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.