In the early morning hours of the Fourth of July in 2018, the life of 21-year-old Dorian Colston of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was tragically cut short. What initially appeared to be a car accident on Highway 90 near Jones Road was soon discovered to be a homicide. First responders found Colston unresponsive in the driver's seat of his vehicle, which had crashed into a tree. It was determined that he had been shot multiple times.
An autopsy would later confirm that he sustained eight gunshot wounds, leading to his death.
The investigation into Dorian Colston's death revealed a sinister plot of a contract killing. The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office quickly identified a suspect, and a warrant was issued for the arrest of 22-year-old Jermaine 'Dutt' Washington, Jr. of Welsh. He was apprehended and charged with second-degree murder. The investigation did not stop there, as evidence pointed to a murder-for-hire scheme. It was alleged that a man named Josiah Jackson had hired Washington to kill Colston to prevent Colston from robbing him of money and drugs. Another individual, Karrington Henry, was identified as the driver for Washington on the night of the murder.
The subsequent trial of Jermaine Washington Jr., who was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder, brought the harrowing details of Colston's final moments to light. Karrington Henry, who had accepted a plea deal for a lesser charge in exchange for his testimony, was a key witness. Henry testified that Washington had told him there was money on Dorian Colston's head and that Washington would carry out the hit for $5,000. On the night of the murder, Washington allegedly lured Colston to their location under the pretense of needing his help to commit a robbery. Henry described driving Washington to meet Colston, and watching as Washington got into Colston's car. Moments later, Henry saw the flashes from the gun as Washington shot Colston multiple times before getting back into Henry's vehicle to flee the scene. Henry also revealed that he was paid $2,000 for his role as the driver. He later led investigators to the murder weapon, which had been discarded in a storm drain.
In April 2023, a jury found Jermaine Washington Jr. guilty of the first-degree murder of Dorian Colston. He was also found guilty of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. For the murder conviction, Washington was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence. He received an additional 20-year sentence for the firearm charge, to be served concurrently with his life sentence. His conviction was later upheld on appeal, ensuring he will spend the remainder of his life behind bars for the murder-for-hire killing of Dorian Colston.
