Author: Paul Purpura

Corey Woods convicted anew in Bunche Village triple-murder

A Jefferson Parish jury on Friday (Aug. 19) convicted Corey Woods of killing three people, including the 16-year-old younger sister of his intended victim, while they sat inside a car in East Jefferson’s Bunche Village neighborhood.

Woods, 37, of Metairie, who is known as “Cocomo,” is guilty as charged of three counts of second-degree murder and one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

On the night of Jan. 22, 2017, Woods killed Malcolm Wallace, 25, of Metairie; Wallace’s girlfriend, Daneka Lott, 24, of Kenner; and Wallace’s 16-year-old sister, whose name is withheld because she was a juvenile. Woods’ target was Wallace, and he killed Lott and the teenager to eliminate witnesses.

“Three people executed. Executed. Five different shots fired, each one saying, ‘I want you dead,’” Assistant District Attorney Doug Freese, who prosecuted with Lynn Schiffman, told jurors in closing argument Friday. “This was an execution, as cold-blooded a crime as you could imagine.”

Woods, a longtime acquaintance of the Wallace family, spent part of the evening with the family in their home, watching a football game.

Afterward, Woods, Wallace, Lott and the teenager traveled to a sporting goods store on Veterans Memorial Boulevard in a 2006 Honda Accord so Woods could purchase slippers. A 6-year-old boy at the Wallace residence wanted to tag along, but Woods gave the child $5 to remain behind, suggesting that he knew what was to happen.

After purchasing the slippers and stopping at a fast-food restaurant, they were returning to the Wallace residence. In the 1400 block of South Laurel Street, just off Mistletoe Street, Woods began shooting while inside the car.

Sitting behind the driver’s seat, Woods shot Wallace twice; a bullet severed his spinal cord. He shot Lott in the right side of her head. They both died later at a hospital.

Woods shot the 16-year-old girl in the back of her head. She died in the back seat.

Immediately after, Woods fled on foot across Airline Drive, taking with him the slippers they just purchased.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives booked Woods with the murders based on a combination of witnesses, cell phone records and business surveillance videos.

Woods was legally prohibited from possessing firearms because of narcotics convictions.

Woods denied being the killer. The jury deliberated less than 1 ½ hours before returning with its unanimous verdict.

This brings to two the number of times Woods was convicted of the killings. In November 2018, a jury found Woods guilty as charged, and he subsequently was sentenced to life in prison.

However, he received a new trial because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 decision, Ramos vs. Louisiana, which mandates unanimous jury verdicts. The jury that convicted Woods in 2018 was nonunanimous, 10-2 in favor of guilt.

Judge Donnie Rowan of the 24th Judicial District Court is scheduled to sentence Woods on Sept. 2.

Assistant District Attorneys Doug Freese and Lynn Schiffman prosecuted Woods.

Sherneskie Bell guilty of possessing child pornography

A Jefferson Parish jury on Wednesday (July 13) found Sherneskie Bell guilty as charged of possession of pornography involving juveniles under age 13.

Bell, 62, of Kenner, downloaded about 2,700 images, videos and GIFs to his mobile phone over a period of months in 2018, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office concluded. The images included children as young as 3 years old.

The Kenner Police Department opened the investigation of Bell in October 2018, following an argument he had with his teenage girlfriend after she heard that he had nude photographs of her on his mobile phone.

She fled to her home with the phone, unlocked it and discovered the pornographic images involving juveniles. Her sister promptly brought the phone to the Kenner Police Department.

Detectives also found a notebook in his apartment in which he listed pornographic websites and search terms for search engines. Bell wrote of marrying girls as young as 12 years old.

In testimony on Wednesday, Bell told jurors that his girlfriend stole his mobile phone and downloaded the pornographic images to frame him. He also asserted that his coworkers sometimes used his phone. Bell also suggested that his girlfriend and her sister manipulated data in his mobile phone to show the images were downloaded over a period of months.

