West Bank men sentenced for convictions in Marrero homicides

Two West Bank men who were convicted last month of killing a pair of half-brothers during an ambush-style shooting on a Marrero residential street were sentenced Wednesday (June 7).

Jordan Hicks, 24, of Westwego, was sentenced to two mandatory life sentences in prison without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.

Ernest Payne Jr., 28, of Marrero, was sentenced to two 40-year sentences, for his conviction of two counts of manslaughter. Forty years is the maximum punishment for the offense.

They killed Martin “Marty” Harry, 19, and Delanta “Dig” McCall, 21, on Aug. 12, 2012.

Harry, McCall and their cousin were in Harry’s car in the 1600 block of Julie Street, in Marrero’s Acre Road public housing development, when gunmen opened fire.

A Jefferson Parish jury returned guilty verdicts on May 19. Hicks was convicted as charged of two counts of second-degree murder. Payne also was charged with murder, but the jury returned with the manslaughter verdicts.

After denying defense motions for new trials and hearing victim impact testimony from three family members, 24th Judicial District Court Judge Stephen Grefer handed down the sentences. He ran both sentences concurrently.

Assistant District Attorneys Rachel Africk and Seth Shute prosecuted the case.

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