On a spring evening in Baldwin, Louisiana, the life of 23-year-old Brian Gibson Jr. was tragically cut short. On May 2, 2021, Gibson, an African American male, was at a gas station on Main Street when he was struck by gunfire. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led authorities to identify Anthony Hills as the primary suspect.
Hills, who was 34 at the time, turned himself in to the Jeanerette Marshal's Office after a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and held on a $1 million bond. The investigation also resulted in the arrest of 50-year-old Roshonda Thomas of Franklin, Louisiana, who was charged with accessory after the fact to second-degree murder.
In November 2025, a St. Mary Parish jury unanimously convicted Anthony 'RIP' Hills, then 38, of the second-degree murder of Brian Gibson Jr. During the three-day trial, prosecutors presented evidence, including surveillance footage, showing Hills standing across the street from the gas station and firing seven shots in the direction of the store. Two of those shots hit Gibson as he was fueling his vehicle. Hills had claimed in notarized letters that Gibson was not the intended target and was struck by a stray bullet. The jury, however, found him guilty as charged. The conviction for second-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
