On a Thursday evening in Natalbany, Louisiana, the life of 17-year-old D'Markus McKnight was tragically cut short. On January 23, 2014, the young man was inside a Northshore bar when an altercation broke out. The dispute escalated, resulting in McKnight being fatally shot. The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office was called to the scene to investigate the homicide.
The investigation into the shooting led authorities to identify two suspects. Within a day of the incident, the Sheriff's Office arrested Carlos Heard in connection with the murder. Another man, Troy Toney of Hammond, was also taken into custody. Heard faced a charge of second-degree murder for his alleged role as the shooter. Toney was charged with accessory after the fact to second-degree murder.
Following the arrests, the legal process began to unfold for both Carlos Heard and Troy Toney. The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office continued to gather evidence and witness statements to build a case against the two men. The charges brought against them indicated that authorities believed Heard was directly responsible for the death of D'Markus McKnight, while Toney was accused of assisting him after the crime had been committed. The community was left to grapple with the senseless violence that claimed the life of a teenager.