In rebuttal, the prosecution team provided expert testimony from the Sheriff’s Office’s Digital Forensic Unit, showing that it would have been impossible for Bell’s ex-girlfriend to have the expertise to manipulate the download dates in a matter of hours to show the images were obtained over a period of months.

The jury, which was seated on Tuesday, deliberated about 45 minutes in reaching its unanimous verdict. Judge Stephen Grefer of the 24th Judicial District Court is scheduled to sentence Bell on Aug. 10.

Assistant District Attorneys Blaine Moncrief and Lynn Schiffman prosecuted the case.

 

Rondell Lasalle sentenced to 35 years for Harvey manslaughter conviction

A Jefferson Parish judge on Thursday (June 30) sentenced Rondell Lasalle to 35 years in prison for his conviction of shooting a man in the back during a fight in a Harvey apartment.

Lasalle, 30, of Marrero, was convicted by a jury on April 6 of manslaughter in the death of James Cole, 27. Lasalle also was found guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

On the night of March 8, 2020, Lasalle and Cole were in an apartment in the 1100 block of Orange Blossom Lane when an argument escalated to a physical altercation. During the fight, Lasalle shot Cole in the back. Cole died the following day.

Shortly after he was shot, Cole told a Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy that Lasalle was the shooter. Other people who were in the apartment did not see the fight but heard the ruckus and two gunshots. One witness also saw Lasalle leave the apartment immediately after the gunshots.

Soon after, the Gretna Police Department detained Lasalle after seeing him walking along a drainage canal bank that marks the city’s municipal boundary with Harvey and is two blocks from Orange Blossom Lane.

Lasalle carried a backpack, in which there was a 9mm semiautomatic pistol. A fired casing was jammed in the slide, making the pistol inoperable, according to testimony.

Lasalle asserted self-defense, and his attorneys argued the shooting was accidental. Lasalle testified that during an afternoon of playing video games, he teased Cole about the mother of his children. The friction led to an argument that escalated to a fist fight and culminated with Cole brandishing a pistol, Lasalle testified.

He told jurors that he twisted Cole’s arm behind his back in trying to disarm him, and that’s when the pistol fired. Fearing retribution from Cole’s friends, Lasalle said he picked up the pistol and fled instead of calling 911 and trying to help the dying man.

Both men’s DNA was recovered from the pistol. Lasalle’s DNA was recovered in far greater amounts, suggesting that the pistol was his, according to testimony.

Prosecutors put on rebuttal witnesses to refute Lasalle’s self-defense assertion. Evidence showed that Cole was shot in the back at a distance, meaning the pistol was not mere inches from his back when the trigger was pulled, as Lasalle described in testimony. Also, the trajectory that the bullet followed through Cole’s body further refuted Lasalle’s version of the shooting, according to testimony.

By law, Lasalle was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his criminal history. Jurors heard of a simple burglary conviction and that he was previously convicted of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

For killing Cole, Lasalle stood trial on a charge of second-degree murder. The jury deliberated just over two hours in finding Lasalle guilty of manslaughter, a lesser homicide offense that carries a punishment of up to 40 years in prison.

On Thursday, Judge Michael Mentz of the 24th Judicial District Court sentenced Lasalle to 35 years for manslaughter and 20 years for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Mentz ran the sentences concurrently.

Assistant District Attorneys Thomas Sanderson and Lynn Schiffman prosecuted the case.

Lawrence Sly convicted of murdering his neighbor in Woodmere

 

 

A Jefferson Parish jury Friday evening (June 17) found Lawrence Sly guilty as charged of second-degree murder for killing his neighbor, a crime that was the culmination of years of disputes between the two men.

Sly, now 70, shot Webber, 57, six times outside their homes in the 3800 block of Chinkapin Street, in the Woodmere subdivision. Webber was unarmed.

Just before the Nov. 11, 2019 encounter, Sly was leaving his home and noticed Webber was home. Sly then retrieved his Smith & Wesson 9mm semiautomatic pistol. As he departed, Webber emerged from his home and, according to Sly, threatened him.

