In the early hours of an April morning in 2010, Chad Michael Huth, a 24-year-old man, was enjoying a quiet evening with friends in his Gentilly home in New Orleans. An aspiring electrician with a love for hunting and fishing, Chad was a 2004 graduate of Holy Cross High School where he had played football. His life, however, was cut tragically short on April 22nd when a knock at his front door turned into a violent home invasion.
When a friend answered the door, a group of men forced their way into the residence. In the ensuing chaos, gunshots were fired, and Chad was struck once in the back, a wound that would prove fatal. Another of his friends was also injured during the attack.
The New Orleans Police Department quickly launched a homicide investigation. Through their efforts, they identified two brothers, 19-year-old Christopher Lee and 18-year-old Joshua Lee, as the primary suspects. A warrant was issued for Joshua Lee's arrest, and shortly thereafter, Christopher Lee turned himself into police headquarters, where he was booked on a charge of first-degree murder. The investigation continued as authorities sought to bring all those responsible to justice.
In the years that followed, the case against the Lee brothers moved through the court system. In 2015, Joshua Lee stood trial for his role in the deadly home invasion. A jury found him guilty of second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, and aggravated burglary. For the murder of Chad Huth, Joshua Lee received a mandatory life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole. He was also given concurrent sentences of twenty-five years for the attempted murder and twenty years for the aggravated burglary. While the legal proceedings brought a measure of closure, the sudden and violent death of Chad Michael Huth left a lasting void in the lives of his family and friends.
