In the late hours of August 23, 2020, the life of 19-year-old Roderick Shamichael Dewayne Coleman of Shreveport, Louisiana, was tragically cut short. Coleman, a male, was attending a large gathering at a residence on Birch Street in Plain Dealing when he was fatally shot. The event sent shockwaves through the community, leaving friends and family to mourn the sudden and violent loss of a young man.
For nearly two years, the investigation into Coleman's death yielded no significant leads,
and the case remained unsolved, deepening the anguish for his loved ones. Bossier Parish Sheriff's detectives diligently pursued the case, but the trail seemed to have gone cold. The lack of progress was a heavy burden for a community seeking justice and closure.
A significant breakthrough in the case came unexpectedly in March 2022. Carttavious Qualls, a 27-year-old man incarcerated at the Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center on an unrelated matter, made a startling confession to correctional officers. He admitted that he was the person responsible for the 2020 murder of Roderick Coleman. This admission breathed new life into the stalled investigation.
Following his confession to the correctional officers, Qualls was transported to the Bossier Sheriff's Detective's Office for a formal interview. During this interrogation, he once again confessed to killing Coleman. Based on his confession, Carttavious Qualls was arrested and charged with one count of second-degree murder. His bond was set at $500,000, and he was booked into the Bossier Maximum-Security Facility. The investigation also led to the arrests of three other men in connection with the incident. KenMonte Gilmore, 24, Russell Heard, 25, and Johnterrius Gilbert, 28, were all charged with illegal use of a weapon.
