled the teen “more than once” during the final beating.

Through the beating, prosecutors argued that Daniel committed a second-degree cruelty to a juvenile, which is the felony that led to the teen’s death. As such, Furnell Daniel committed a second-degree murder under the felony-murder doctrine.

The jury of eight women and four men deliberated about six hours before returning with the responsive verdict of manslaughter about 1:30 a.m. Judge Stephen Grefer of the 24th Judicial District Court is scheduled to sentence Daniel on Nov. 29.

Assistant District Attorneys Lindsay Truhe and Laura Schneidau prosecuted the case.

Convicted child predator convicted anew of sexually abusing 3 children

A convicted sex offender was once again convicted Thursday night (Nov. 16) of sexually abusing three children in Kenner.

Carlos Alberto Montero Sr., 54, faces life in prison for his conviction of two counts of aggravated rape, sexual battery of a juvenile under age 13, two counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile under the age of 13 and failing to register as a sex offender.

He abused two girls and one boy over a five-year period, beginning in 2006. The youngest of the three victims was about 6 years old when she was abused. Another victim was age 7 when Montero began abusing him, and the third victim was 12 years old when it began.

The Kenner Police Department opened an investigation in January 2016, after the step-father of one of the victims found a note she wrote to her deceased father as a form of therapy. In it, she referenced to being sexually abused.

Montero also was convicted of failing to register as a sex offender, for failing to notify police when he moved to Kenner from Gretna. He was required to register as a sex offender because of a 2002 conviction of carnal knowledge of a juvenile. Following a 4-year prison sentence that ended in 2006, he was to register as a sex offender for 15 years.

The jury deliberated less than two hours before returning its unanimous verdicts about 7 p.m. Judge June Berry Darensberg of the 24th Judicial District Court is scheduled to sentence Montero on Jan. 10.

Assistant District Attorneys Joshua Vanderhooft and Zachary Popovich prosecuted the case.

Adam Littleton sentenced to life for Jasilas Wright’s I-10 death

Adam Littleton was sentenced Thursday (Nov. 9) to a mandatory life sentence in prison, for his criminal culpability in causing the death of a woman who was fatally struck by vehicles on Interstate 10 in Metairie after she leapt from his moving car in trying to escape him.

Littleton, 26, a Mississippi native, was convicted as charged this summer of second-degree murder in the June 10, 2015, death of Jasilas Wright, 19.

According to evidence presented at trial, Wright met Littleton through her job as a dancer at Bourbon Street night clubs. In May 2015, she traveled with Littleton to Texas, where she engaged in prostitution. Littleton benefited financially from her prostitution.

On the morning she died, Wright and Littleton argued in the French Quarter before he forced her into his car with him, according to a witness.

However, unwilling to travel to Texas again, Wright jumped from Littleton’s car in the westbound lanes of I-10 near the Veterans Memorial Boulevard overpass. She was fatally struck by vehicles.

According to additional evidence presented at trial, Littleton witnessed Wright being struck by vehicles and yet continued driving to Texas. He never notified police.

He did speak with Wright’s family on the telephone, telling them only that she jumped from his car. He hung up and never spoke with them again.

Knowing that warrants for his arrest were pending in Jefferson Parish and New Orleans, Littleton surrendered to authorities in Shreveport.

Littleton was prosecuted under the felony-murder doctrine. Prosecutors alleged that he was engaged in the crime of second-degree kidnapping when Wright died, and as such, he was legally responsible for her death.

Following the conviction, Littleton’s defense counsel sought a new trial, citing numerous complaints. The defense argued, among other things, that prosecutors withheld information about a key witness’s criminal history.

After hearing argument, reading numerous briefs and listening to a recording of the key witness’s trial testimony, Judge Lee Faulkner of the 24th Judicial District Court ruled he found “no merit” to the defense assertions.

Judge Faulkner then sentenced Littleton to the mandatory life sentence.

The Louisiana State Police, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and New Orleans Police Department investigated the homicide.

Assistant District Attorneys Kellie Rish and Megan Gorman prosecuted the case.

Metairie man convicted of raping boy

A Metairie man faces life in prison for his conviction Wednesday (Nov. 8), of raping a young boy.

Charles Turner, 38, was convicted as charged of aggravated rape of a juvenile under age 13.

Turner abused a boy over a two-year period, beginning in 2013 when the child was 8 years old. The abuse happened at East Jefferson locations.

Turner, who did not testify, denied the allegations. His defense attorneys said the child fabricated the rape because of turmoil in his life.

The Jefferson Parish jury deliberated about two hours before reaching its verdict. Life in prison is the mandatory punishment under Louisiana law for the aggravated rape of a juvenile under age 13. Judge Conn Regan of the 24th Judicial District Court scheduled the sentencing for Dec. 11.

Assistant District Attorneys Lynn Schiffman and Andrew DeCoste prosecuted the case.

