Cassanova Carter was convicted on one count of attempted second degree murder of his uncle, Quincy Reed, by a Pointe Coupee Parish jury in 18th Judicial District Court today (Wednesday, July 12). He was also convicted for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The jury returned the unanimous verdict after less than an hour of deliberation. Carter, 33, of 619 Martin Dr., New Roads, shot his uncle six times at his uncle’s home on April 4, 2021, and then fled the scene.
The victim identified Carter as the shooter to first responders and to law enforcement just prior to being airlifted to Our Lady of Lake Hospital, where he remained for 10 days following the shooting. Carter was arrested three days after the shooting by the New Roads Police Department.
The 3 day trial was prosecuted by District Attorney’s Office Chief of Trials Chad Aguillard, and Assistant District Attorneys Kristen Canazaro and Ali Meronek. District Judge Kevin Kimball presided over the trial. Carter was immediately remanded to the Pointe Coupee Parish detention center and sentencing was set for August 16, 2023. He had previously been convicted of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
Aguillard said, “I am mindful of the difficulty this day brings to the entire Reed family as the victim and defendant were related in this case. However, the District Attorney’s office will not tolerate this type of violent behavior. The swiftness of the 52-minute verdict sends a clear message that the citizens of Pointe Coupee Parish also will not stand for this type of violence in their community.”
In the last 2 and a half years, the District Attorney’s Office has successfully prosecuted 32 jury trials. In addition, trials and guilty pleas during that time period have resulted in 20 murder convictions, including 19 life sentences!
“I have said from day one that we would go after violent criminals with the full force of our office, and would not back down from trying cases in court,” said District Attorney Tony Clayton. “The residents of our communities do not want violent offenders on the streets, and we will continue to prosecute them aggressively.” “We all want to live in safe communities, and we are working hard in the District Attorney’s Office to lock these violent criminals away for as long as possible,” Clayton said. “I ask for the continued support of law enforcement, our parishes, and the residents to continue this fight.”