In the early morning hours of July 14, 2022, the life of 32-year-old Julius Thomas was violently cut short on the 2800 block of North Street in Baton Rouge. Responding to reports of a shooting at approximately 4:40 a.m., Baton Rouge Police discovered Thomas suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He succumbed to his injuries at the scene. An unfiltered report on the homicide stated that as many as 55 shots were fired, and Thomas sustained 43 bullet wounds.
Months prior to his death, in
December, Thomas had charges against him dropped in a 2019 homicide case. He had been accused in the shooting death of Deldrian Cox. No arrests have been publicly announced in connection with the shooting death of Julius Thomas.
In a separate and unrelated case, the body of 55-year-old Julius Thomas Sr. was discovered wrapped in a tarp on South Flannery Road in December 2018. An investigation by the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office led to the arrest of 42-year-old Kevin Hewitt Dukes, a local business owner. Authorities believed the motive was a dispute over money Thomas allegedly owed Dukes. Investigators found blood and a shell casing at Dukes' business, King of Carz LA, as well as blood on his vehicle.
Dukes was charged with second-degree murder and awaited trial for 17 months in jail. In a turn of events, a jury acquitted Kevin Dukes of the murder of Julius Thomas. Following his release, Dukes maintained his innocence, stating he was 'blessed' and a victim of a flawed system. The family of Julius Thomas expressed devastation and a sense of being cheated by the verdict.
