In the late summer of 2016, the life of 16-year-old Tory Horton was tragically cut short in LaPlace, Louisiana. On the afternoon of August 5th, the East St. John High School student had planned to get a haircut in preparation for the upcoming school year. Finding the barbershop too crowded, he made a fateful decision to walk to the nearby LaPlace Discount convenience store at the corner of Airline Highway and Cambridge. It was there that his life would end in a senseless act of violence.
What Tory didn't know was that he was being followed. Assailants, who reportedly had an ongoing dispute with his older brother, had targeted him. As he stood outside the store, he was ambushed and fatally shot. The sudden eruption of gunfire shattered the afternoon calm and left a young man, with dreams of a future that included a May 2019 graduation, dying just moments after he had simply gone to buy a snack. His untimely death sent ripples of grief and shock through the local community.
The St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office immediately launched an investigation into the brazen homicide. Their efforts quickly identified two individuals believed to be responsible for Tory's murder. One of the suspects, Bruce Butler Jr., was apprehended and subsequently charged with being a principal to second-degree murder. The alleged shooter, however, managed to evade capture and went on the run.
The search for the primary suspect, identified as Frederick Seymore Jr., extended beyond the borders of Louisiana. After a six-day manhunt, the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force located and arrested Seymore in Houston, Texas. He was extradited back to Louisiana to face charges of second-degree murder for his role in the death of Tory Horton.
The legal proceedings that followed brought some measure of justice for Tory's family. During a four-day trial in June 2019, a St. John the Baptist Parish jury heard testimony from various witnesses, including several investigators from the Sheriff's Office. A key moment in the trial came when Bruce Butler, who had already been arrested, took the stand and identified Frederick Seymore Jr. as the person who shot and killed Tory Horton. After approximately four hours of deliberation, the jury found Seymore guilty as charged. In January 2020, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, ensuring that the man responsible for the death of the young student would be held accountable for his actions.
