December 2023 brought sadness to our community, the legal community and the families of Judges Lane Pittard and Harmon Drew. Judge Pittard was the longtime First Assistant District Attorney in Bossier Parish before ascending to the bench as a Bossier- Webster Parish District Court Judge. Judge Drew was a longtime Webster Parish District Court Judge who ascended to the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal. I had the pleasure of serving with him on the Court of Appeal for many years. Both served this community very well. Outside the court, both were dynamic personalities and musicians, who enjoyed playing with their respective bands with the same zeal that they loved serving the public. Both were my personal friends and colleagues and I send condolences to their families. December 2023 closed out the year with traditional holiday activities for the Caddo District Attorneys office, including give-aways of new bicycles and other gifts to deserving parish students. Almost 100 area Pre-K students enjoyed an early Christmas when staffers and I played Santa Claus. On December 14, office staffers and assistant district attorneys visited Caddo Heights Math/Science Elementary first, and brightened the day of 40 students with the help of Principal Cleveland Mouton. Students received wrapped gifts, which soon were unwrapped, as well as stockings stuffed with treats. Santa’s posse then moved on to Midway Elementary Professional Development School, where another 19 Pre-K students were similarly gifted, with the help of Principal Lashonda Diouf. The next day, staffers headed to Atkins Elementary to spread Christmas happiness to more than a dozen children. On December 19, I traded my three-piece suit for a red coat to play Santa Claus for the eighth year running. Kindergartners at North Caddo Elementary/Middle School were surprised as the curtain opened in their gymnasium auditorium to reveal 62 brand-new bicycles donated by Bally’s Shreveport Casino and Hotel and a handful of other local boosters. Bally’s General Manager Chip Bunyard was with me and Principal Nicolas Cunningham to make the reveal. “I’m one of those people who believes that Christmas is for kids,” I told the excited youngsters. “I know everybody’s got all those electric toys and stuff, but there’s nothing like a bicycle. This is just a special treat, to know that you’ve been good boys and girls the first half of the year. But don’t let the Grinch come get it the second half of the year because you’ve been acting bad. Be good the whole year!” Even older students not getting bikes also shared the holiday spirit. “I feel great about it,” said eighth-grader Kelsey Quinnett, whose younger brother Alexander Shrotland was one of the lucky kindergartners getting a bike. “A lot of parents can’t afford gifts for their kids. This helps out parents who may not be able to afford things for Christmas.” December was more than a time to spread cheer. Our office had to take necessary actions to preserve public safety and seek justice.One week before Christmas, I transferred the prosecution of Jordan Cannon, 17, from juvenile court to adult court to face a charge of armed robbery. District Judge Donald Hathaway Jr. set Cannon’s bond at $1 million. Jordan is accused of being in a car with the victim October 2 in the 6800 block of Rasberry Lane. Jordan and another individual both pulled out handguns and robbed the victim of his AK-47 rifle. At a Continued Custody Hearing in Caddo Juvenile Court December 18, the armed robbery charge was considered, as well as a single count of attempted armed robbery and other charges. The attempted armed robbery occurred November 28 and was of a 63-year-old victim in his car at an intersection in Hosston, where four individuals, including Cannon, approached. A gun was pointed at the victim, but he was able to drive off unharmed. These crimes occurred while Cannon was an escapee from the Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice. Jordan escaped from an OJJ facility in Baton Rouge August 10. During the time that Jordan was on the run from OJJ, he allegedly committed several other crimes, all with guns involved, but those crimes are not transferable by law to adult District Court and will be prosecuted at Juvenile Court. Jordan was the 22nd juvenile whose case was transferred by me to an adult court in 2023. But he was not the only teen whose crimes merited transferral to adult court. A hearing in Juvenile Court December 6 found there was probable cause against 17-year-old SurDerrick Vailes for two counts of attempted second-degree murder, illegal use of a firearm from a motor vehicle and illegal possession of a handgun by a juvenile. Vailes now will stand trial as an adult in connection with the shootings that occurred November 16 in the 1000 block of Huntington Lane in west Shreveport. Shreveport Police arrested Vailes for illegal use of a weapon and illegal use of a weapon from a motor vehicle after investigation determined that, armed with a Draco semi-automatic rifle, he fired multiple shots at two males standing in the yard of a residence, and at the residence itself. Evidence recovered at the scene and from Vailes led investigators to identify him as the shooter. After review, I upgraded the charges to include the transferable attempted