An Iberville Parish jury convicted siblings Rilonda and David Brooks, alongside hitman Johnnie Hicks, in a murder-for-hire trial that concluded the night of August 14th in 18th Judicial District Court in Plaquemine. The jury deliberated just over two hours before delivering a slew of guilty verdicts against the three. Herman Harris, 65, was shot in the head in his home in Maringouin on August 27, 2024.
District Attorney Tony Clayton led the prosecution team that convicted Rilonda Brooks, 47, of 13180 Hwy. 76, Maringouin, on solicitation for murder, conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, principal to second-degree murder, obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence, conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary, and principal to aggravated burglary.
David Brooks, Jr., 42, of 996 Maringouin Rd. West, Maringouin, was found guilty of solicitation for murder, conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, principal to second-degree murder, obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence, conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary, and principal to aggravated burglary.
Johnnie Hicks, 27, of 150 Stillwater Dr., Vicksburg, MS., was found guilty of conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, principal to second-degree murder, obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence, conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary, principal to aggravated burglary, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was found not guilty of illegal possession of a weapon during the commission of a crime of violence. Hicks was allegedly promised a truck and job in exchange for killing Harris.
DA Clayton said Rilonda Brooks was the mastermind of the plan to kill Harris. She and her brother, David Brooks, hired Hicks as the hitman. Harris was a former employee of Rilonda Brooks trucking company. Brooks wanted to avoid a lawsuit Harris had planned to file against her and her trucking company because he had been injured by Rilonda Brooks while on the job. The siblings had each received approximately $4 million in December 2023 from a settlement with a trucking company found responsible for an accident that killed their mother, and DA Clayton told the jury that she did not want to lose her money due to Harris’ lawsuit.
A fourth individual tied to the case, Javadda Lewis, turned state’s evidence and testified against the other three. He was the facilitator in getting Hicks involved and being the lookout in the murder in exchange for a kilo of cocaine.
The DA’s office presented extensive evidence in the 9-day trial, including a pillow with Hicks DNA, a pillow with the gunshot found at the residence that was used to silence the shot to Harris’ head; the murder weapon found on the edge of David Brooks property; extensive surveillance video of Hicks and Lewis leaving David Brooks’ home and returning; Lewis handling the gun and handing it to Brooks; and mobile phone calls between David and Rilonda Brooks in the hours surrounding the killing.
“This was a cut-and-dried case of murder for hire, and the jury saw that,” said District Attorney Tony Clayton. “We will pursue the harshest sentences possible for these three so that they don’t see freedom again in their lives. While this doesn’t bring Mr. Harris back, it provides closure for his family who has grieved and attended every day of this trial.”
“I want to thank the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, State Police, the Crime Lab, numerous law enforcement agencies in Mississippi, and federal marshals for their hard work in solving this case and helping us serve justice. This case should serve as a warning – if you want to commit violent crimes, you better go to a different district. We are going after violent criminals with everything we’ve got.”