I want to start off this month’s report with announcing a new program from Volunteers for Youth Justice (VYJ) called the “Risks of Youth Vaping Workshop.” During my terms as your District Attorney, I have become increasingly aware and extremely concerned with the vaping epidemic amongst our children. Vaping has quietly replaced cigarettes as our children’s drug mechanism of choice. I also see that the age of the children with vapes is getting younger and younger. Parents of middle schoolers beware, vaping is going on at that age. In fact, our juvenile court section sees very few possession of actual cigarette cases. What they are seeing is possession of tobacco cases where the tobacco is located inside vapes. Not surprisingly, vapes are a gateway to further drug use, and we are now seeing marijuana being used by minors through vaping.
Several months ago, I asked VYJ, our fabulous local non-profit partner that provides many services for children and families, to look into providing a Saturday morning educational class for youth and their parents regarding vaping. I did not feel that having kids going to court for this – and their parents missing work to attend court – was the most effective way to address the issue, as our kids’ minds have been poisoned to believe from their sources of misinformation – usually their friends or social media – that vaping is harmless. Vaping often begins with sweet-flavored cartridges, then graduates to nicotine and marijuana. So beginning Saturday, February 8, 2025 at The Harbor, 3004 Knight St., Building 6, Shreveport, from 9-11 a.m., this “harms of vaping” educational seminar will be held. This will be a tool for any judge, District Attorney, parents, family members, principals, and pastors from any parish or county to help youth and their parents receive information on the harms of vaping. The cost is $50, and please contact VYJ’s Kara Lanning at (318)725-4267 ext. 403, or kara.lanning@vyjla.org for further information.
It has been a busy January of trials by our office. Here are some highlights:
Assistant District Attorneys Bill Edwards and Kodie Smith prosecuted a Shreveport man originally convicted in 2019 of shooting and killing his stepson and a neighbor in 2016. He had to be retried and convicted again of the crimes following a U.S. Supreme Court decision, Ramos, that mandated unanimous juries in criminal trials.
The six-man, six-woman jury in District Judge Erin Leigh Waddell Garrett’s court deliberated 30 minutes before returning unanimous verdicts January 29, against Jerry Jackson, 57, charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter.
On July 20, 2016, Jackson shot and killed his stepson, Kendrick Brown, and a neighbor, Michael Dillard, in front of the Bond Drive residence of his wife, Rhonda Brown. After the shooting, Jackson tried to hide the .22 caliber rifle he used in the slayings by giving it to a friend. The friend notified the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s office, which in turn notified the Shreveport Police Department. The rifle was collected and matched to the .22 caliber casings at the crime scene. In addition, Jackson’s then-wife, Rhonda Brown, and a neighbor also testified that Jackson had shot the two victims.
When Jackson returns to court for sentencing February 24, he faces a mandatory life at hard labor prison term for the murder conviction, without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence, and up to 40 years at hard labor for the manslaughter conviction.
Jackson was defended by Sean Landry.
The case was docket No. 406516.
* A Shreveporter who beat his domestic partner so badly that she was rendered unconscious and required hospitalization pleaded guilty to domestic violence charges January 30.
The jury had just been empaneled and was about to be sworn in before District Judge Donald E. Hathaway Jr. when Charles Pennington, 59, chose to plead guilty to all charges. Judge Hathaway sentenced him to the maximum prison term allowed, eight years.
On June 28, 2023, Pennington and his female partner of 10 years were in a residence at the intersection of Lynbrook and St. Vincent Avenue when he became enraged by jealousy and attacked the woman. The attack left the victim unconscious and she required hospitalization for her injuries. Specific charges to which Pennington pleaded guilty were domestic abuse battery with serious bodily injury and second-offense domestic abuse.
Prosecutors were Assistant District Attorneys Ashlyn Thomas and Jason Waltman. Pennington was defended by Evan McMichael.
The case was docket No. 397735.
* A Shreveport man whose trial on sex charges was delayed a day while he sat in a DeSoto Parish jail on unrelated charges was found guilty late January 28 in Caddo District Court.
