Marl Wayne Smith, a 79-year-old male resident of Bogalusa, Louisiana, was fatally shot on March 3, 2022. The incident occurred inside his business, the Pub Lounge, located on South Columbia Street in Bogalusa. In addition to the shooting, the bar's ATM was broken into and the money was stolen.
The investigation quickly led authorities to identify a suspect, David Huey Rester, Jr., 51, of Bogalusa. Rester was apprehended in D'Iberville, Mississippi, following a police chase.
His arrest came after he was allegedly involved in a series of other crimes in Mississippi, including an armed bank robbery and kidnapping in Waveland. Authorities have described Rester as a 'one man crime wave' and a 'cold-blooded killer'.
Following his capture, Rester was held in Harrison County, Mississippi, with the expectation of being extradited to Washington Parish to face charges for the murder of Smith. In October 2023, a Washington Parish grand jury indicted David Huey Rester, Jr. on one count of first-degree murder for the death of Marl Wayne Smith.
