In the quiet neighborhood of Town and Country in Monroe, Louisiana, the life of 36-year-old Alice Heckard, a female, was tragically cut short on the evening of Sunday, October 6, 2019. Responding to calls of shots fired, deputies from the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office arrived at a residence on Leslie Lane to find that Heckard had been fatally shot in what investigators quickly determined to be an act of domestic violence.
The investigation into Heckard's death swiftly led to a
suspect. Charles Ray Lampley, 33, of West Monroe, was identified as the individual responsible for the shooting. He was promptly arrested and booked into the Ouachita Correctional Center on a warrant for second-degree murder. The authorities' belief that the homicide stemmed from a domestic disturbance between Heckard and Lampley cast a somber light on the circumstances of her death.
Justice for Alice Heckard was pursued through the legal system, culminating in a week-long trial at the Ouachita Parish Courthouse. After careful deliberation, a jury reached a unanimous verdict, finding Charles Ray Lampley guilty of second-degree murder and possession of a firearm. The conviction brought a measure of closure to the community and to the family and friends who mourned the loss of a beloved woman.
