LAKE CHARLES, LA – Four juvenile suspects were arrested for the stabbing death of a 15-year-old girl inside of a Walmart, with one facing second degree murder and the three others facing principle to second degree murder.
Four Louisiana girls ages 12 to 14 have been charged in connection with the fatal stabbing of a 15-year-old girl. https://t.co/lk0ZohoS4P
— WSOCTV (@wsoctv) January 27, 2021
The moments leading up to the altercation that turned murderous were also captured on video and uploaded to social media.
Police are currently not release the identities of either the victim or the four suspects arrested in the case, likely due to the suspects all being juvenile. Detectives were said to have arrested four girls, one aged 14, two aged 13, and one other aged 12 for the January 23rd murder of the 15-year-old victim.
According to the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, the confrontation that turned deadly transpired inside of a Walmart located in Lake Charles at approximately 7:30 p.m. on January 23rd.
Officials say that when the physical altercation transpired, the victim was stabbed by one of the suspects. Apparently, police say the knife used in the killing was actually stolen from within the Walmart.
Sheriff Tony Mancuso noted the disturbing moments captured and uploaded to social media:
“The whole murder was played out on [social media]…There appeared to be no remorse. It was very cold.”
The lack of remorse mentioned by Sheriff Mancuso is likely in reference to some of the videos uploaded by the alleged perpetrators of this murder, where they can be seen mocking the victim after she was murdered inside of the Walmart.
Following the fatal incident, as the young suspects were fleeing in a vehicle, you can hear one of them clamoring that they, “just stabbed somebody at Walmart” and another saying:
“We just stabbed that bitch – we don’t give a fuck…We just stabbed that bitch in her heart”
Other videos apparently surfaced where some of the alleged suspects, obviously prior to their arrest, attempted to deliver some halfhearted apologies for the frankly cold regard they displayed when commenting on the death of that young girl.
Even though the footage from the incident is unsettling, Sheriff Mancuso noted that thanks to this video being available on Facebook and Instagram – it affords law enforcement the needed evidence to quickly bring justice in this case:
“Our whole case unfolded before us through live Facebook and Instagram… We have videos of everything that took place and it’s very disturbing, it truly is.”
During the news conference where Sheriff Mancuso was speaking about the case, he described the entire matter as being “really heartbreaking”:
“It’s really heartbreaking when we have to come in and pick up the pieces because so many families are damaged.”
It is unclear whether the juveniles in this case will be prosecuted as such or prosecuted as adults. Under Louisiana criminal law, as it relates to the adult system, second-degree murder carries with it a life sentence without parole upon conviction.
A conviction of principal to second-degree murder can also result in getting a life sentence in prison, if pursued through the adult court system.
This is a developing investigation. Please follow Law Enforcement Today as we gather further updates into this case.
The onset of 2020 has been rife with disturbing, violent crimes across the country. One murder that occurred in Missouri earlier in January involved a woman being shot in the head in front of her infant child.
Here’s that previous report from us at Law Enforcement Today.
_
ST LOUIS COUNTY, MO – Police reportedly arrested a 31-year-old man for allegedly shooting a woman in the head while he was a passenger inside of her vehicle, with the murder having allegedly occurred in front of the victim’s infant child.
Man accused of shooting, killing woman in front her infant child inside a car https://t.co/hue75rkEuj via @KMOV
— Tom Goeddel (@tomgoeddel) January 20, 2021
According to investigators, Andrew Buckingham arrived at the home of 30-year-old Sharita Brooks on January 17th, where Brooks was said to have begun driving Buckingham to an area not far from his home located in Spanish Lake.
Along for the ride in the vehicle, according to police, was Brooks’ infant child.
From what police say, Brooks had phoned a friend while driving, proclaiming that she didn’t feel safe in the vehicle with Buckingham.
Thereafter, Buckingham allegedly shot Brooks in the head while she was sitting in the driver seat as the car was parked within the 1600 block of Claudine with the engine still running.
Witnesses were said to have seen Buckingham leaving the scene of the murder that day. It wasn’t until roughly 7:30 a.m. on January 18th that police had discovered the body of Brooks inside of the vehicle, along with her child who was reportedly found seemingly uninjured.
Despite the child appearing to have been unharmed, the infant was still transported to a hospital for an examination. However, Brooks was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officials have not shared any details as to the nature of the relationship between the victim and the suspect, nor have there been any details revealed for a possible motivation for the alleged crime.
Buckingham has since been charged with first degree murder, armed criminal action and tampering with physical evidence. The suspect’s bail has since been set at $1,000,000 – which that is a cash only bond.
_
Want to make sure you never miss a story from Law Enforcement Today? With so much “stuff” happening in the world on social media, it’s easy for things to get lost.
