In the early hours of December 21, 2018, the life of 34-year-old Howard C. Jones, a Black male from Sulphur, Louisiana, was tragically cut short in a hail of gunfire. The fatal encounter unfolded in the 3400 block of Polk Street in Lake Charles, where Jones had arranged to meet with two men for what authorities described as a drug transaction. An argument erupted between Jones and the two other men, escalating quickly and violently.
As Jones attempted to leave the scene, the two men
followed him and opened fire, striking him multiple times. Emergency services were called to the scene, and Jones was rushed to a local hospital, but his injuries proved to be too severe, and he succumbed to them.
The Lake Charles Police Department launched an investigation into the homicide. Within days, their efforts led to the identification of two suspects: 33-year-old Julius Obrian Lambert and 35-year-old Byron Jermane Hanchett, both from Lake Charles. On the evening of December 26, 2018, LCPD SWAT officers apprehended the two men.
Following their arrests, both Lambert and Hanchett were charged with second-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of Howard C. Jones. In addition to the murder charge, Hanchett also faced a charge of cocaine distribution. Bond for Lambert was set at $400,000, while Hanchett's bond was established at $406,000.
