In the early morning hours of December 4, 2017, a tragic series of events unfolded in the 4900 block of Major Drive in New Orleans, leading to the death of 22-year-old Taibe Coleman. Coleman, a male and a former high school wrestler, was found by police with a fatal gunshot wound to his back. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators found him dressed in all black, with socks on his hands and a malfunctioning handgun near his body.
The investigation into Coleman's death revealed
a complex and perilous situation. Authorities determined that Coleman, along with 26-year-old Porsha Smith and 21-year-old Corneillius Boutte, had allegedly conspired to commit an armed robbery. Their intended target was a man whom Smith, using the alias 'Daysha,' had lured to the location under the pretense of giving her a ride home. Once parked, the man reported that two armed men, one of whom was later identified as Coleman, ambushed him.
What was intended as a robbery quickly escalated into a violent exchange. The intended victim, who was shot in the leg during the encounter, managed to draw his own weapon and returned fire. It was during this exchange that Coleman was struck and killed. The robbery victim, believing he had been set up, drove himself to a nearby hospital for treatment. In a concurrent development, Boutte also appeared at a different hospital with a gunshot wound to his shoulder, accompanied by a woman matching Smith's description.
Following an investigation, Porsha Smith was arrested on December 11, 2017, and faced a charge of second-degree murder in connection with Taibe Coleman's death. The man who was the target of the robbery identified Smith from a photo lineup as the woman who had set him up.
