In the summer of 2024, the community of Abbeville, Louisiana, was rocked by the tragic death of 31-year-old Dalvin Mullens. A Black male, Mullens' life was cut short in a brutal act of violence that unfolded on July 8th. The initial discovery was grim; his body was found in a coulee situated to the south of the city, prompting an immediate and intensive investigation by the Abbeville Police Department.
What began as a suspicious death case quickly escalated into a homicide investigation as detectives began to piece together the events leading to Mullens' demise.
The investigation gained significant momentum with the discovery of video footage that captured crucial moments of the crime. This evidence proved instrumental in identifying the individuals involved. The inquiry led to the arrest of two individuals, while a warrant was issued for a third person of interest who remained at large. The focus of the investigation, however, soon centered on 57-year-old Carlton Eugene Hills, an Abbeville resident with a prior criminal history. As the case against him solidified, the shocking details of Mullens' final moments came to light.
According to prosecutors, the violence inflicted upon Dalvin Mullens was both callous and public. In front of multiple witnesses, including a young child, Carlton Hills shot Mullens four times with a 9mm pistol. In a horrifying escalation of the assault, Hills then proceeded to run over Mullens' body with his vehicle. Following this, he wrapped the victim's body in a blanket, placed it in his car, and drove to the South Guegnon Road bridge. From there, he disposed of Mullens' body by throwing it into Youngs South Coulee below, where it would later be discovered by authorities. A search of Hills' residence by police uncovered the bloody murder weapon, further cementing the case against him.
On July 30, 2025, a Vermilion Parish jury delivered its verdict, finding Carlton Eugene Hills guilty of the second-degree murder of Dalvin Mullens and obstruction of justice. For his crimes, Hills faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison at hard labor without the possibility of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence for the murder charge. Additionally, the obstruction of justice conviction carries a potential sentence of up to forty years in prison. The conviction brought a measure of justice for a violent crime that left a lasting scar on the Abbeville community.
