In the early hours of a January morning in 2013, the life of Keith Wayne 'Needle' Matthews, a 43-year-old male, was tragically cut short in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. On January 5, 2013, Matthews was found shot to death on Erie Street, the victim of gun violence.
An investigation into the homicide led to the arrest of a suspect, Shingo Edwards, later that same year. The case against Edwards, however, hinged on the testimony of a single witness, Shaun Hartley.
Before the case could proceed to trial, Hartley was found beaten to death in an abandoned house. Authorities had placed Hartley in a witness protection program, as he had expressed fears for his life.
The death of the sole witness proved to be a critical blow to the prosecution's case against Shingo Edwards. With insufficient evidence to move forward, the murder charges against him in connection with Keith Matthews' death were ultimately dismissed. The investigation into Matthews' murder became intertwined with the subsequent murder of the key witness against his alleged killer. Jeremy Brown was later charged with the second-degree murder of Shaun Hartley, connecting the two violent deaths.
