In the early morning hours of a November Saturday in Bossier City, Louisiana, 21-year-old James Harber Rosypal was working a shift at the Exxon Food Fast on Airline Drive. It was a temporary job he had taken before his planned enlistment in the army, where he aspired to be a medic. Known as James Harber to his friends, he was remembered as someone who could always make people laugh and smile.
He had also enrolled in college to become an EMT, a testament to his desire to help others.
Tragically, his life was cut short during an armed robbery at the convenience store. Just after 1 a.m., a man entered the store, and in the course of the robbery, Rosypal was shot twice. Police responded to the scene to find him unresponsive behind the counter with the cash register open. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation by the Bossier City Police Department was swift and thorough. They quickly obtained video surveillance from the store which captured the entire incident. The footage clearly showed the armed robbery and the fatal shooting of Rosypal. This crucial piece of evidence would prove instrumental in the case.
Later that same day, a 22-year-old Bossier City man named Adrian Little, accompanied by his mother, turned himself in to the police. During questioning, detectives were able to secure a confession from Little for the robbery and the shooting. He was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, and held on a one-million-dollar bond. Investigators were also able to locate the murder weapon. Subsequent analysis by the North Louisiana Crime Lab confirmed it was the weapon used to kill Rosypal and also found Little's DNA on the gun.
In the legal proceedings that followed, Little's defense attorney requested a sanity commission to determine his mental competency to stand trial. After evaluation by psychiatrists, a judge ruled that he was competent. Though initially facing a first-degree murder charge, Adrian Little ultimately pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in June 2015. He was sentenced to a mandatory life sentence in prison without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.
