In the summer of 2020, the community of Springhill, Louisiana, was rocked by the violent death of a local man. Anthony John Bruns, a 37-year-old male, was found deceased on the side of Percy Burns Road, just south of Reynolds Street on Louisiana Highway 157 in June of that year. His life was cut short by an act of gun violence on June 19, 2020. Investigators from the Webster Parish Sheriff's Office were called to the scene after it was determined the location where Bruns' body was discovered
fell outside the jurisdiction of the Springhill Police. It was suspected that Bruns had been killed at a different location before his body was left on the roadside.
The investigation into the death of Anthony John Bruns quickly led to a suspect. Logan Harmon Smith, a 21-year-old from Taylor, Arkansas, was arrested in connection with the shooting. During the course of the investigation, Smith reportedly confessed to shooting Bruns. However, a clear motive for the killing was not immediately established, with Smith claiming that he did not know his victim prior to the fatal encounter. The Webster Parish Sheriff's investigators, Phillip Krouse and Tommy Kemp Jr., were instrumental in building the case against the alleged perpetrator.
In October 2022, Logan Harmon Smith stood trial for the murder of Anthony John Bruns at the Webster Parish Courthouse in Minden. He faced a charge of second-degree murder, which carries a potential sentence of life in prison without the possibility of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence. The case was presided over by Judge Charles Smith of the 26th Judicial District Court. Assistant District Attorney Jimbo Yocom represented the prosecution, while Shreveport attorney Mary Ellen Halterman defended Smith. Before the trial commenced, the state offered Smith a plea deal for a lesser charge of manslaughter with a 35-year sentence and an additional 10 years for obstruction of justice. Smith chose to reject all offers and proceed with the jury trial. The family of Anthony John Bruns, including his mother and two sisters, were present in the courtroom as the legal proceedings began.
