On the afternoon of September 13, 2024, Johnny Ray Green, a 44-year-old Black man, returned to his home on Brady Street in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Just as he arrived, an assailant appeared and fired multiple shots. Responding to a call around 1:45 p.m., officers from the Baton Rouge Police Department found Green outside his residence with several gunshot wounds.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Homicide detectives began an investigation, but initially, both the suspect and a motive remained unknown. For more than a month, the case continued until a Crime Stoppers tip provided a crucial breakthrough. The information pointed investigators toward a suspect, a young man who had already been arrested by the department on October 1 for a separate incident.
On October 24, 2024, police arrested 18-year-old Anthony Torregano Hayes for his involvement in Green’s death. Detectives initially believed the shooting was a murder-for-hire, alleging that Hayes had been paid $2,000 to carry out the killing. An arrest report noted that a person was seen fleeing the scene on a bicycle with a rifle.
However, as the case proceeded, authorities determined there was no evidence to support the murder-for-hire theory. The East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office stated that investigators found no independent proof of a paid hit and that Hayes himself had denied it in a jail call. Authorities concluded that Hayes likely acted alone and was motivated by a personal argument he had with Green.
Anthony Torregano Hayes ultimately pleaded guilty to the reduced charges of manslaughter and possession of a stolen firearm. He was sentenced to serve a total of 43 years in prison, which included a 40-year sentence for manslaughter and a consecutive three-year sentence for the firearm charge. With the conviction and sentencing, the case is considered resolved.
