Spenser Hudson, a 46-year-old male, was working his shift as a bartender at the popular Cat's Meow karaoke bar on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on March 20, 2022, when his life was unexpectedly cut short. A dispute that began outside the club escalated when a woman, identified as Daphney D. Jackson, drew a firearm and began shooting. One of the bullets penetrated the building, striking and fatally wounding Hudson while he was inside working.
An employee of the bar for many years, Hudson
was a beloved son and a friend to many in the community. He was known for his love of travel and the culture and history of New Orleans, a city he had called home since 2002. His parents described him as having a great zest for life and said he had been saving his money with plans to travel the world.
Police who were already on Bourbon Street at the time of the incident responded quickly. Daphney D. Jackson, who was 24 years old at the time of the shooting, was arrested at the scene. Initially charged with second-degree murder, a jury later convicted the Port Allen woman on the lesser charge of manslaughter. Jackson was also found guilty of aggravated assault with a firearm in connection with the wounding of a tourist from Arizona during the same incident.
