In the spring of 1977, a wave of fear gripped the residents of New Orleans' French Quarter as a serial killer began to prey on men in their own homes. The final victim in this terrifying spree was Ernest Pommier, a well-liked 77-year-old Male who was known for his cheerful presence in the neighborhood. Neighbors fondly remembered seeing him sitting in a folding chair on the sidewalk outside his ground-floor apartment on Esplanade Avenue, happily playing with his dog.
His life came to a brutal end on April 7, 1977, when he was discovered slain inside his home, the last of four men killed in a bloody eight-week period.
The series of murders began on Valentine's Day of that year, creating panic and prompting increased patrols by horseback officers around the strip joints and jazz clubs of Bourbon Street. The victims were mostly middle-aged gay men who lived alone within a 20-block radius. The killer, quickly dubbed "The French Quarter Stabber," would meet his victims, accompany them to their apartments, and then fatally stab them before robbing them. Mr. Pommier's murder, however, differed slightly from the others; while the other victims were known to be gay, he was not. He was found in a kneeling position, having been stabbed more than 50 times.
The break in the case came less than a week after Mr. Pommier's death. On April 13, police arrested 16-year-old Warren Harris Jr. after he attempted to rob and stab a French seaman. During questioning, Harris, who had a prior record for theft, confessed to four of the recent murders, including that of Ernest Pommier. He told detectives he had a "revulsion" towards homosexuals. Prosecutors would later allege that Harris, who was addicted to heroin, robbed the men to support his drug habit, sometimes engaging in sex work before killing his victims.
In October 1977, Warren Harris Jr. went on trial. His defense attorney argued that the confession was coerced by police and that his client's youth and a diagnosis of being "borderline mentally retarded" warranted mercy. An assistant district attorney told the jury that Harris met his victims by chance, went to their apartments, stabbed them to death, and then robbed them. After just 90 minutes of deliberation, the jury found Harris guilty of three counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Ernest Pommier, Jack Savell, and Alden Delano. He was acquitted of the murder of Robert Gary. In November 1977, Harris was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.
For decades, it seemed Harris would spend the rest of his life in the Louisiana State Penitentiary, known as Angola. However, a series of U.S. Supreme Court rulings that found mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juvenile offenders unconstitutional opened the door for his release. A 2017 Louisiana law made "juvenile lifers" eligible for parole after serving 25 years, provided they met certain requirements like earning a GED. In 2021, Harris was resentenced to life with the possibility of parole.
On April 17, 2024, after 47 years behind bars, a 63-year-old Warren Harris Jr. appeared before the Louisiana parole board. He apologized for his crimes, stating, "To each family member of the victims, I sincerely apologize for taking the lives of your loved ones. I'm truly sorry and regret what happened, 46-years ago." He attributed his actions to his teenage drug addiction. The board's decision was split. One member, a former sheriff, voted against his release, comparing Harris to a smoker who quits but still has cancer. However, two other members voted in favor, with one stating, "After 46-years of incarceration I believe that you're ready for the streets." No family members of the victims were present at the hearing. Harris was granted parole and released from prison, though he will remain under state supervision for the rest of his life.
