On the evening of May 1, 2014, Elbert Bertrand Marshall, a 29-year-old man, was found with multiple gunshot wounds by a stairwell at an apartment complex on La Margie Avenue in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was rushed to a nearby hospital by emergency medical services but succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival.
The investigation into the shooting led police to two individuals. Demond Bessie was identified as the shooter and was subsequently charged with second-degree murder.
After a trial, a jury unanimously found him guilty as charged. Another man, Steaphon Harris, who was with Marshall at the time of the shooting, was also implicated in the crime.
Evidence recovered from Harris's cell phone, which included text messages, indicated that he had aided and abetted in the homicide. Initially providing a statement to the police on the scene, Harris later pleaded guilty to manslaughter. He was found to have directly procured and counseled in the preparation of the homicide.
