In the quiet community of Haughton, Louisiana, the life of 18-year-old Johnathan Bothwell was cut tragically short in a violent encounter that unfolded in the early morning hours of November 29, 2019. The male teenager was fatally shot inside a residence in the Dogwood South subdivision, a place that should have been a sanctuary. The incident, which shattered the peace of the neighborhood, was not a random act of violence but rather a planned robbery that spiraled into a homicide.
Investigators with the Bossier Sheriff's Office worked tirelessly, and their efforts quickly led them to a suspect. The following day, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force apprehended 18-year-old Taylor Jackson Kerley in the Greenwood area without incident. Authorities believe that Kerley had gone to Bothwell's home with the intention of robbing him under the guise of a drug deal, a scenario commonly referred to as a 'drug rip.' During the commission of the robbery, Bothwell was shot and killed. Another adult in the home was also battered during the violent intrusion before Kerley fled the scene.
Following his arrest, Taylor Jackson Kerley was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated second-degree battery. The investigation into the tragic death of Johnathan Bothwell continued as the community mourned the loss of a young man. The firearm believed to have been used in the commission of the crime was recovered by law enforcement.