A three-man, three-woman jury in District Judge Donald E. Hathaway Jr.’s court found LaQuinton Eckles, 38, guilty as charged of Molestation of a Juvenile and Indecent Behavior with a Juvenile.
The unanimous jury returned its verdict at 7:45 p.m., after deliberating for 70 minutes. The trial was scheduled to began January 27 but was delayed because Eckles had been arrested over the weekend on unrelated charges in DeSoto Parish and had to be transported to court from Mansfield.
Over the course of the trial, the Caddo District Attorney’s office called seven witnesses to prove that on Mother’s Day in 2022, Eckles molested the minor victim. One week prior to the crime, Eckles spent several hours with the now-15 year-old child. On the night of the crime, the victim’s mother consented for Eckles to visit with the child for two hours; however, he failed to return the child as promised and kept her out past midnight. The following day the girl reported the attack to her counselor, who notified the police.
The victim was interviewed at the Gingerbread House and that recorded interview was played for the jury. At trial, Eckles denied ever being alone with the child. The jury rejected that assertion, returning its guilty verdicts. Following conviction, defense counsel moved for an appeal bond to allow Eckles to remain free pending sentencing. Judge Hathaway denied that request, citing defendant’s arrest in DeSoto for unrelated criminal activity while on bond for the molestation charge.
Sentencing is set for February 18. Eckles faces from five to 20 years in prison for molestation of a juvenile when the offender has custody or control over the victim, and up to seven years in prison for the indecent behavior with a juvenile conviction.
Assistant District Attorneys Ashlyn Thomas and Jason Waltman prosecuted the case, docket No. 390096. Katherine Ferguson and Evan McMichael defended Eckles.
* A Shreveport man who groped two juveniles and sought sex from them pleaded guilty to two separate sex crimes January 23.
Dustin Metcalf, 26, pleaded guilty to sexual battery of a victim under age 13 and to indecent behavior with a juvenile under 13, before District Judge Donald E. Hathaway Jr.
In 2021, Metcalf committed indecent behavior with a juvenile when he grabbed the 12-year-old victim’s breast and buttocks and propositioned her for sex. For that, he received a 10-year hard-labor sentence.
Between 2021 and 2024 the defendant touched the genitals of a second victim who was under the age of 12 and also propositioned her for sex. He received a 30-year hard labor sentence for this crime. The sentences are to run consecutively so Metcalf will be incarcerated for 40 years. The family of both victims approved the pleas and sentences.
The case was docket Nos. 400578 and 400579.
* A Shreveport man convicted of two counts of manslaughter and a variety of drug and firearms crimes received two life sentences in Caddo District Court January 23.
Terrance Dangerfield, 27, received the sentences from District Judge Donald E. Hathaway Jr., in connection with a January 10, 2023, hit-and-run accident that claimed the lives of Faith Alexander, 31, and her 4-year-old daughter. Dangerfield sped and drove erratically on the Terry Bradshaw Passway and exited onto Walker Road when a patrol officer attempted to stop him. He ran a red light and T-boned the Alexander vehicle at high speed, then fled the accident scene on foot. Dangerfield’s car was found to hold around two pounds of marijuana and two firearms.
Following the conviction, our office filed a Habitual Offender Bill seeking to have the court impose the maximum sentence allowed under the law. Following the Habitual Offender Bill hearing, Judge Hathaway found that Dangerfield was a fourth-time felony offender as to the two manslaughter convictions. Judge Hathaway also found that Dangerfield was a third-time felony offender with regard to the firearms charges.
Under the enhanced sentencing provisions, Judge Hathaway sentenced Dangerfield to serve life sentences for the manslaughter convictions. On the possession of a firearm with a controlled dangerous substance, second offense, Dangerfield received a 40-year sentence. On the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, he received a 30-year sentence. All the terms are to served consecutively.
Assistant District Attorneys Christopher Bowman and Kodie Smith prosecuted the case. Greg Johnson defended Dangerfield.
The case was docket No. 393286.
* A man scheduled for trial on manslaughter and attempted armed robbery charges pleaded guilty January 23.
Tremarcus McKenney, 24, will be sentenced March 31 by District Judge Donald E. Hathaway Jr. On the manslaughter conviction, McKenney faces a prison term of up to 40 years. For the attempted armed robbery conviction, he can be sentenced to prison for up to 49 1/2 years.