Sly shot Webber in a knee, a shoulder and the other knee as the men stood on Sly’s property, at the sidewalk between their driveways. Sly then shot Webber in his back. As Webber stumbled across the street, Sly reloaded his pistol with another magazine.

Finally, after Webber collapsed on the sidewalk across Chinkapin Drive unable to walk further, Sly stood over the victim and shot him twice more in the head. Webber died there in a pool of his blood.

Sly remained on scene for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. He asserted self-defense, saying Webber was threatening him and reaching at his pants waistband as though he was armed. Sly alleged he shot Webber after Webber began walking menacing toward him and continued shooting him.

Sly also told detectives that he “shot him in his head because I wasn’t, I wasn’t letting him come back on me.”

The Sheriff’s Office booked Sly with manslaughter. A Jefferson Parish grand jury later returned with a charge of second-degree murder.

Evidence shows the neighbors’ disputes can be traced to Oct. 3, 2015, when Sly called the Sheriff’s Office to report that Webber was outside his home holding a shotgun. Deputies took no action because Webber committed no crimes.

On Oct. 30, 2015, the Sheriff’s Office again was summoned to Chinkapin Street because Webber was cutting his grass while holding the shotgun. He committed no crimes.

Two years later, Sly again called the Sheriff’s Office to report that Webber pointed the shotgun at him. For that, Webber was charged with felony aggravated assault. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor aggravated assault and received one year of probation after Sly sought to drop charges. Webber remained on probation until April 2019

In May 2018, Sly and Webber engaged in a physical altercation that led to injuries requiring medical treatment.

The jury that was seated on Tuesday deliberated about 3 ½ hours Friday before returning its unanimous verdict. Judge Nancy Miller of the 24th Judicial District Court is scheduled to sentence Sly on July 11.

Assistant District Attorneys Joshua Vanderhooft and Lindsay Truhe prosecuted the case.

Abraham Aguilar convicted of sexual battery of a juvenile

A Jefferson Parish jury on Wednesday night (June 15) found Abraham Aguilar guilty as charged of sexual battery of a juvenile under age 13.

Aguilar, 40, of Marrero, committed the crime between Jan. 1, 2020 and Aug. 18, 2020, when the victim was 11 years old. In addition to the felony offense, Aguilar was convicted of misdemeanor sexual battery involving the same victim.

Aguilar was tried on both charges simultaneously. Judge Ellen Shirer Kovach of the 24th Judicial District Court weighed evidence presented on the misdemeanor offense, and the jury weighed evidence presented for the felony offense.

The jury, which was seated on Monday, deliberated about 2 ½ hours in reaching its unanimous verdict. Judge Kovach is scheduled to sentence Aguilar on June 30.

Assistant District Attorneys Christina Fisher and John Ransone prosecuted the cases.

Justin ‘Jeeky’ Hutchinson guilty of murdering New Orleans man at Marrero bar & grill

A Jefferson Parish jury on Thursday night (May 26) found Justin A. “Jeeky” Hutchinson guilty as charged of second-degree murder for shooting a New Orleans man repeatedly outside a Marrero bar and grill.

Using his 9mm semiautomatic pistol, Hutchinson, 32, of Marrero, shot Rashad Lewis once in the head, five times in his left abdomen and once in the pelvis as he sat in the driver’s seat of his parents’ 2016 Mercedes Benz SUV.

Hutchinson then grabbed Lewis’ .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol from inside the vehicle and fired repeatedly at the SUV. In all, Hutchinson fired 17 bullets at Lewis and Lewis’ SUV.

Lewis, 29, died at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.

The shooting happened about 10 p.m., on Oct. 21, 2020, in a bar and grill parking lot in the 6500 block of Lapalco Boulevard. Lewis was among about 50 people gathered at the business to celebrate the memory of a friend who had been killed in New Orleans. Lewis was friends with that victim’s brother.

Immediately after shooting Lewis, Hutchinson ran by the entrance to the bar and waived the pistol at the patrons inside before he ran on. Hutchinson was known to many people in that part of Marrero.

A Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office juvenile detective who just completed curfew checks happened to be driving by, heard the gunfire and saw a man dressed in distinctive clothing — Hutchinson – running from the scene. The detective saw the suspect discard the 9mm pistol in a yard in the 2000 block of Betty Street. Sheriff’s Office ballistics experts later concluded that pistol was used in this crime. The .40-caliber pistol was not recovered.

The crime was recorded by a video surveillance system, and jurors were shown the recordings. The video showed Hutchinson and Lewis exchanging words several times in the minutes before the shooting. Further, Hutchinson was identified as the shooter.

Investigators also found Hutchinson’s social media posts from that evening, in which he told his followers two hours before he shot Lewis that he was at the Lapalco Boulevard bar and grill. After killing Lewis, Hutchinson remained at large for more than three weeks, when he surrendered to the Sheriff’s Office.

In addition to the murder charge, Hutchinson was convicted as charged of obstruction of justice, for removing the pistols from the scene.

He also was convicted as charged of two counts of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He was legally prohibited from possessing guns because of a 2015 conviction of aggravated assault with a firearm. One count is based on his having the 9mm pistol, and the second one stems from his possessing Lewis’ .40-caliber pistol.

Hutchinson’s attorney argued that his client is innocent and was framed. Jurors deliberated almost 3 ½ hours before delivering its guilty verdicts.

Judge R. Christopher Cox III of the 24th Judicial District Court is scheduled to sentence Hutchinson on June 15.

Assistant District Attorneys Laura Schneidau and Brittany Beckner prosecuted the case.

Hoang M. Le convicted of sexual battery of a juvenile

A Jefferson Parish jury on Tuesday night (May 24) convicted Hoang M. Le of sexually molesting a child over an 11-year period.

Le, 32, of Harvey, is guilty as charged of sexual battery of a juvenile under age 13 and sexual battery. Both counts involve the same victim, who was 6 years old when the abuse began in 2009. The abuse continued into 2020, when the victim was 17 and the crimes were reported to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The jury deliberated three hours before returning its verdict about 8 p.m., Tuesday. Judge Frank Brindisi of the 24th Judicial District Court is scheduled to sentence Le on Tuesday (May 31).

Assistant District Attorneys Gabrielle Hosli and Eric Cusimano prosecuted the case.

Everette Campbell pleads guilty to role in Marrero homicide, gets 35-year sentence

A Jefferson Parish judge on Tuesday (May 24) sentenced Everette Campbell to 35 years in prison for his role in an attempted robbery during which his codefendant shot four people, killing two of them.

Campbell, 26, of Terrytown, pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter and one count of obstruction of justice.

The codefendant, Malik McGinnis, 25, of Avondale, has been convicted of being the gunman who shot and killed the two people and shot and injured two others.

The crime occurred just before 10 p.m., on Sept. 4, 2019, inside a four-bedroom home in the 3000 block of Sorbonne Drive. McGinnis, who had been acquainted with the victims, and Campbell went to the residence planning to steal from a resident who sold marijuana.

However, McGinnis shot and killed Ronald Eddington, 21. McGinnis then shot and killed Eddington’s 7-year-old sister. Her 11-year-old sister was shot in her left forearm. And a 19-year-old family friend was shot in his stomach as he wrestled with McGinnis.

During his jury trial, McGinnis was convicted as charged on Feb. 17 of two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder and obstruction of justice. He was sentenced to life in prison on March 8.

A jury was selected on Monday to weigh evidence against Campbell. He was prosecuted as a principal to second-degree murder but offered Tuesday to plead guilty to the lesser offense of manslaughter. His attorneys told jurors during opening statements Monday that while Campbell was present in the residence, he did not shoot anyone and was unaware that McGinnis was going to shoot anyone.

Judge Michael Mentz of the 24th Judicial District Court presided over both cases. In accepting the guilty plea, Judge Mentz sentenced Campbell to 35 years in prison for each count of manslaughter and obstruction of justice, with one count of manslaughter to be served without benefit of probation or suspension of sentence. The sentences were run concurrent to each other and with a 6-month jail term for possession of risperidone without a prescription.

