Thelonious Anthony Dukes Sr., a 47-year-old male, was at his New Orleans home on October 13, 2007, working on his motorcycle in the driveway when he was ambushed by several armed individuals. The assailants forced Dukes, an off-duty police officer, into his house where they also confronted his wife. The couple was herded into a bathroom and forced to kneel as the robbers demanded money and jewelry.
The situation escalated when one of the intruders threatened Dukes' wife.
In an act of defense, Dukes drew his own weapon and a firefight ensued. During the exchange of gunfire, he was struck in the lower torso and leg. His wife was also injured, suffering a gunshot wound to her foot. The armed robbers fled the scene following the shootout. Dukes was transported to a local hospital for treatment of his critical injuries.
After battling for his life for nearly a month, Thelonious Anthony Dukes Sr. succumbed to his wounds on November 9, 2007. An investigation into the home invasion and murder led to the apprehension of two men a month after the incident. One of the men was eventually released, while the other, a 22-year-old, was jailed on a murder charge. Years later, on March 16, 2012, a 27-year-old federal prison inmate, already serving a sentence for a weapons violation, was charged in connection with the murder of Officer Dukes as well as four other killings in the city.
On December 19, 2013, the inmate accepted a plea bargain and was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his involvement in the death of Thelonious Anthony Dukes Sr. Prosecutors indicated that the plea deal was a necessary step in the case. The charges against the other suspect who had been initially arrested were ultimately dropped. Investigators believe that one of the individuals who was with the convicted killer on the day of the home invasion was later one of his own homicide victims. No further arrests were made in the case.