On January 19, 2021, McKenney and Dontreal York attempted to purchase firearms through a social media app. Before going to a residence on Lindholm Street where the purchase was to happen, McKenney and York conspired to rob the sellers of the firearms. He and York were both armed when they entered the residence. York opened fire, killing one man and seriously wounding another. McKenney, also armed, fired at the two victims as well. In February 2024, York pleaded guilty to manslaughter and armed robbery in the middle of trial jury selection. The state was prepared to begin McKenney’s trial in January, but he decided to plead guilty as well.
Assistant District Attorneys Jason Waltman and Christopher Bowman prosecuted the case. Katie Ferguson defended McKenney.
The case was assigned docket numbers 406408 and 380935.
* A Shreveport man who shot and killed another man at a convenience store in the Stoner Hill neighborhood and who was found guilty of second-degree murder in December, received the state-mandated life sentence January 23.
The sentence was ordered by District Judge Chris Victory, who presided over the trial of Jacody Demetrius Wilson, 29.
On September 1, 2019, victim Sherman Rambo and his uncle stopped at the A-1 Stop at Youree Drive and Stoner Avenue to purchase items before going to watch a football game. A little later, Shaquille Bradford came to A-1 Stop to buy cigarettes. Mr. Rambo waited in his parked vehicle while his uncle entered the store. Wilson pulled into the parking lot in a red Chevrolet Cruze. His co-defendant Cortez Hines left the vehicle, entered the store, and, seeing Bradford, immediately returned to Wilson’s car to retrieve a firearm. At the same time, Rambo’s uncle left the store and got back into Rambo’s vehicle.
As Shaquille Bradford left the store, Hines fired a .40 caliber pistol nine times at Bradford, who sought cover behind the Rambo vehicle. Wilson also fired his own .40 caliber pistol six times in the direction of the Rambo vehicle, trying to shoot Bradford, before pulling out of the parking lot. He continued to shoot at Bradford. Wilson exited the parking lot in the red Cruze, picking up Hines down the street.
Mr. Rambo was struck one time in his left back and died from his wound. Bradford was not wounded and fled on foot. Police found 15 .40 caliber shell casings in the parking lot. Crime Stopper tips led to Hines’ identification as a suspect. Detectives established a connection between Hines and Wilson and discovered a tag number for the Cruze, which was registered to Wilson’s girlfriend at an address on Lancaster Drive. A search warrant on the Lancaster address resulted in discovery of the two .40 caliber pistols used in the homicide, the Cruze and the apprehension of Wilson and Hines. Upon questioning, Wilson confessed to firing one of the pistols at Bradford and driving the Cruze at the time of the shooting. The shell casings were determined to have been fired from the pistols as well.
Hines was tried and found guilty as charged of second-degree murder in connection with this shooting in April 2023.
Wilson also has a pending charge of attempted second-degree murder relating to the same shooting with Shaquille Bradford as the victim.
Wilson was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Kodie K. Smith and Victoria Washington. He was defended by Leslie Kelly.
The case was docket No. 395215.
* The last of four men charged in connection with events leading to the May 2022 slaying of Shreveport teen Landry Anglin pleaded guilty-as-charged January 22 to aggravated criminal damage to property and illegal use of a weapon from a motor vehicle.
Deanthony Johnson, 24, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, concurrent on each count, by Caddo District Judge Ramona Emanuel.
On May 1, 2022, Deanthony Johnson, in a Dodge Charger, pursued a Chevrolet Cavalier driven by Gavontay Johnson, no relation. Gavontay Johnson, with passenger Kenmiccael Ray, traveled on Fairfield Avenue and then east down Erie Street toward Line Avenue with a third vehicle, a Chrysler 300 driven by Tramaine Taylor, in pursuit. Ray opened fire on the Chrysler 300, discharging a Kel-Tech assault weapon more than 10 times. One of those shots struck and killed 13-year-old Landry Anglin, who was at the home of a relative in the 4500 block of Fairfield Avenue. The Charger driven by Deanthony Johnson never turned on Erie.