Algiers man sentenced to life in Bucktown murder and armed robbery attempt

An Algiers man who was convicted last month of an armed robbery-related homicide in the Bucktown area was sentenced Thursday (Nov. 2) to a mandatory life sentence in prison.

Bobby James, 25, committed the second-degree murder and attempted armed robbery of Dwayne Baptiste, 27, a Jefferson Parish jury decided Oct. 12. James shot Baptiste in the back, as the victim fled from an apartment at West Esplanade Avenue and Lake Avenue on May 3, 2016.

Batiste’s mother provided impact testimony, describing her pain while expressing forgiveness for the man who killed her firstborn son. After hearing James deny he committed the crimes, Judge Stephen Enright of the 24th Judicial District Court sentenced him to the mandatory life sentence for the murder and 49 1/2 years for the attempted armed robbery. Judge Enright ran the sentences concurrently.

James also faces a second-degree murder charge in New Orleans Criminal District Court. He is accused of being one of the gunmen who attempted an armed robbery of people in a Brunswick Court home in Algiers on Dec. 10, 2012. Cory Bush, 35, was killed in that crime.

Assistant District Attorneys Doug Freese and Brittany Beckner prosecuted James.

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Algiers man convicted of Bucktown murder

An Algiers man was convicted as charged Thursday night (Oct. 12), of killing a Metairie man while trying to rob him in Bucktown last year.

Bobby James, 25, of Algiers, is guilty of second-degree murder and attempted armed robbery. James was convicted of fatally shooting Dwayne Baptiste, 27, in the back while trying to rob him at an apartment building at West Esplanade Avenue and Lake Avenue about 6 p.m., on May 3, 2016. Baptiste died three days later at a hospital.

While Baptiste was known to carry a large quantity of cash on that day, no one saw who stole the money from the victim, whether it was James or bystanders who pilfered the roll of cash from the mortally wounded man’s pockets. Therefore, James was charged with attempted armed robbery.

The Jefferson Parish jury also heard testimony about James being an accused gunman in an Algiers home invasion. The victim, Cory Bush, 35, was fatally shot on Dec. 10, 2012, as he unknowingly entered his Brunswick Court home while the crime was underway. James awaits trial in New Orleans Criminal District Court.

The jury deliberated just over two hours before announcing its verdict about 10 p.m. James faces life in prison with no chance of probation, parole or suspension of sentence for the murder.

Judge Stephen Enright of the 24th Judicial District Court is scheduled to sentence James on Nov. 2.

Assistant District Attorneys Doug Freese and Brittany Beckner prosecuted the case.

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Convicted child molester sentenced to 60 years in prison

A Mississippi man who was convicted last week of molesting two juvenile girls in Jefferson Parish was sentenced Thursday (Oct. 12) to 60 years in prison.

Billy Joe Howard, 33, of Kiln, was convicted by a jury on Oct. 6 of sexual battery of a juvenile under age 13 and indecent behavior with a juvenile under age 13. The crimes occurred within a 45-day period in July and August 2015.

Howard met the victims, who were ages 11 and 7 when they were molested, through their mothers. He met the women through a dating website. Neither woman was aware of the other until after Howard was arrested. While free on bond in the Jefferson Parish cases, Howard was booked in Harrison County, Miss., accused of molesting a 16-year-old girl.

After rejecting a defense-motion for a new trial and hearing impact testimony from one of the victims and the mother of the other victim, Judge Henry Sullivan of the 24th Judicial District Court sentenced Howard to 40 years for the sexual battery and 20 years for the indecent behavior.

Judge Sullivan ordered the sentences to be run consecutively, given that there were two separate victims and crimes.

Howard will not be eligible for probation, parole or suspension of sentence. He also will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life after completing his prison sentence.

Assistant District Attorneys Lindsay Truhe and Zachary Popovich prosecuted the case.

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Mississippi man convicted of molesting Jefferson Parish girls

A Mississippi man was found guilty Thursday night (Oct. 5) of molesting two Jefferson Parish girls during a 45-day period in 2015.

Billy Joe Howard, 33, of Kiln, was convicted as charged of sexual battery of a juvenile under age 13 and indecent behavior with a juvenile under age 13.

The victims were ages 11 and 7 when the abuse occurred. Howard encountered the children after meeting their mothers through a dating website, in one case only a week before he molested the child, according to evidence presented to the jury.

He committed the sexual battery of the 11-year-old girl in July 2015, and he committed indecent behavior the following month with the 7-year-old girl.

The victims’ mothers were notified, leading to criminal investigations by the Westwego Police Department and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Howard gained his release from custody after posting bond. While awaiting trial, he was accused of molesting a 16-year-old girl in Hancock County, Miss., according to evidence presented during the trial.

The Jefferson Parish jury deliberated just over an hour before returning with its unanimous verdicts at 7:45 p.m. Judge Henry Sullivan of the 24th Judicial District Court is scheduled to sentence Howard on Thursday (Oct. 12).

Assistant District Attorneys Lindsay Truhe and Zachary Popovich prosecuted the case.

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