Willie James

Willie James was a 65-year-old military veteran and a familiar, friendly face in his Baton Rouge, Louisiana, neighborhood. A Black man who had served his country, he was known for his daily routine. Three days a week, he walked the same path to catch a bus for his dialysis appointment; on other days, he worked. To his family, he was a best friend. His ex-wife, Edwina James, said they spoke on the phone every day. His daughter, Katreva James, described herself as a "daddy's girl" and saved his voicemails so she could still hear his voice ending his messages with, "Give me a holler."

On the morning of June 21, 2016, Willie was walking his usual route along the 2000 block of North Street near North 20th Street when he was brutally attacked. A driver passing by found him lying in the roadway and stopped to help. He was rushed to a local hospital with what police described as a severe head injury. Before losing his ability to communicate, he was able to tell nurses that he had been pistol-whipped and robbed by his assailants.

The attack left Willie with devastating injuries, including a broken neck. He underwent two major surgeries, one of them on his brain, as doctors fought to save his life. For nearly two weeks, he remained in the hospital, but his injuries proved too severe. On the morning of July 3, 2016, Willie James died.

The Baton Rouge Police Department is investigating his death as a homicide. Detectives believe the people who attacked Willie may have been responsible for other violent robberies in the same neighborhood around that time. In one similar incident just a few blocks away, several men in a dark-colored BMW robbed another person. Police believe the same suspects are responsible for the attack that led to Willie's death, and they are now wanted for murder. As of January 2017, the case remains unsolved. Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 344-7867 or text CS225 plus a message to CRIMES (274637).