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Young man on trial for murder allegedly confessed to five other murders

On Behalf of | Aug 15, 2012 | Firm News, Murder & Other Homicide Crimes |

The man accused of shooting to death a Terry Boyd, a Baton Rouge man, back in 2009 recently argued that the jury that tries his case shouldn’t be allowed to hear a full confession to police in which he allegedly admits to involvement in a handful of other killings in Baton Rouge. In that interview, he allegedly told Baton Rouge police he was involved in six killing.

Because the defendant was 18 at the time of the killing, he is not eligible for the death penalty. In addition to the Boyd murder, he has been charged with murder of five others between 2009 and 2010.

According to the lead prosecutor in the case, the state seeks to introduce the confession to establish the defendant’s “identity, motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, and absence of mistake or accident.” But according to the defendant’s attorney, the state seeks to introduce the evidence in order to prove he committed the murder, making it inadmissible character evidence.

The defendant in this case testified at the murder trial of rapper Torrence Hatch that neither he nor Hatch were involved in the killing of Boyd. He also denied involvement in any other murders. At that trial, prosecution played a portion of a videotaped police statement in which he stated that Hatch paid him money to execute Boyd.

Prosecutors in the case are arguing that there is evidence to corroborate the confession, but his attorney argued that there is no evidence that he committed the murders other that the confession.

The young man to be tried in this case has very serious charges against him. If convicted, the course of his life will be changed. Those facing similar charges do well to contact a criminal defense attorney to begin building their case early on. Doing so can help steer the case in a favorable direction.

Source: The Advocate, “Louding defense: Tapes inadmissible,” Joe Gyan Jr., August 15, 2012

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