In the city of New Orleans, on February 20, 2011, the life of LittleJohn June Haynes, a 39-year-old African American man, was violently cut short. His death was not a random act but a calculated execution rooted in the city's criminal underworld. A father of two, Haynes found himself on the wrong side of the notorious 39ers gang, a decision that would ultimately cost him his life.
The motive behind the killing was twofold, stemming from accusations that Haynes had supplied a firearm used in the death of an associate of a gang member and had also robbed one of the gang's drug customers.
The investigation into Haynes's murder was a collaborative effort involving the FBI's New Orleans Gang Task Force, the New Orleans Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. Their combined resources and expertise eventually unraveled the network of individuals responsible for Haynes's death. The case culminated in a significant federal racketeering trial that targeted the 39ers gang, a group that had long terrorized communities with violence and drug trafficking.
At the heart of the prosecution were two key figures: Curtis Neville and Evans Lewis, both members of the 39ers gang. During a six-week trial, a federal jury heard testimony from cooperating witnesses that painted a grim picture of the gang's operations and the events leading up to Haynes's murder. Witness accounts detailed the internal gang discussions and the motivations for wanting Haynes dead. Despite arguments from the defense that the murder was not connected to the gang's activities, the jury found both Neville and Lewis guilty of murder in aid of racketeering and causing death through the use of a firearm.
The convictions brought a measure of justice for the family of LittleJohn June Haynes. Curtis Neville was handed a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole, ensuring that one of the men responsible for Haynes's death would spend the rest of his life behind bars. The trial and subsequent sentencings marked a significant victory for law enforcement in their ongoing battle against organized gang violence in New Orleans. While another individual, Carlos Heard, was also reportedly charged in connection with the murder, the specifics of his alleged involvement and the disposition of his case remain less clear.
