In the early evening of April 26, 2019, the life of Deldrian Cox, a 27-year-old Black man, was cut short in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Around 7:11 p.m., police were called to a residence in the 1100 block of North 35th Street, where they found Cox suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He succumbed to his injuries at the scene of the crime. Investigators quickly determined that the shooting stemmed from a disagreement between Cox and another individual.
The investigation into the shooting
led to the identification of two suspects. The Baton Rouge Police Department worked diligently, and on April 30, 2019, the BRPD Street Crimes Unit apprehended 36-year-old Ray Anthony Bell. The following day, the Louisiana State Police Fugitive Task Force arrested the second suspect, 28-year-old Julius Thomas Jr., without incident. According to authorities, an argument between Thomas and Cox had taken place days prior to the fatal shooting. On the day of the incident, both Thomas and Bell allegedly arrived at the location to continue the dispute.
Both men were booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. Bell was charged with second-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon. Thomas faced charges of principal to second-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon. Further investigation revealed a chilling sequence of events, with reports indicating that after an initial confrontation where threats were made, Bell returned to the scene and shot Cox multiple times. In a later development, the charges against Julius Thomas Jr. were dropped in December 2021. Tragically, Thomas himself was shot and killed in an unrelated incident in July 2022.
