In the quiet city of Monroe, Louisiana, a Sunday evening in May turned into a scene of tragedy and loss. On May 14, 2017, Deborah Collins, a 60-year-old woman, was in her home when her life was abruptly ended. A bullet from a drive-by shooting pierced through the walls of her house, striking and killing her. She was an unintended victim in a wave of violence that claimed two other lives that night.
The chaos of that evening also resulted in the deaths of 36-year-old Florica Green and
17-year-old Darvis Jones. Green was shot and killed in her car in front of her home, while Jones was found deceased in a nearby alley. The brazen nature of the shootings sent shockwaves through the community, leaving friends and families to grapple with the sudden and senseless loss of their loved ones.
In the aftermath of the triple homicide, the Monroe Police Department launched an intensive investigation to bring those responsible to justice. Their efforts led them to identify a primary suspect, Deaundrey Cole. Believed to have fled the state, a manhunt was initiated to locate and apprehend him. The investigation suggested that the shooting was an act of retaliation, with Darvis Jones being the intended target following an alleged robbery.
The search for Cole came to an end in January 2018 when he was apprehended in Portland, Oregon. At the time of his arrest, he was wanted on three counts of second-degree murder for the deaths of Deborah Collins, Florica Green, and Darvis Jones. Following his capture, he was expected to be extradited back to Louisiana to face the charges against him. The community of Monroe was left to await the judicial process, hoping for closure and a measure of peace after a night of violence that forever altered the lives of three families.
