A Kenner man has pleaded guilty as charged to manslaughter in the death of his acquaintance, who was stabbed during a fight stemming from a quarrel between a woman and her ex-boyfriend.
Ravon R. Miller, 30, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Monday (Aug. 29), after admitting he stabbed Kenneth Tassin III. The victim, 20, died on the night of March 23, 2015, after he was stabbed several times during a fight outside his home in the 2800 block of Richland Street.
Miller drove Tassin’s ex-girlfriend, Jonnisha Allen, to Tassin’s home so she could retrieve some of her belongings and items for the children the former couple had together, according to the Kenner Police Department. Miller’s girlfriend, Johneka Woods, went with them, authorities said.
Allen suspected that Tassin was in the home with his new girlfriend that night and demanded that Tassin go outside. Allen then slashed the new girlfriend’s car tires and scratched its paint, leading to a fight between the women, police said. Allen also grabbed the new girlfriend’s cellular phone and got into a vehicle with it.
Tassin, meanwhile, had gone outside his home, to give Allen her belongings. Tassin saw his acquaintance Miller outside and became upset that Miller drove Allen to the apartment, authorities said.
At that point, Tassin punched Miller, leading to a fist fight. That’s when Miller pulled out his pocket knife and stabbed Tassin, according to police.
Miller got into his 2004 Chevrolet Suburban with Allen and Woods and fled. Kenner police stopped them shortly after in the 2800 block of Loyola Drive. Police noted blood smeared on the vehicle and blood on the suspects’ clothing. The pocket knife was found under the Suburban’s front passenger’s seat.
After initially saying an unknown person committed the homicide, Miller confessed to police that he stabbed Tassin. In addition to pleading guilty to the manslaughter on Monday, Miller also pleaded guilty to a charge of simple burglary, for breaking into a woman’s car on July 4, 2014. He received a six-year sentence for that crime.
Judge Scott Schlegel of the 24th Judicial District Court, who accepted the guilty pleas, ran the sentences concurrently.
Allen and Woods pleaded guilty last year in connection with their involvement in Tassin’s death and the altercation.
Woods, 23, of Metairie, pleaded guilty on Oct. 22, 2015, to accessory to manslaughter. She received five years of probation, court records show. She admitted to secreting the knife when police stopped Miller’s Suburban, and she lied to police about it when she gave her statement.
Allen, 23, of Kenner, pleaded guilty on Oct. 26, 2015, to the simple criminal damage of Tassin’s girlfriend’s car, theft of her cell phone and simple battery. She received five years of probation, court records show.
Assistant District Attorneys Kellie Rish and Emily Booth prosecuted the cases.
