A life tragically cut short, Eula Mae Butler Ivey, a 55-year-old female, became the unintended victim of a violent feud on a summer evening in New Orleans. On Monday, June 14, 2010, the quiet of the 8900 block of Birch Street was shattered by the sound of gunfire. Ms. Ivey was in the front yard of her grandson's home when two vehicles sped by, occupants firing multiple rounds. She was struck numerous times and died at the scene.
The hail of bullets was not meant for her.
The intended target was her grandson, Glin Butler, who resided at the Birch Street address. This brazen daylight attack, occurring at approximately 6:15 PM, also resulted in another of her grandsons, Jonathan Butler, being wounded by a stray bullet that penetrated the home. The tragic irony was that the deadly assault happened just thirty minutes after New Orleans Police Department officers had left the residence, having tried to secure Glin Butler's cooperation in the investigation of a shooting he had survived the day before.
The investigation that followed the murder of Eula Mae Ivey unraveled a conspiracy of violence. Several individuals were identified as participants in the deadly drive-by shooting. Among them, Carey Jones, also known as 'Bean,' and Theron Golston, known as 'Thema,' were later arrested. Witnesses identified Jones as one of the shooters. During the chaotic scene, one of the cars involved in the shooting wrecked, and Golston was seen exiting the vehicle and continuing to fire his weapon.
In the aftermath, both Carey Jones and Theron Golston pleaded guilty in federal court for their participation in the murder of Eula Mae Ivey. The broader investigation also implicated Norman Ratcliff, also known as 'Turk,' and others in the planning and execution of the shooting. While some faced federal charges, several other individuals were charged in state court for their involvement and ultimately pleaded guilty to lesser charges. The senseless act of violence that claimed the life of a grandmother was a grim chapter in a cycle of retaliation that left a family and a community mourning.
