Lawrence Herr, a 66-year-old white male from Metairie, Louisiana, was a handyman who found joy in helping others. Known to friends as “Peanut,” he was described as a kind, "happy, go-lucky, Christian man" who took care of his elderly mother and fed dozens of stray cats near his home. A friend of ten years called him a "beautiful person" and an "angel."
For Herr, his maintenance work was less about the pay and more about the people he could assist.
On the morning of April 10, 2023, Herr was in a Kenner neighborhood working on a job. He was installing a mailbox in front of a home on Georgetown Street when a silver Mercedes sedan drove past him. Surveillance video showed the car pass by three times, making U-turns to circle back. On the third pass, the car stopped and someone inside opened fire. Herr was shot in the back. A neighbor found him lying in the driveway, and when first responders arrived, he was still conscious but in shock. He was rushed to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
The Kenner Police Department launched an immediate investigation into what appeared to be a random, senseless killing. Aided by surveillance footage from neighbors and data from automated license plate readers, detectives quickly identified the silver Mercedes. A few hours after the shooting, they located the car. The following afternoon, police arrested the two men inside: Maurice Holmes, 25, and Tahj Matthews, 23, both of Kenner. A handgun was recovered during the investigation.
During a probable cause hearing in May 2023, a Kenner police detective testified about a chilling motive. He stated that Matthews had confessed during questioning, telling investigators that he and Holmes had set out that day with the specific intention of killing a white person. Matthews reportedly identified Holmes as the gunman. In July 2023, a Jefferson Parish grand jury indicted both Holmes and Matthews on charges of first-degree murder.
In May 2026, Maurice Holmes stood trial for the murder of Lawrence Herr. After three days of testimony, a jury deliberated for four hours before finding him guilty of first-degree murder. The conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison. As of May 2026, his co-defendant, Tahj Matthews, remained charged with first-degree murder and was awaiting trial.
