These are the weeks we set aside to give thanks for the blessings in our lives and express hope for the year to come. I sincerely want to thank all of my office staffers for all the hard work they have done this year. Here are some highlights:
In November, the month started and ended with justice for two murder victims. On November 1, Our office reported the successful prosecution of Arthur Deandre Anderson, who in November 2016 shot and killed his estranged former girlfriend, Ashley Williams, and a male friend of hers, Huey Leonard. On the last day of the month, Anderson received two consecutive life terms in prison from Judge John D. Mosely Jr. Anderson was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Mekisha Smith Creal and Kodie K. Smith. He was defended by Joel Pearce.
Also on the final day of November, a Shreveport woman whose intoxicated driving caused the October 2020 death of a South Louisiana poet and youth counselor was sentenced to 15 years in prison by District Judge Chris Victory. Angella Rochell Marshall, 43, was convicted for causing the three-vehicle wreck at West College Street and Jewella Avenue that pinned the 64-year-old Gretna victim in his vehicle. Tested for intoxication, Marshall posted .184 blood-alcohol after the wreck. Members of Mr. Pierce’s family were present from New Orleans for the sentencing. Marshall was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Sam Crichton and Victoria Washington. She was defended by Rickey Swift.
Here are highlights of jury trials through the month:
– A Bossier Parish man who savagely beat and robbed an elderly motel employee who later died was convicted of the slaying November 1.
Princeton resident Wesley Harper III, 33, was found guilty of the October 15, 2019 attack at the Regency Inn on Monkhouse Drive, which left night manager Robert Dehn, 75, clinging to life with critical injuries to his face and head. Mr. Dehn never regained consciousness and died at the hospital on November 30, 2019.
The 12-person jury in District Judge Donald Hathaway Jr.’s court learned that Harper entered the motel lobby a little after 2 a.m. that morning and asked to rent a room. Mr. Dehn asked for ID and Harper walked out the front door as if to retrieve his ID, but returned and told Dehn “Don’t make a wrong move, I need everything you got.” As Dehn picked up the phone to call 911, Harper knocked the phone from Dehn’s hand. Dehn told Harper that he did not have any money, at which point Harper leaped over the counter and began to beat Dehn, continuing to strike the elderly man multiple times after rendering him unconscious. Harper then rummaged through the motel drawers and Dehn’s pockets in search of money. The attack and attempted robbery were captured on surveillance video that contained audio. Harper’s prints also were discovered on a registration card. Harper could be seen holding the card on the surveillance video.
Harper was arrested two weeks following the attack and confessed in a recorded statement to entering the motel with the intent to rob it and to repeatedly striking Mr. Dehn.
The jury deliberated 50 minutes before returning its guilty-as-charged verdict.
Harper was sentenced to the mandatory life in prison November 17.
He was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Jason Waltman and Courtney Ray, and was defended by Elizabeth Gibson and Carter Lawrence.
– A man who had been arrested in Bossier City earlier this year on domestic violence charges and later escaped from custody at Ochsner LSU Health hospital, was convicted of aggravated escape here November 3.
The 12 jurors in District Judge Donald Hathaway’s court returned a unanimous guilty verdict against Cortez Jermaine Belion, 23, a Shreveport man arrested May 8 by Bossier City Police on charges of domestic abuse battery child endangerment.
Soon after Belion was taken into custody, he was transferred to the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s office and then was transferred to Ochsner for medical treatment. He was being walked to a police transport by a private security guard when he bolted, ran through the hospital and sprinted across Kings Highway. Shreveport Police found him three days later in the home of Summer Daniels, his victim in the domestic abuse child endangerment incident. Police surrounded the house and called for Belion to surrender peacefully. When he did not, officers breached the house and took him into custody.
Judge Hathaway sentenced Belion November 29 to five years in prison at hard labor.
Belion was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Clinton Bryce Kinley and Jason Waltman, and was defended by Sean Landry.
– On November 4, a Caddo Parish jury deliberated less than an hour finding Larry Delanta Gardner Jr. guilty-as-charged of second-degree murder for the April 2019 slaying of Bruce Randle near downtown Shreveport.
The nine-woman, three-man jury in District Judge Ramona Emanuel’s courtroom returned its verdict against Gardner, 30, in 46 minutes, after reviewing evidence and hearing testimony from a paramedic, a Caddo Coroner’s investigator, an assistant coroner, lead police investigator and a technical specialist from the North Louisiana Crime Lab, among others. In all, 11 witnesses testified.
