Texan Arrested for Murder in Washington Parish

Easter Sunday afternoon (April 12, 2020), Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Chris

Hickman and deputy Chad Cassard responded to a report of gunshots in a rural area in southeast Washington Parish. Officers discovered the body of a young male lying on the edge of a gravel driveway near the roadway. It appeared that the male, later identified as 24 year old Brett Ritchie of Bogalusa, had been shot multiple times.

Officers were able to obtain a description of a vehicle with Texas license plates which drove away from the area shortly after the shots were fired. Sgt. Mike Thomas and Deputy Kyle Stogner discovered the described vehicle in the Enon area. The driver, Trevion R. Mark (24) of Fort Worth, Texas, was detained and searched and found to be in possession of illegal drugs. Mark was arrested for possession of the drugs and transported to the Washington Parish Jail.

After several search warrants and interviews, detectives were able to put Trevion Mark at the crime scene with the victim. A warrant was then obtained from a 22nd Judicial District Court Judge to arrest Mark on an additional charge of 2nd degree murder. Mark remains in the Washington Parish Jail with his bond set at $805,000.

The investigation into the murder continues as detectives seek more details, including the motive which fueled the murder. Any person with information about this crime is asked to contact Washington Parish Detective Kody Glenn at (985) 939-3434 or 9985) 201-6033. Callers may remain anonymous.

“A stroke of good luck was the key to solving this crime so quickly,” stated Sheriff Randy Seal. “A description of the suspect’s vehicle and a chance encounter by deputies led to his arrest. We may never know the motive behind the shooting, but we do know this was a ruthless murder.”