On a Friday afternoon in November 2013, Shawn Buck Cheneau, a 28-year-old male, was fatally shot in New Orleans. The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. in the parking lot of a Burger King located in the 4400 block of Chef Menteur Highway. Cheneau, a landscaper, sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his body. Emergency services transported him to Interim LSU Public Hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival.
Witnesses at the scene reported seeing a gold or tan Toyota Solara with dark tinted windows speeding away from the area. Inside the vehicle were two men, one described as wearing a black beanie cap and the other a blue jacket.
The investigation into the murder of Shawn Cheneau quickly led New Orleans police to identify three individuals as persons of interest. Ashton Price, 22, Leroy Price, 28, and Curtis Neville, 20, were publicly named and sought for questioning in connection with the fatal shooting. The New Orleans Police Department indicated that these men might have information regarding the homicide. An uncle of the victim formally identified him.
Sometime after the initial investigation, Leroy Price was arrested and brought to trial for the second-degree murder of Shawn Cheneau. The trial proceedings commenced with Shawn Cheneau's wife, Shavone Cheneau, taking the stand as the first witness. If convicted of the charge, Leroy Price faced a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Further investigations revealed that Leroy Price, along with Ashton Price and Curtis Neville, were associated with a violent street gang known as the '39'ers.' In a sweeping federal racketeering case, all three men were convicted on multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit racketeering, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses. The federal trial implicated them in numerous violent acts, including several murders. While the federal indictment covered a wide range of criminal activity, the specific outcome of the state murder charge against Leroy Price for the death of Shawn Cheneau is not detailed in the available information.
