In the summer of 2022, the life of 39-year-old Billy Nel Joseph Sr., a male resident of Lafayette, Louisiana, was tragically cut short in a burst of gunfire. On the afternoon of Saturday, July 23rd, Joseph was the victim of a fatal drive-by shooting that unfolded in the 200 block of Moss Street. The exchange of fire between two vehicles left Joseph’s vehicle striking a pole, where he was discovered deceased.
The sudden violence of the act sent ripples of shock and grief through the community.
The Lafayette Police Department swiftly launched an investigation into the brazen daylight shooting. Their efforts quickly led to the identification and apprehension of two suspects. The first to be taken into custody was Artimus Johnson, who was charged as a principal to first-degree murder, suggesting his alleged involvement in the planning or execution of the crime. Shortly thereafter, authorities arrested a second individual, 38-year-old Steve Solomon, who was identified as the shooter and faced the more severe charge of first-degree murder. Both men were booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center as the legal process began to unfold.
In the months that followed, the case against the two accused men proceeded through the justice system. The initial serious charges, however, would ultimately be reduced in exchange for guilty pleas. Steve Solomon, the man identified as the triggerman, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of accessory after the fact. Similarly, Artimus Johnson entered a guilty plea to the same charge of accessory after the fact. Following his plea, Johnson received a sentence of three years of hard labor, all of which was suspended, bringing a conclusion to the legal proceedings surrounding the untimely death of Billy Nel Joseph Sr.