Evidence proved that Ray opened fire first. However, after the shooting that killed Landry, Deanthony Johnson reacquired the Cavalier and resumed pursuit. About eight minutes after the shooting on Erie, near the intersection of Fairfield and Mitchell Street, he opened fire on the Cavalier. No one was struck in that second shooting.
In June 2024, the District Attorney’s office convicted Ray of Landry’s murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison. In September 2024, 16th, Gavontay Johnson, the Cavalier’s driver, was convicted of obstruction of justice and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Also in September 2024, Chrysler driver Tramaine Taylor was convicted of illegal use of a weapon from a motor vehicle and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Assistant District Attorney Christopher Bowman prosecuted the case. Alex Washington III defended Deanthony Johnson.
The case was docket No. 390571.
* A former Shreveport Police officer convicted of malfeasance in office in October was sentenced January 21.
Christopher McConnell, 40, of Bossier City, was sentenced by District Judge Chris Victory to serve three years at hard labor, suspended, and to two years of active supervised probation. He was assessed no fine and no court costs.
Facts, testimony and evidence at trial related that on the night of January 16, 2020, McConnell conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle on Linwood Avenue due to the license plate light not working.
After McConnell activated his cruiser’s lights and siren, the female driver slowed down but continued to drive as she attempted to locate a safe and better-lit location, finally parking at a local business. McConnell exited his vehicle with his weapon, yelling as he approached the parked vehicle, “license, registration, shut your mouth.” He pulled the driver from her vehicle and attempted to handcuff her. Two other officers on scene assisted McConnell in arresting the driver, who allegedly pulled away from the officers and then was tasered by a different officer. She then sat on the pavement to be handcuffed. Despite her compliance, McConnell struck the driver in the face. Injured, she was taken to a local hospital to be treated for her injuries.
McConnell had faced up to five years in prison with or without hard labor, or a fine of up to $5,000, or both.
McConnell was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Victoria Washington and Courtney Ray. He was defended by Rickey Swift.
The case was docket No. 382966.
* A Shreveport woman who drove intoxicated almost 10 miles the wrong direction on Interstate 49, injuring several people and endangering her own child, pleaded guilty on several counts January 15.
Georgette Riley, 27, pleaded guilty before District Judge Chris Victory, just before jury selection was to commence in her trial. Judge Victory sentenced Riley to serve the maximum sentences for the charges, cruelty to juveniles and two counts of first-degree negligent injuring. She was sentenced to 10 years hard labor on the cruelty to juveniles conviction and to five years hard labor on each first-degree vehicular negligent injuring charge, the vehicular negligent injuring charges to be served consecutive to each other but concurrent with the cruelty to juveniles conviction.
On November 6, 2022, Riley drove almost 10 miles southbound in the northbound lanes of I-49, at rates of over 100 mph before causing a multiple-vehicle crash. Riley was on her Facebook page two hours before the crash drinking shots of port and tequila. She then got behind the wheel of her vehicle with her 3-year old child improperly restrained and drove nine miles in the wrong direction on I-49, causing a four-vehicle crash. Her child was found in the trunk of the vehicle after the crash, unconscious, while the drivers of two other vehicles also were seriously injured. Testing showed Riley’s blood alcohol content was .322, four times the legal limit.
Riley was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Courtney N. Ray. She was defended by Eric Johnson.
The case was docket No. 394053.
* A Shreveport woman who shot another woman after an argument pleaded guilty to two separate gun charges January 15.
Phecida Givens’ guilty plea in District Judge Ramona Emanuel’s court came shortly after jurors were seated and sworn in, and after opening statements and testimony by the victim of the November 11, 2021 shooting on the parking lot of the Cooper Road Plaza Apartments on Peach Street.
After a brief verbal argument with the victim, Givens, 37, brandished a 9mm handgun and pointed it at the victim’s face, screaming “I will shoot you.” Givens then aimed the gun at the victim’s legs and fired two shots at the victim. One bullet struck the victim in a thigh.
