A Jefferson Parish judge on Wednesday (March 13) sentenced Cade Fuxan to life in prison for his conviction of killing his roommate James Parker in their Kenner apartment.
Fuxan, 26, shot Parker five times in the hallway of their 2-bedroom apartment in the 4500 block of Williams Boulevard on June 2, 2022, including once in the back of his head. Fuxan then asserted to Kenner police and to the jury he was defending himself. Parker was 24.
Fuxan and Parker’s sister were dating. The couple, Parker and Parker’s brother shared the apartment. The shooting followed months of friction between the men and a physical fight in which Parker got the best of Fuxan. They were alone in the apartment when Fuxan shot Parker
A Jefferson Parish jury on Feb. 1 rejected Fuxan’s self-defense assertions and convicted him as charged of second=degree murder.
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During Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, 24th Judicial District Court Judge Stephen Enright denied Fuxan’s post-verdict motions for a new trial and to reject the jury’s unanimous conclusion that Fuxan committed a second-degree murder.
Prior to sentencing, Judge Enright heard victim-impact testimony from Parker’s sisters, including from Fuxan’s ex-girlfriend. She said she is “shattered” by her brother’s death and described him as a creative and caring young man.
She also blames herself for her brother’s death because she dated Fuxan. “I regret every moment of us,” she testified. “I regret giving you my love.”
Parker’s other sister described him as peaceful and non-confrontational. “You are the scum on the bottom of my shoe,” she told Fuxan.
Fuxan read from a prepared statement, directing criticism at the prosecutors, expressing sorrow for Parker’s family’s pain but maintaining it was a justifiable homicide. “I did what I had to do,” he said of shooting Parker. He also described the life sentence term as unjust.
Judge Enright then sentenced Fuxan to the mandatory punishment, to be served without parole, probation or suspension of sentence.
Assistant District Attorneys Piper Didier and Douglas Rushton prosecuted the case.