On the night of July 22, 2013, in Ville Platte, Louisiana, 32-year-old Joseph John, a Black male, was shot in front of a relative's home on East Wilson Street. He was rushed to a local hospital and then airlifted to another facility in Lafayette, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. The initial investigation into the shooting was hampered by a climate of fear, as witnesses were hesitant to come forward with information.
Despite the initial challenges, the Ville Platte Police
Department, later aided by the FBI, began to piece together the events of that fatal night. Early in the investigation, two men, Reokinski Thomas and Hilton Wilson, were brought in for questioning, though no charges were immediately filed. A significant breakthrough occurred in October 2013 when Joseph's brother, Derrick John, who was also injured in the attack, identified Reokinski Thomas as the shooter. His testimony revealed that an argument had taken place between his brother and the suspects earlier on the day of the shooting.
Further investigation uncovered more evidence linking Thomas and his co-defendant, Hilton Wilson, to the crime. Shell casings found at the scene matched those from a previous incident involving Thomas. Additionally, DNA evidence from two handprints found on a fence at the crime scene connected both Thomas and Wilson to the location. This accumulation of evidence led to a grand jury indictment against Reokinski Thomas, who was apprehended in Beaumont, Texas.
In March of 2016, Reokinski Thomas and Hilton Wilson stood trial for the murder of Joseph John. The prosecution, led by Evangeline Parish Assistant District Attorney Marcus Fontenot, presented the compelling evidence they had gathered, including the crucial eyewitness testimony and the forensic DNA and ballistics findings. The jury found both Thomas and Wilson guilty of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. Following their convictions, both men faced mandatory life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole.