Givens was charged with illegal use of a weapon and aggravated assault with a firearm. Following her plea admitting guilt on both charges, Judge Emanuel immediately sentenced Givens to two years hard labor, suspended, with two years of active supervised probation, with a $100 fine plus court costs, to be served concurrently. She also was ordered not to own or possess a firearm in the future and as a condition of probation was ordered to undergo a firearm safety class, to enroll and complete an anger management class and to have no contact with the victim.
Assistant District Attorneys Fernando Grider and Senae D. Hall prosecuted Givens. She was defended by Dave Knadler and Royal Alexander.
The case was docket No. 386314.
* A Shreveport woman whose criminal past prevents her owning or possessing a firearm was convicted January 14 of gun and other felony charges.
Keatre Monique Daniels, 32, was found guilty-as-charged by the six-man, six woman jury in District Judge Chris Victory’s court after deliberations that lasted just under 90 minutes.
Charges Daniels faced and must serve prison time for were possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, illegal use of a weapon and aggravated second-degree battery.
On June 27, 2023, Paul George was visiting a friend in the 200 block of East Egan Street. While he was standing outside, he was approached by Daniels, who accused him of scratching her car, which George denied. After a brief argument, Daniels retrieved a gun and shot Mr. George twice in his legs. The shooting was witnessed by a neighbor across the street.
The jury heard testimony from Mr. George, the neighbor who witnessed the shooting, Shreveport Police officers and a fingerprint expert.
Daniels was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Courtney N. Ray and Chase E. Burgess. She was defended by Rickey Swift.
When Daniels returns to court for sentencing March 18, she faces five to 20 years in prison at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence for the felon in possession of a weapon charge, up to two years in prison for illegal use of a weapon and up to 15 years for aggravated second-degree battery.
Her prior felony convictions are for simple kidnapping, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
The case was docket No. 398529.
* A Shreveport man found by Shreveport police in a parked running car at a local park last April was found guilty of felony DWI January 14.
Robert Earl Williams Jr., 38, was found guilty as charged of fourth-offense DWI by the two-man, four-woman jury in District Judge Michael Pitman’s court. The jury deliberated 7 minutes.
Williams was found by officers April 19, 2024 in the running vehicle at Sunset Acres Park after hours. Officers smelled a strong odor of alcohol on his breath and observed that his eyes were glossy and bloodshot red. Williams performed poorly on standard field sobriety tests and blew .241 on the breathalyzer.
Williams has three prior convictions for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated dating from 2016, 2020 and 2023.
When he returns to court for sentencing February 18, he faces at least 10 and up to 30 years in prison with or without hard labor and a $5,000 fine.
Prosecutors were Assistant District Attorneys Briana Spivey and Victoria Washington. Williams was defended by Michael Enright and Silver Sanders.
The case was docket No. 401493.
* A Shreveport man accused of a 2022 killing pleaded guilty responsively to manslaughter January 13, just before jury selection was to start in his trial.
Jacorian Cedrick Robinson, 22, pleaded before District Judge Ramona Emanuel to killing Shaundowian Whitehead on February 7, 2022, following a heated altercation at a residence on Haywood Place, in the Hollywood Heights neighborhood. During the altercation, Robinson armed himself with a 9mm handgun and shot Mr. Whitehead several times. Robinson fled and discarded the murder gun but was arrested and charged with the slaying two days later.
Judge Ramona Emanuel sentenced Robinson to maximum sentence allowed by law, 40 years at hard labor. The plea agreement was agreed to by the victim’s family.
Robinson was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Kodie K. Smith and Bill Edwards. He was defended by Royal Alexander and Dave Knadler.
The case was docket No. 387527.
* A Shreveport man who pleaded guilty last May to vehicular homicide after he caused a multi-vehicle wreck that killed one man and seriously injured several others, including a child, must serve 15 years in prison and pay a fine, a Caddo District judge ruled.
Stephen Scott Stasny Jr., 42, was sentenced January 6, by District Judge Chris Victory, who also levied a $5,000 fine against him.
