In the early hours of a Saturday morning in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the promising life of Javonte Montrell Barber, a 22-year-old male Southern University student, was tragically cut short. On March 12, 2022, Barber was discovered in his vehicle in the parking lot of the Cadence apartment complex on Scenic Highway, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
He was rushed to a local hospital but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
Investigators quickly determined that the shooting occurred during a botched carjacking attempt. Within a short time, the Baton Rouge Police Department arrested two male juveniles, aged 16 and 17, in connection with the homicide. The two teenagers were subsequently booked into the Juvenile Detention Center on the charge of first-degree murder.
Just weeks away from his graduation with a degree in finance, the university posthumously awarded his degree in May of that year. The 16-year-old suspect was identified as De'Arius Ellis, who had turned 16 only nine days before the fatal shooting. According to arrest documents, Ellis and his 17-year-old co-conspirator had unsuccessfully attempted to carjack another vehicle earlier that same night.
In the months that followed, the case moved through the legal system. In October 2022, District Attorney Hillar Moore filed a motion to have De'Arius Ellis tried as an adult for the first-degree murder of Javonte Barber.
