In the spring of 2016, a promising future was tragically cut short for 25-year-old Thomas Rolfes, a male Tulane University graduate. He and his fiancée, Liz Fried, had returned to New Orleans, the city where they met, filled with the joyous task of planning their upcoming wedding. Their happiness, however, was violently interrupted in the early morning hours of May 7, 2016.
After a night out with friends, Rolfes was last seen leaving a bar alone.
Surveillance footage later captured him purchasing water bottles at a gas station. Tragically, at approximately 4:30 a.m., he was found unresponsive at the corner of South Claiborne and Toledano Street. He had been shot in the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators noted injuries on his hands, suggesting a struggle had taken place before his death. The initial belief was that he was the victim of a fatal robbery. In the days following the devastating loss, his family and friends initiated a fundraising campaign to increase the reward for any information that would lead to an arrest.
For over five years, the case remained cold, a painful and unresolved chapter for Rolfes' loved ones. Then, in December 2021, a breakthrough emerged. The New Orleans Police Department, in conjunction with the District Attorney's Office's new Cold Case Unit, announced a significant development. A grand jury indicted 44-year-old Ernest Weatherspoon on charges of second-degree murder and armed robbery in connection with Rolfes' death. Weatherspoon was subsequently arrested, bringing a renewed sense of hope that justice would finally be served.
The renewed hope for a resolution was short-lived. In a surprising turn of events, the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office dismissed the murder charge against Ernest Weatherspoon. The decision, made in consultation with Rolfes' family, was attributed to serious issues regarding the availability of a critical witness, which compromised the viability of the prosecution. This development left the case once again without a resolution, and the identity of the person responsible for Thomas Rolfes' death officially remains unknown.
