In the early morning hours of December 5, 2021, Alonzo Wiley, a 35-year-old male, was tragically killed inside his room at the Travelodge on the Westbank Expressway in Harvey, Louisiana. Wiley, the proprietor of The Grooming Gallery, a popular barbershop, was known for his sense of style and for often carrying cash. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, both Wiley and his eventual killer, Raymond Lee, were residing at the motel.
Lee, who was 38 at the time, devised a plan to rob Wiley.
He managed to deceive Wiley into allowing him into his motel room. Once inside, Lee's intentions turned violent as he attempted to rob Wiley. A struggle ensued, and Wiley, in an attempt to escape, was shot three times. In a final, brutal act, Lee placed a pillow over Wiley's head and shot him twice more in the face before gathering the victim's belongings and fleeing the scene.
Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office detectives were able to build a compelling circumstantial case against Raymond Lee. Their investigation relied on a combination of evidence, including cell phone records, physical evidence recovered from the scene, and witness statements. This meticulous police work ultimately pointed to Lee as the sole person responsible for Alonzo Wiley's murder.
On February 2, 2024, a Jefferson Parish jury found Raymond Lee guilty of second-degree murder, obstruction of justice, and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Subsequently, on March 7, 2024, a judge sentenced Lee to a mandatory life sentence in prison for the murder of Alonzo Wiley. During the sentencing, the court heard emotional victim impact statements from Wiley's family and friends, who remembered him as a protective cousin, a fun uncle, a supportive brother, and a loving son.
