Toiannie Odom, a 32-year-old Black woman remembered by those who knew her as a compassionate and empathetic sweetheart, was killed in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late summer of 2022. On the evening of August 24, police responded to a call about gunfire. They found Toiannie near her vehicle off Chef Menteur Highway, where she had been fatally shot.
She was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.
New Orleans Police Department detectives investigating the homicide soon identified a suspect: Nickolas "Ducktape" Stackpoole. Through their investigation, detectives learned that Toiannie had been in an abusive relationship with Stackpoole. Witness statements documented a history of domestic violence. The evidence against him mounted as investigators used cell phone data that placed him near the scene at the time of the killing. Detectives also recovered a 20-gauge shotgun from Stackpoole’s vehicle, and forensic testing confirmed it was the weapon used in the homicide.
On March 29, 2023, the NOPD's Violent Offender Warrant Squad, working with the U.S. Marshals, located and arrested Stackpoole at a residence on Deslonde Street. He was booked into the Orleans Parish Justice Center and subsequently charged in connection with Toiannie’s death.
The case against Nickolas Stackpoole went to trial in April 2026. Prosecutors presented the extensive digital and forensic evidence gathered by law enforcement and brought in key witnesses, some of whom were located in correctional facilities across Louisiana. On April 29, 2026, after deliberating for less than two hours, an Orleans Parish jury returned a unanimous verdict, finding Stackpoole guilty as charged on all counts: second-degree murder, illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and obstruction of justice.
For Toiannie’s family, the verdict was a significant step. "Our journey has just begun," said Dr. Darlene Brown, Toiannie’s aunt. "We have secured a conviction, but we lost someone we can never get back. We don’t have the privilege of seeing her grow into who she was meant to be. What we do have is the start of justice, and we are grateful to everyone who stood with us and helped make this possible." As of May 2026, Nickolas Stackpoole was awaiting sentencing.
