On an August evening in 1982, in Marrero, Louisiana, the life of 33-year-old Carl J. 'Cookie' Osborne was violently cut short. An African American man, he was at the home of his former girlfriend, Sheila Thomas, along with their four-year-old daughter, Shantell Osborne, and Thomas's mother and stepfather, Myrtle and Owen Griffin. The family was gathered, some eating boiled crabs, when an armed man burst into the residence and opened fire, killing all five individuals.
The gunman was
identified as Leslie Lowenfield, a man with a history of jealousy and animosity towards the victims. His motive was rooted in his tumultuous past relationship with Sheila Thomas. Lowenfield was reportedly enraged by Thomas's relationship with Carl Osborne and had directed threats towards both of them, as well as Thomas's mother, whom he blamed for interfering in his relationship with Sheila. In the days leading up to the murders, Lowenfield had expressed his intent to kill Sheila, her family, and Carl Osborne.
Evidence presented during the subsequent investigation and trial painted a clear picture of Lowenfield's guilt. A K-Mart employee testified to selling him the. 22 caliber semi-automatic rifle used in the killings on the morning of the crime. The name 'Sheila' was inscribed on the stock of the rifle in blue ink. A cab driver also testified to taking Lowenfield to Marrero, close to the scene of the crime, on the day of the murders. Despite Lowenfield's claim that he was in Jacksonville, Florida, at the time of the killings, he was indicted by a Jefferson Parish Grand Jury on five counts of first-degree murder.
During his trial in 1984, Leslie Lowenfield was found competent to stand trial and refused to allow his lawyers to use an insanity defense. The jury ultimately returned a verdict of guilty on three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of manslaughter. For the three counts of first-degree murder, the jury recommended the death penalty. Following his conviction, Leslie Lowenfield was sentenced to death and was executed by electrocution on April 13, 1988, maintaining his innocence to the end.
