Ernie Campbell guilty of second-degree murder

A Shreveport man was found guilty of second-degree murder in Caddo District Court Friday, October 17, 2025.

A five-man, seven-woman jury returned its unanimous guilty-as-charged verdict against Ernie Lynn Campbell, 41, to District Judge Donald E. Hathaway Jr. after deliberations that lasted less than an hour.

Over the course of the trial, which began Wednesday, October 15, 2025, nine witnesses testified to prove that Campbell shot an acquaintance, Regmond Mitchell, 25, in the head February 17, 2022. Mitchell had driven a passenger to a residence on Barbara Avenue in west Shreveport, where Campbell approached the car and stood by the driver’s door. After a brief exchange, Mitchell turned his head away from Campbell, who fired a gun once, killing Mitchell. The bullet's path, as demonstrated at autopsy, showed that Mitchell was not facing Campbell when the shot was fired.  

Police recovered two guns from the car driven by Mitchell. Campbell argued he fired in self-defense, a claim rejected by the jury.

When Campbell returns to Judge Hathaway's court for sentencing November 12, 2025, he faces a mandatory life sentence, to be served at hard labor without probation, parole or suspension of sentence.

Campbell was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Jason Waltman and Stephen Folk-Cruthirds. He was represented by Eric Johnson and Rachel Bays.

The case was docket No. 387705.