93°
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
7 Day Forecast
Latest Weather Blog
Louisiana Supreme Court reverses ruling in East Baton Rouge homicide case, reconvicting defendant
NEW ORLEANS — The Louisiana Supreme Court reversed a ruling on Monday in an East Baton Rouge Parish homicide case after two lower courts reached different decisions on whether the accused man was guilty.
Trending News
In 2023, Judge Eboni Johnson Rose convicted Curtis Stewart Jr. of second-degree murder and sentenced him to life in prison for the killing of Devonta Ennis, 25, along Prescott Road in 2021. Last year, the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal said Rose used "speculation" when convicting Stewart and ordered him freed, leading the Louisiana Supreme Court to take over.
Prosecutors previously said people in two cars blocked Ennis in a driveway and fired 22 shots into his Mercedes, but only three shell casings were found at the scene. Stewart said at the time he wasn't among the three people seen on grainy surveillance video, with a geolocation expert saying Stewart could have been anywhere in a four-mile radius.
The Court of Appeals previously observed that the state focused on Stewart as the actual shooter rather than as a principal to Ennis' murder. The state argued that a person can be considered a principal to a crime even when their role in the crime is uncertain as long as evidence establishes knowing participation and intent.
Using footage from the shooting, two vehicles were traced back to two different women who were previously romantically involved with Stewart. Both women also reported their vehicles stolen on the night of Ennis' murder, according to attorneys.
Attorneys used Stewart's phone to place him at one of the women's homes prior to the murder and later placed him near the scene of the crime.
According to court records, the woman contacted Stewart about her missing vehicle, to which he allegedly replied, "leave it alone, don't ask questions about it, just let it be." Her vehicle was later found several hours after the murder, having been intentionally set on fire along with the other vehicle seen in surveillance footage.
While being interviewed about the murder, Stewart allegedly claimed to not know Ennis before referring to him by his nickname.
On Monday, the Louisiana Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeal's judgment, with the defendant's conviction and sentencing being reinstated, as it claimed Stewart's actions showed that he appeared to be intricately involved in the crime.
While the court could not determine whether Stewart fired the shots that killed Ennis, it found him "at least guilty as a principal to second degree murder."
More News
Radar
7 Days