The jury determined that Gardner intentionally shot and killed Randle, 55, in the 1200 block of Marshall Street on April 8, 2019. Gardner also was charged, and found guilty as charged, of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Five days later, on November 9, Judge Emanuel ordered him to serve a mandatory life term in prison without possibility of probation, parole or suspension of sentence. She additionally sentenced him to serve an additional 18 years for one count of felon in possession of a firearm, and to two separate 40-year sentences for separate armed robbery guilty pleadings.
Gardner was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Christopher Bowman and Brittany Arvie. He was defended by Katie Ferguson and Casey Simpson.
– An eight-woman, four-man jury in Caddo District Judge Erin Leigh Waddell Garrett’s courtroom deliberated two hours before returning guilty-as-charged verdicts November 15 against Flenory Frazier III, 56.
Frazier, convicted of several felonies in recent years, was on probation on June 11 of this year when probation agents encountered him cleaning out his vehicle that emanated a strong odor of marijuana. Officers searched Frazier’s vehicle and recovered marijuana, digital scales, packaging material, more than $1,500 in cash and a loaded Walther 9-mm handgun.
He was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute the Schedule I controlled dangerous substance marijuana, illegal carrying of a weapons while in possession of the controlled dangerous substance marijuana and possession of a firearm or carrying a concealed weapon by a convicted felon. Those were the charges deliberated by the jury this week.
Frazier returns to court December 20 and faces a number of sentences: one to 10 years in prison with or without hard labor and a fine of up to $50,000 for possession with intent to distribute the Schedule I controlled dangerous substance marijuana; five to 10 years in prison at hard labor without the benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence and a fine of up to $10,000 for illegal carrying of a weapons while in possession of the controlled dangerous substance marijuana; and five to 20 years in prison at hard labor, without the benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence and a fine of at least $1,000 and up to $5,000 for possession of a firearm or carrying a concealed weapon by a convicted felon.
Frazier was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Ross Owen and Erica Jefferson. He was defended by Evan McMichael and Hilary Hileman.
– On November 17, a Bossier City man with past felony convictions, including a 1989 manslaughter for which he received a 21-year prison sentence, was found guilty attempting to unlawfully possess a firearm.
Kenneth Wayne Owens, 54, was found guilty of attempted possession of a firearm or carrying a concealed weapon by a convicted felon in District Judge Katherine Dorroh’s court.
On January 25, 2019, Owens was stopped by Louisiana State Police for a broken tail light. Owens stepped out the car to speak with troopers, then indicated he needed to go back into the vehicle to retrieve his registration. Before allowing re-entry, troopers asked Owens if there were any weapons in the vehicle. He said there was a gun under the driver’s seat where he had been sitting. A subsequent search revealed a .40-caliber handgun. Owens was the only occupant in the vehicle.
Judge Dorroh sentenced Owens December 5 to five years hard labor with a $500 fine, plus court costs.
Owens was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Victoria Washington. He was defended by Dave Knadler and Michael Enright.
– Also on November 17, a Shreveport man was convicted here of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The 10-woman, two-man jury in District Judge John D. Mosely Jr.’s court found Clydie D. Armer, 33, guilty-as-charged after deliberating just under an hour.
In September 2020, agents with the Caddo-Shreveport narcotics task force were on patrol when they came across a vehicle parked in front of a vacant lot. When Armer opened the driver’s side door, an officer observed a small bag of suspected marijuana in the door armrest. Armer was arrested and upon being handcuffed, told the officer there was a pistol in the pocket of his shorts. The officer recovered a .22-caliber Imperial pistol, loaded with six rounds of ammunition. When officers were given permission to search the vehicle, the suspected marijuana was recovered along with several butts of marijuana blunts.
Armer has several felony convictions in Caddo District Court, dating back to 2010.
When Armer returns to court December 15, he faces a prison term of at least five years and up to 20 years at hard labor, without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence and a fine of at least $1,000 and up to $5,000.
Armer was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Cheyenne Wilson and Mekisha Smith Creal. He was defended by Harry Johnson and Casey Simpson.
A number of defendants decided to plead guilty to the charges against them.
– A Shreveport man who robbed a delivery truck of expensive liquor two years ago pleaded guilty November 2.
