In the early morning hours of a Sunday in Natchitoches, Louisiana, a burst of violence cut short the life of 55-year-old Marshall Claiborne, a Black male. On November 10, 2024, at approximately 3:10 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 500 block of Lakeview Drive following reports of a gunshot victim. Upon their arrival, they discovered Claiborne suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
He was transported to Natchitoches Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased.
The Natchitoches Police Department launched a homicide investigation and soon identified two suspects. Warrants were issued for the arrest of 26-year-old Alvin James Holden and 31-year-old Angle Lee Reed, both of Natchitoches, on charges of Second Degree Murder and Attempted Second Degree Murder. The search for the two men began, casting a shadow over the community as authorities worked to bring them into custody.
A grim discovery was made on November 13, 2024, when officers responded to a call about a possible body in Cane River Lake. With the assistance of the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's Office search and rescue team, a body was recovered from the water and identified as Angle Lee Reed, one of the suspects in Claiborne's murder. He was pronounced deceased, leaving Alvin James Holden as the remaining fugitive in the case.
After several months of investigation and surveillance, the Natchitoches Police Department's Violent Crime Task Force located Alvin James Holden on April 16, 2025. He was found in the 1100 block of Washington Street and taken into custody. Holden was charged with Second Degree Murder and Aggravated Criminal Damage to Property. Alongside Holden, authorities arrested 43-year-old Wilma Carter. She was charged with Accessory after the Fact for Second Degree Murder and Accessory after the Fact for Attempted Second Degree Murder. Both were incarcerated at the LaSalle Corrections/Natchitoches Detention Center.
