In the autumn of 2014, a violent encounter in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, set in motion a chain of events that would ultimately claim the life of 36-year-old Cornell Cummings. On the evening of September 23rd, police responded to a call of a shooting at a residence on West Johnston Street. There, they discovered Cummings in the front yard, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
He was rushed to a local hospital for immediate medical attention and later transferred to a rehabilitation facility to begin the arduous process of recovery. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, the severity of his injuries proved to be insurmountable. On December 1, 2014, Cornell Cummings succumbed to his wounds and passed away, his death officially ruled a homicide.
The investigation into the shooting of Cornell Cummings stretched on for years, a quiet but persistent effort by law enforcement to bring those responsible to justice. Initially, investigators believed two individuals were involved in the attack. In 2016, a break in the case led to the arrest of 19-year-old Deandre Anthony. At the time, authorities believed Anthony was the one who had shot Cummings. However, as the legal process unfolded, the charges against Anthony were eventually dropped, leaving the case once again unsolved in the public eye.
Years passed, but the case was not forgotten. In January of 2022, nearly a decade after the fatal shooting, a second arrest was made. Thirty-seven-year-old Tolley Ray Milton was taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Cornell Cummings. Investigators cited evidence from the original crime scene, including spent shell casings, which they were able to link back to Milton. Furthermore, a witness positively identified Milton in a six-person lineup. Following his arrest, Milton was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.
