In the late hours of August 8, 2018, the life of 24-year-old Cordarious Cortez Smith, a male resident of Natchitoches, Louisiana, was tragically cut short in a burst of gunfire. Smith, along with his friend, 24-year-old Rodney D. Richards, were the victims of a double homicide that continues to be an open and active investigation for the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's Office.
On that fateful night, Smith and Richards were leaving a residence that housed an in-home music studio where they
had been working on recordings together. As they departed, their vehicle was ambushed in a residential neighborhood. Authorities responded to a call of shots fired and discovered the two men inside the vehicle, both having sustained fatal gunshot wounds.
Despite the years that have passed, the case remains unsolved, with no arrests made and no publicly identified suspects. Investigators believe that multiple individuals were involved in the ambush and that at least one other vehicle was used by the assailants. Detectives have expressed their belief that there are people within the community who possess information that could be crucial to solving the case but have remained silent, possibly out of fear of retaliation.
The families of Cordarious Smith and Rodney Richards are still awaiting closure and justice for their loved ones. Law enforcement officials continue to urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward and assist in bringing those responsible for this violent act to justice. The investigation into the deaths of the two young men remains a priority for the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's Office.
