In the late hours of a Saturday night in Natchitoches, Louisiana, tragedy struck 19-year-old Rodjay Jaheim Stackhouse. On November 26, 2022, at approximately 10:39 p.m., the sound of gunfire shattered the night in the area of Grace and Berry Avenues. When Natchitoches Police arrived at the scene, they discovered a grim tableau: one individual, later identified as Rodjay Stackhouse, was found lying on the edge of the road with a life-threatening gunshot wound.
He was pronounced dead at the scene. Another victim, a 20-year-old man, had been transported to Natchitoches Regional Medical Center by a private vehicle with non-life-threatening injuries.
Due to a potential conflict of interest, as one of the victims was related to an employee of the Natchitoches Police Department, the investigation was handed over to the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's Office to ensure its integrity. Detectives from the sheriff's office spent the night processing the crime scene, where they collected multiple empty bullet casings. At the time, a motive for the shooting had not been established, and the suspects had fled the scene. An autopsy was ordered to be performed in Shreveport.
Months later, on the morning of March 21, 2023, a significant development in the case unfolded. A multi-agency operation, involving the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's Office, Natchitoches Police Department, Louisiana State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives the Sabine Parish Sheriff's Office, and the Central Louisiana Violent Crimes Abatement Team executed five search and arrest warrants in the Bailey Heights and Fairgrounds Road areas of Natchitoches. This operation was focused on individuals identified as potential persons of interest or suspects in the shooting of Rodjay Stackhouse.
The operation resulted in the arrest of two men and three juveniles. The adults were identified as 20-year-old Carnelius Daniels and 47-year-old Larry D. Pye, both from Natchitoches. Daniels was charged with illegal carrying and discharging of a firearm in the city of Natchitoches and failure to report a gunshot wound. Pye faced charges of illegal possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a felony, possession of a controlled dangerous substance and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles. The three arrested juveniles, whose ages were 15, 16, and 17, were charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and illegal carrying and discharging of a firearm in Natchitoches.
During the execution of the warrants, law enforcement seized a significant amount of evidence, including an AK-47, several other firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, high-capacity drum magazines, approximately 34 pounds of suspected marijuana, and suspected methamphetamine. While these arrests were made in connection with the investigation into the homicide of Rodjay Stackhouse, authorities have stated that the investigation remains active and ongoing. They have not publicly announced any murder charges against the individuals arrested.
