District Attorney Collin Sims reports that on January 8, 2026, a St. Tammany Parish jury found 27-year-old Marrio Haynes, Jr. of Covington, Louisiana guilty on all counts related to the 2023 shooting death of 23-year-old Juwarren Martin. Following a trial in the 22nd Judicial District Court before Judge Vincent J. Lobello, Haynes was convicted of Second Degree Murder, Obstruction of Justice by Tampering with Evidence/Death or Life Proceeding, and Possession of a Firearm by a Person Convicted of Certain Felonies.
Click here for previous related stories
“This was a calculated act of violence that ended a young life at a local place of business,” District Attorney Collin Sims said following the verdict. “The defendant chose to escalate a verbal grievance into a deadly ambush. I am proud of the work of my Assistant District Attorneys and our partners in law enforcement for ensuring that Mr. Haynes is held fully accountable. Our thoughts remain with the family of Juwarren Martin, and we hope this verdict brings them a measure of peace.”
The incident occurred on the evening of December 26, 2023. According to evidence presented at trial, the conflict began earlier that day when the victim’s sister and Haynes’ girlfriend, Megan Ayanna Coleman, engaged in a physical fight at a tobacco store in Abita Springs, Louisiana. Less than two hours later, the victim was at the Sunny Times gas station in Lacombe when a black Hyundai Elantra, driven by Coleman, pulled into the station. Haynes exited the vehicle armed with an AR-15 style rifle, boldly advanced toward Martin, and fired a single shot into Martin’s torso from behind. Witnesses testified that Haynes declared his intent to kill Martin moments before firing the fatal shot. Haynes then fled on foot with the rifle, before being picked up by Megan Coleman in the same vehicle a short distance away.
Sergeant Hayden Folse with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office (STPSO) led the investigation. Detectives utilized eyewitness identifications and surveillance footage from “Bayou Stuf,” Sunny Times gas station, the Abita Springs tobacco store and a Shell station in Folsom, Louisiana to track the vehicle and defendants. Coleman was arrested on the same night as the homicide in Folsom, Louisiana. Haynes was captured by the United States Marshals Service (USMS) two months later at a trailer belonging to Coleman’s father in Kentwood. Coleman was also arrested at that time for harboring Haynes. Investigations revealed Haynes was a convicted felon at the time of the murder, having been previously convicted of Simple Burglary in 2017.
At trial, multiple eyewitnesses to the homicide testified and positively identified Haynes as the person who killed Juwarren Martin. Coleman’s testimony was also compelled where she positively identified Haynes as the person who exited her car and approached the victim. Coleman also admitted to looking for the victim and his sister immediately after the earlier fight to seek revenge.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Tiffany Dover and Shelby Stoop.
Haynes’ co-defendant, Megan Ayanna Coleman, age 23 and of Covington, is charged with Principal to Second Degree Murder and Obstruction of Justice. She is scheduled to be tried separately in April of this year. Under the law, Coleman is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Sentencing for Haynes is scheduled to take place on January 26, 2026. Under Louisiana law, a conviction for Second Degree Murder carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment at hard labor without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.
No comments:
Post a Comment