Jacob Carter, a 32-year-old male, was visiting New Orleans on vacation with his husband, Daniel Blagovich, from Tacoma, Washington, where they co-owned a popular bagel shop. In the early morning hours of January 5, 2024, at approximately 1:30 a.m., the couple was walking near the intersection of Bourbon and Kerlerec streets in the Marigny neighborhood, just outside the French Quarter. They were approached during an attempted robbery that quickly turned violent.
During the encounter, Jacob Carter was fatally shot.
The investigation into the shooting led New Orleans police to a suspect, a 16-year-old male named Malik D. Cornelius. He was arrested a week after the incident. Initially, Cornelius was held in Jefferson Parish on unrelated charges before being transferred to Orleans Parish and booked on a charge of second-degree murder. The case was later moved to adult court. Investigators also located a stolen Kia in Bayou St. John that was believed to be connected to the homicide.
Ultimately, Malik Cornelius, then 17, entered into a plea agreement. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. Following his guilty plea, he was sentenced to 26 years in prison. During the sentencing, the judge addressed Carter's friends and family, expressing sorrow for what had happened in the city. It was also revealed that the incident could have been a double homicide, as the assailant's gun reportedly jammed during the attempted robbery of both Carter and his husband.
