Detective in killing of Kenner handyman: Suspect mentioned they needed to ‘kill white person’

JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — The two adult males arrested for the fatal taking pictures of Lawrence Herr in Kenner might have been inspired simply because he was white, a detective functioning the homicide mentioned through a courtroom listening to Tuesday.

On April 11, Kenner Law enforcement arrested 23-yr-outdated Tahj Matthews and 25-year-aged Maurice Holmes for the April 10 murder of Lawrence Herr.

Herr, 66, was shot and killed although putting in a mailbox outside the house a property on Georgetown Travel in Kenner.

At the time of the killing, Kenner Law enforcement Chief Keith Conley said that one particular of the suspects confessed to the capturing but didn’t have a particular motive.

“A person of the suspects did say they were on a random capturing binge and preferred to dedicate a murder, we feel there may well be ulterior motives and that is what the detectives are investigating,” Chief Conley mentioned.

Matthews and Holmes had been in courtroom Tuesday for a bond reduction hearing.

At Tuesday’s hearing, the lead detective on the circumstance was asked why the pair targeted Herr. The detective explained that below questioning, Matthews stated they “wanted to destroy a white individual.” 

The detective also stated that although there had been no projectile or bullet casings identified on the scene, Matthews confessed to stashing the gun in an attic at his home, and police recovered a gun at that place. He also attained a look for warrant for Holmes’ location of home but nothing at all was uncovered at that locale. 

Assessments for DNA evidence on the gun retrieved from Matthews’ property have not arrive back again.

Meanwhile, defense attorneys questioned the clarity of the surveillance video and the believability of the witnesses the detective cited in his statements. They also dilemma the timeline and the amount of preparing that goes into a very first-diploma murder charge. 

A first-diploma murder cost does not allow suspects to have a bond. The defense legal professional was in search of to have a bond established. 

In testimony, the detective exposed that Herr was shot 1 time. An autopsy exposed the bullet went as a result of his back again and out by his chest. 

As of now the to start with-diploma murder charge for Holmes and Matthews nonetheless stands, the protection lawyers say they’re heading to just take some time to go as a result of the details of the circumstance and ideally have an additional bond listening to. 

In accordance to law enforcement, detectives determined the auto applied in the April 10 capturing inside of 3 hrs of Herr’s murder and made the two arrests shortly soon after.

“This was a textbook criminal offense apprehension,” Conley mentioned. “I am very pleased of the get the job done of our detectives and police who pieced alongside one another the proof and adopted its trail to acquire unsafe criminals off our streets.”

In accordance to Conley, license plate reader cameras tracked the suspects’ vehicle driving by Herr various situations right before the shooting,

“Let this provide as a concept to anybody who considers terrorizing this metropolis or its folks that the Kenner PD will be relentless until eventually we convey a prison to justice,” Conley reported. “This was a heinous generate-by assassination of a variety, caring guy who was assisting other. We were being decided to conclusion the rage of these criminals before they could focus on any individual else.”