second-degree murders. These transferals are based on Louisiana Children’s Code Article 305, which provides for the divestiture of juvenile court jurisdiction upon review by the District Attorney for offenders aged 15 years or older for a number of criminal acts, including attempted second-degree murder. And as always, adult criminals also were dealt with. Among them, of special interest: A pair of south Louisiana men face mandatory life sentences following their conviction on second-degree murder charges in Caddo District Court December 15. Jonathan Crenshaw and Terence Felix Jr., both of Abbeville, will formally be sentenced January 16 by District Judge Mike Pitman. A seven-woman, five-man jury in his courtroom deliberated an hour before returning a unanimous verdict against Crenshaw, 38, and Felix, 33, for the August 20, 2019, slaying of Derrick Purnell Terrell at the Knight’s Inn motel in west Shreveport. Victim Terrell, 45, was killed when Crenshaw and Felix chased him throughout the hotel and shot him multiple times after a dispute involving Tamala Ware, a woman Terrell was seeing and who had a room at the motel. Following the shooting, Crenshaw fled in Terrell’s vehicle and Felix fled in his own truck. Ms. Ware, who faces separate second-degree murder charges in connection with Terrell’s slaying, also fled. Terrell’s vehicle later was found torched. Felix and Crenshaw were identified by multiple witnesses on the surveillance footage from the hotel as well as still shots taken from that footage. Assistant District Attorneys Kodie K. Smith and Bill Edwards prosecuted Crenshaw and Felix. Crenshaw was defended by Michael Enright and Dave Knadler. Felix was defended by Sean Landry. The case was docket No. 369850. On December 11, Miguel Foret, 18 and from Keithville, confessed in District Judge Ramona Emanuel’s court to the first-degree rape of a 5-year-old child. Investigation determined that the child had been assaulted multiple times. Foret actually also had reported the incident himself in a 911 call and post-Miranda admitted the allegations in detail. Judge Emanuel sentenced Foret to life in prison without the possibility of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. He also must register as a sex offender for life. Foret was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Brittany Arvie. He was defended by Katherine Ferguson. The case was docket No. 395888. December also marked the end of a strange and dangerous interlude involving a young local delinquent. Anthony Mandigo Jr., 19, escaped from an Office of Juvenile Justice transitional living facility in Baton Rouge September 8. He was serving a juvenile life sentence for the November 9, 2018 armed robbery of the Raceway on North Market gas station, and conspiracy to commit armed robbery in the November 3, 2018 murder of pizza deliveryman Lester McGee, both offenses that Mandigo committed at the age of 13. He could not be transferred to adult court for those crimes due to his age. September’s absconding was his fourth escape. The Office of Juvenile Justice failed to make public Mandigo’s September escape, but our office, upon learning of it in early December, promptly issued a release asking for public help finding him, and it paid off. A tip to 911 December 29 informed Shreveport police that Mandigo was at the Royal Inn on North Market. The tip cited a room number and shortly thereafter, Shreveport Police took Mandigo into custody without incident. Finally, the Caddo Grand Jury returned five true bills December 14. Four were for second-degree murder and associated crimes. • Kevin Lamone Hunter, 21, of Shreveport, was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the July 28 slaying of Jotrevius Hawthorne. Mr. Hawthorne was shot several times following a party on Ridgeway Avenue. The case is docket No. 397205. • Brandon Devon Merritt, 27, of Shreveport, was charged with second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder in connection with the September 2 slaying of Lajah Small and the attempted slaying of John Boone. Ms. Small, 26, was shot outside a nightclub on Mansfield Road. The case is docket No. 397432. • Jadaveun Devon Dillard, 19, of Oil City, was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the September 10 slaying of C’Aundre Anderson and the attempted second-degree murder of Cuviondrick Anderson. C’Aundre Anderson, 21, of Vivian, was shot outside his residence. The case is docket No. 397506. • Richard Refund Spencer, 55, of Minden, was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the August 16 slaying of Michelle Wells. Ms. Wells, 53, was shot multiple times in the course of a domestic dispute. The case is docket No. 397087. The fifth indictment was a secret indictment, with no further details released. We are off to the new year 2024. Year-end numbers are being compiled to show you the facts of our work this past year and will be released soon. I want to publicly thank my attorneys and staff members for their hard work in 2023. I pledge to continue to the hard work of our office to bring justice for the victims of crime in our parish and to keep at-risk juveniles in school and off the streets. At your service, James E. Stewart Sr.Caddo Parish District Attorney
From the desk of the District Attorney December 2023