On Monday, Campbell also pleaded guilty to cultivation of marijuana and received a 5-year sentence. While investigating the Marrero homicides, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives discovered that Campbell was growing marijuana in his South Forest Lawn Drive apartment.

Assistant District Attorneys Douglas Rushton and Lynn Schiffman prosecuted Campbell and McGinnis.

Tyronne Louis gets 50-year sentence for shooting JPSO deputy during domestic dispute

A Jefferson Parish judge on Thursday (May 12) sentenced Tyronne Louis to 50 years in prison, after the defendant pleaded guilty as charged to the attempted first-degree murder of a police officer.

Louis, 42, of New Orleans, also pleaded guilty as charged to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, second-degree kidnapping and to misdemeanor charges of aggravated assault and battery of a dating partner.

The charges stem from a domestic dispute on Dec. 9, 2018, at a hotel in the 6400 block of Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie, where Louis slapped and pointed a pistol at a female victim in a room. Shortly after, they left the room and walked through the lobby, where the victim was able to alert a hotel employee and lock herself in a restroom. The employee called 911.

Two Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies responded. As he was being escorted outside the hotel’s entrance for questioning, Louis ran. A deputy pursued him. In the parking lot just outside, Louis turned and fired three times at the deputy. Bullets struck the deputy in a shin and elbow.

Louis escaped but was arrested two days later at the bus and train station in New Orleans.

In accepting the plea, Judge Ellen Shirer Kovach of the 24th Judicial District Court sentenced Louis to the maximum sentence for attempted murder. Louis’s prior conviction of aggravated battery in 2005 was used as a sentencing enhancement on the attempted murder charge.

Judge Kovach also sentenced Louis to the maximum 20 years for the firearm offense; 40 years for the kidnapping, also the maximum; and six months for each of the two misdemeanors. Judge Kovach ran the sentences concurrently.

Assistant District Attorneys Christina Fisher and Lindsay Truhe prosecuted the case.

Torus ‘T-Man’ Wallace guilty of Metairie killing over $35 drug debt

A Jefferson Parish jury on Tuesday night (May 10) found Torus “T-Man” Wallace guilty of manslaughter for killing a Metairie man struggling with substance abuse over a $35 drug debt.

Wallace, 24, of Metairie, killed Rene Rachel, 32, as he sat in his vehicle in the 500 block of North Elm Street, waiting for an intermediary to deliver “MOJO,” a street name for synthetic marijuana.

Wallace also was convicted as charged of obstruction of justice for removing the .45-caliber pistol he used to kill Rachel from the scene.

Just after 6 p.m., on March 29, 2020, Rachel, who struggled with addiction, traveled from his Metairie home to the neighborhood near Airline Drive and David Drive to purchase narcotics. As he entered the neighborhood, he picked up the intermediary who would acquire the synthetic marijuana for him.

As Rachel waited, Wallace appeared on a bicycle and inquired about drugs and the debt. When Rachel rebuffed him, Wallace brandished the pistol and fired once through the passenger side window. The bullet went through Rachel’s right forearm and struck him in the upper chest. He died shortly after in the parking lot of a business at Airline Drive and David Drive.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office received a tip from a source indicating that “T-Man” was the killer. The Sheriff’s Office knew T-Man to be Wallace. Wallace was identified as the shooter by an eyewitness.

Jurors also heard testimony showing that four days before the shooting, Rachel went to the same neighborhood to acquire illegal narcotics and encountered Wallace. Wallace threatened to kill Rachel unless he paid the $35 drug debt.

Through his attorneys, Wallace denied shooting Rachel. His attorneys argued there was no credible evidence linking him to the crime.

Wallace was charged with second-degree murder, which carries a punishment of life in prison without parole, probation or suspension of sentence. The jury that was seated on Monday deliberated three hours before returning the lesser offense.

Judge Michael Mentz of the 24th Judicial District Court is scheduled to sentence Wallace on May 26.

Assistant District Attorneys Thomas Sanderson and John Ransone prosecuted the case.