In the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans, a story of street justice and intertwined fates unfolded, culminating in the death of 25-year-old Jowanda Chikita Netter. On the morning of January 27, 2015, Netter, a female resident of the area, was found shot to death on Willow Street, a victim of the gun violence that has plagued the city.
Just days prior to her death, Netter was allegedly involved in the robbery of a dice game with an accomplice, 28-year-old Maurice Sparkman.
The word on the street was that their actions had marked them for retaliation. This premonition tragically came true for Sparkman, who was found shot and killed on a second-floor balcony in the 2500 block of Dryades Street. In the wake of his murder, whispers in the neighborhood suggested that Netter would be the next target.
Jowanda Netter, who was known by the nickname 'Muff,' had been attempting to turn her life around after a recent release from prison. She was participating in the Exodus mentoring program and had found work gutting houses. When that work dried up, she would ride her bicycle to Canal Street each week in search of steady employment. A week before her death, a friend offered her a ride, but Netter refused, stating she didn't want to put her friend in danger, an acknowledgment of the threat that loomed over her.
Seven days after Jowanda Netter was killed, the New Orleans Police Department arrested Quintin Hankton and charged him with the second-degree murder of Maurice Sparkman. While Hankton was taken into custody for the murder of Netter's alleged accomplice, and the narrative of retaliation strongly connects the two deaths, online sources do not indicate that Hankton or any other individual has been arrested or charged in connection with the murder of Jowanda Chikita Netter. Her case, like many others in the city, appears to have left a void of unanswered questions and a family still waiting for justice.
