On a tragic evening in Abbeville, Louisiana, the life of 14-year-old Dylan DeShawn Plowden was cut short. It was around 7:30 p.m. on December 19, 2017, when the sounds of gunfire pierced the air near the intersection of Schlessinger Street and Vernon Street. Responding to the reports, an officer from the Abbeville Police Department discovered the young male lying in the road, bleeding profusely from multiple gunshot wounds.
Before succumbing to his injuries, Plowden was able to identify his assailant to his grandfather and the police, naming 'Gutta' as the person who had shot him. An autopsy would later reveal that he had been shot three times.
The investigation into the death of the Abbeville High School student led authorities to Jalen Levine, who was known by the nickname 'Gutta.' Levine was subsequently arrested and, on March 5, 2018, indicted on charges of first-degree murder for the death of Dylan Plowden and attempted first-degree murder. During the legal proceedings, it was revealed that another juvenile was with Plowden at the time of the shooting. A key piece of evidence presented to the jury was a video recording of Plowden, taken by a police lieutenant at the hospital, in which he once again named his killer.
Following a trial that concluded in 2023, Jalen Levine was convicted of the first-degree murder of Dylan Plowden. The court case, titled STATE OF LOUISIANA v. JALEN LEVINE JALEN JUWAN LEVINE, solidified the legal outcome of the tragic event. Levine's conviction brought a measure of justice to Plowden's family, who had waited years for the resolution of the case. He was also found guilty of the attempted first-degree murder charge. The court sentenced Levine for his crimes, and he was ordered to serve his sentences concurrently.
