On a tragic day in July 2020, 20-year-old Sylvanus 'Jed' Gerald Ellis III, a male, lost his life in what would become a complex homicide investigation. On Saturday, July 18, 2020, a passerby discovered a parked SUV on Bremerman Road within the serene landscape of the Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge near Lacombe, Louisiana. Inside the vehicle were the bodies of Ellis and his 21-year-old girlfriend, Qile Sanders. The St.
Tammany Parish Coroner's Office would later confirm that both had died from multiple gunshot wounds. The tragedy was compounded by the fact that Sanders was approximately seven months pregnant, and her unborn child, who was to be named Sylvanus Gerald Ellis IV, did not survive.
The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office quickly launched a homicide investigation, believing the killings were drug-related. Their efforts soon led to the identification of several suspects. Within days, investigators arrested 18-year-old Peter Reimonenq and 19-year-old Christopher Roberts. Shortly after, two other suspects, 19-year-old Shannon Amos Jr. and 19-year-old Mikayl Young, were also sought. Amos was apprehended, and an extensive search was launched to locate Young, who was arrested a week later. The initial charges for the main suspects included two counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree feticide. The investigation also led to the arrests of Carwin Malone and Treneka Young, who were accused of helping Mikayl Young evade capture.
The legal proceedings concluded in 2023, bringing a degree of closure to the families of the victims. In January 2023, Peter Reimonenq pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter, one count of first-degree feticide, and one count of obstruction of justice; he was sentenced to 80 years in prison. In June 2023, the remaining three men were sentenced for their roles. Shannon Amos pleaded guilty to two counts of obstruction of justice and one count of accessory after the fact, receiving an 18-year prison sentence. Mikayl Young and Christopher Roberts each pleaded guilty to one count of accessory after the fact and one count of failure to seek assistance. Young was sentenced to four years in prison, while Roberts received a sentence of three years of probation. During the initial police interviews, Reimonenq and Amos had reportedly blamed each other for pulling the trigger.
