A Jefferson Parish jury has convicted Maurice Holmes, 28, of Kenner, for the first-degree murder of 66-year-old Lawrence Herr, who was shot and killed while repairing a mailbox at a residence in Kenner three years ago. The jury deliberated for four hours before reaching their verdict after a three-day trial.
Details of the Shooting
The incident took place on April 10, 2023, when Herr, a handyman from Metairie, was hired to perform repair work at a vacant home on Georgetown Street in Kenner, including installing a mailbox, medicine cabinet, and door handles. Authorities reported that Herr was shot in the back while working outside.
Residents in the area reported hearing two or three gunshots, and some spotted a silver-colored Mercedes sedan driving suspiciously slow near the scene. A neighbor later found Herr lying on the ground around 11:15 a.m. He was rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
Investigation and Arrests
Kenner police launched an investigation and reviewed surveillance footage from nearby homes and automated license plate recognition cameras. They identified the Mercedes sedan seen near the scene, which led them to Tahj Matthews, 26, who had been ticketed for driving the same vehicle a month prior to the shooting.
Later, police stopped the Mercedes a few hours after the shooting with Matthews in the driver’s seat and Holmes in the passenger seat. Initially, both men denied involvement in the murder, but Matthews later implicated Holmes as the gunman. Matthews revealed that they had set out that day with the intention of killing someone, authorities said.
A police detective testified during a 2023 hearing that the defendants had targeted a White person for the crime, according to WWL Louisiana.
Conviction and Sentencing
Holmes has been convicted of first-degree murder, and Matthews is also charged with first-degree murder, although his trial has not yet been scheduled. The mandatory punishment for a first-degree murder conviction is life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Holmes is scheduled to be sentenced on June 15.