Deontae Battle, 26, pleaded guilty as charged to principal to armed robbery just after his jury was selected and sworn in District Judge Donald Hathaway Jr.’s court. Judge Hathaway sentenced Battle to 15 years in prison at hard labor without probation, parole or suspension of sentence.
On October 22, 2020, Battle entered the back of a delivery truck parked for delivery at The Liquor Store on Mansfield Road in Shreveport and stole a case of Hennessy cognac. The delivery truck driver came out of the store at the same time and saw Battle walking off with his product and told him to return it or he would have to call the police. Battle and the delivery driver struggled over the case of Hennessy with the driver actually managing to recover the liquor. However, Battle motioned to an accomplice, who held a gun on the delivery driver. The driver backed off but later was able to identify Battle in a photo lineup.
Battle was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Courtney N. Ray and Jason W. Waltman. He was defended by Leslie Kelly.
– A Vivian man who sent lewd text messages to a teen-aged girl two years ago pleaded guilty to indecent behavior with a juvenile just prior to his scheduled trial in Caddo District Court November 3.
Christopher James Fuller was 38 when he sent the lewd and lascivious text messages to his 16-year-old victim in late May 2020, just days after her birthday. Fuller urged his victim, a close family friend, to keep their conversation secret, offering her money to pay her phone bill. He asked her when she could “get away” for a couple hours during the day or night, and ultimately he sent unsolicited sexual messages to the girl, despite knowing her age. The girl told a parent about the messages. Police were informed and began an investigation.
But just before jury selection was to begin, Fuller pleaded guilty as charged, with sentencing up to District Judge Donald Hathaway Jr. On November 9, he was sentenced to seven years in prison. He was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Courtney N. Ray, and was defended by Carter Lawrence.
– A man set for trial on the charge he was a convicted felon in possession of a firearm pleaded guilty to the crime November 14, just as the jury chosen to determine his fate was about to be seated.
Shreveporter Darnell Lamarr Alston, 37, was immediately sentenced to 15 years is prison by Caddo Parish District Judge John D. Mosely Jr. Alston faced at least five and up to 20 years in prison without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence upon conviction and a fine of at least $1,000 and up to $5,000.
In August 2021, officers were called out to the Autumn Woods apartments due to a domestic assault and battery in progress. Upon arrival, officers were advised by the victim that Alston left the scene prior to officers’ arrival. Officers were given permission to search the apartment to ensure that Alston was gone and found him hiding in a closet. After a pat-down search, officers discovered a loaded Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine. The firearm was loaded with 16 rounds.
Alston was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Mekisha Smith Creal and Cheyenne Wilson. He was defended by Casey Simpson and Harry Johnson.
– Chad Lamar Dorsey’s jury had been selected in District Judge Chris Victory’s courtroom and was about to be sworn in November 15, when Dorsey, 40, offered to plead guilty to raping a pre-teen female relative. He pleaded guilty to second-degree rape with a 40-year hard-labor prison sentence without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence. The victim and her family members were present and agreed to the plea and sentence, which was immediately ordered.
Dorsey, a step-relation to the 12-year-old victim, engaged in a sexual relationship with the child for more than a year. The girl later reported the sexual activity to her grandmother, who alerted authorities. Dorsey was interviewed by police and confessed to having sex with the minor, but believed it was consensual.
He was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Sam Crichton and was defended by Leslie Kelly.
– Ricky Dewayne Wafer, 36, pleaded guilty November 28 to manslaughter in connection with the September 2019 gunshot slaying of Princess Cooper, 25. Ms. Cooper was shot at the intersection of Gilbert Drive and Egan Street. After the shooting, Wafer fled. The day after he pleaded guilty to the killing, Wafer pleaded guilty as a habitual offender and as sentenced to the maximum term possible, 80 years, by District Judge Ramona Emanuel. Assistant District Attorneys Christopher Bowman and Brittany Arvie prosecuted the case. Katie Ferguson and Royal Alexander defended Wafer.
As you can see your District Attorney’s office had a busy November! We are well on the way to posting unprecedented numbers of trials and convictions for any Louisiana District Attorney office in the year 2022.
Have a safe holiday season, enjoy the football, food, fellowship, friendships, and family, and – most of all – remember the reason for the season.
James E. Stewart, Sr.
Caddo Parish District Attorney
Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office | November 2022