In the early morning hours of February 9, 2023, the quiet of Cheneyville, Louisiana, was broken by the sound of gunfire. At approximately 12:39 AM, the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office received a call reporting shots fired in the 1200 block of Bayou Road, at the Church Heights Apartments. When deputies arrived at the scene, they discovered the body of 20-year-old Mathew Leary, a male resident of Cheneyville.
He had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to his head.
Investigators learned that an altercation had occurred between Leary and several individuals in a vehicle. The suspects fled the scene before law enforcement arrived. The Sheriff's Detectives and Crime Scene Unit immediately began an intensive investigation into the homicide. As they pieced together the events of that tragic night, they were able to identify three main suspects in connection with Leary's death.
Warrants were issued for the arrests of Quantavius Jamar Richards, 27, Aaron Demond Jones, 25, and Diamante Swaizer, 23, all from the Alexandria area. Richards and Jones were apprehended in the local area and booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center. Swaizer was later taken into custody in Porter, Texas, by the U.S. Marshals Service Violent Offenders Task Force. The investigation continued to unfold, leading to more arrests.
Several other individuals were implicated for their alleged roles after the homicide. Liontraill Carneisha Williams, 20, of Marksville, Charlette Williams, 27, of Marksville, and Jolette Williams, 38, of Marrero, were all charged with obstruction of justice, criminal conspiracy, and accessory after the fact. Additionally, Alyssa L. Jefferson, 18, of Alexandria, was arrested for obstruction of justice, accessory after the fact, and resisting arrest. Mardarius Tyrell Taylor, 22, of Porter, Texas, was also arrested and charged with obstruction of justice. Authorities have indicated that the investigation remains active, and more arrests could be forthcoming as they continue to seek justice for Mathew Leary.