On May 27, 2022, Stasny drove west on Highway 80 when his Toyota Tundra crossed the center line. This caused another driver to swerve near the guardrail of a bridge to avoid a head-on collision. That driver looked in his rearview mirror and saw Stasny’s Tundra hit Dowden’s truck behind him head-on. That vehicle caught on fire, killing Mr. Dowden. Stasny’s vehicle hit the truck, flipping on top of a pickup driven by yet another driver. A woman and her minor child in that truck, which also caught on fire, were injured. Several prescriptions were found inside Stasny’s vehicle, as well as multiple Schedule 1 narcotics. Blood toxicology determined that Stasny was under the influence of multiple scheduled narcotics that required caution while driving.
Judge Pitman could have sentenced Stasny to as many as 30 years in prison and pay a fine of up to $15,000. At least five years of the hard-labor prison term must be served without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.
Stasny was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Victoria Washington. He was defended by J. Dhu Thompson.
The case was docket No. 390779.
* A Caddo Parish man with a felony history that prevents him legally possessing a gun pleaded guilty to that crime January 7.
Leonard Ray Hunter III, 36, who had been set for trial January 13 as part of a pilot program to increase the number of jury trials for incarcerated defendants, opted to plead guilty to felon in possession of a firearm rather than place his fate before a jury.
On September 24, 2024, Shreveport police conducted a traffic stop of Hunter. During the stop, police found a Smith & Wesson handgun wedged between the driver’s seat and the center console. Hunter had been convicted of illegal use of a weapon in 2021 and as such is prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm.
When Hunter returns to court to face District Judge Donald E. Hathaway Jr. March 11, he faces a prison sentence of at least five and up to 20 years, to be served without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.
Assistant District Attorney Christopher Bowman prosecuted Hunter, who was defended by Carlos Prudhomme.
The case was docket No. 404251.
In January, I transferred the prosecution of J’Marion Salsberry, 16, from juvenile court to adult court to face a charge of armed robbery.
Salsberry is alleged on December 27, 2024 to have pulled a gun on a customer at a Jewella Avenue convenience store and robbed him of $60. The robbery was captured on store surveillance video, and Salsberry was identified by both the victim and the store clerk. Salsberry was wearing an ankle monitor from a December 18, 2024 juvenile court sentence case at the time of the robbery.
The Louisiana Childrens Code, Article 305, 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. A provision of the same code’s Article 879 further provides that all proceedings in a juvenile delinquency case involving a crime of violence as defined by the code must be open to the public.
The Caddo Parish Grand Jury returned eight true bills, four for murders and four for sexual crimes, in its session that ended January 16.
Erica Dewuana Hamilton, 26, and Osamaria Lanay Madison, 18, both of Shreveport, were separately indicted for the October 4 second-degree murder of Tracey Chapman, 43. Chapman was shot multiple times while riding as a passenger in a van in Mooretown. Chapman was at the intersection of Powell and Singletary streets when he was struck by bullets. His death was the 42nd homicide in Shreveport and the 45th in Caddo Parish in 2024. Hamilton’s case is docket No. 406316. Madison’s case is docket No. 405574.
Cornelius Treymon Jackson, 32, of Shreveport, was charged with the September 25 second-degree murder of Eric Clinton, 51, who was stabbed several times near Legardy Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
His death was the 40th homicide in Shreveport and the 43rd homicide in Caddo Parish in 2024. Jackson’s case is docket No. 404730.
Shaletha Deloris Arthur, 34, of Shreveport, was charged with the December 3 second-degree murder of her spouse, Albert Lott Jr., 32, at their residence on Dee Street in the Anderson Island neighborhood. Lott’s death marked the 48th homicide in Shreveport in 2024, and the 51st in Caddo Parish proper. Arthur’s case is docket No. 405479.
The four cases of a criminal nature were issued under seal with few details available.
Kerwin Kennedy, 28, of Shreveport, was charged with first-degree rape. Curtis Rivers, 56, of Shreveport, was charged with first-degree rape and molestation of a juvenile. Justin Rash, 18, of Keithville, was charged with first-degree rape. And Kennon Burdine Jr., no age or residence information available, was charged with first-degree rape.
Thank you for your time and attention. And again thanks to Kelli Todd at VYJ for helping me address the needs of the children and families of our community.
At your service,
James E. Stewart, Sr.
Caddo Parish District Attorney