District Attorney Collin Sims reports that on December 3, 2025, a St. Tammany Parish jury unanimously found Antoine Massey guilty of Second Degree Rape, Second Degree Kidnapping, Domestic Abuse of a Dating Partner by Strangulation, and Second Offense Violation of a Protective Order. The first three charges stemmed from a violent, prolonged attack on Massey’s former girlfriend.
According to evidence presented at trial, in the early morning hours of November 10, 2024, Massey went through the victim’s purse and discovered paperwork from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office related to a domestic violence report she had made on October 30, 2024. Upon finding the paperwork, Massey beat, strangled, and threatened to kill her. He then confiscated her keys and phone, forced her into her car, and drove her to Orleans Parish, where the abuse continued.
Later that morning, Massey returned the victim to her Slidell apartment, where he again strangled her and then raped her. Following the assault, he forced her back into her car and drove her again to Orleans Parish. The abuse continued until the victim managed to escape and flag down a stranger, who helped her contact the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD).
NOPD responded immediately, conducted a roadside interview, and arranged for the victim to be transported by ambulance to the hospital. There, she received emergency medical treatment and provided detailed statements to both NOPD and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office describing the assaults, rape, and kidnapping.
Approximately two months later, the victim participated in a formal interview with STPSO detectives. During that interview, she asked to drop the kidnapping charge, but also reaffirmed that she did not want to go with Massey to New Orleans after the abuse.
Lead Detective Katie Ragan of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted an extensive and meticulous investigation. The victim had described the locations Massey took her during the kidnapping and the routes he drove. Detective Ragan obtained numerous photographs and videos from license plate reader cameras and real-time crime cameras in both Slidell and New Orleans, all of which corroborated the victim’s account. She also secured Ring doorbell footage from the victim’s apartment showing the victim and Massey arriving and leaving together multiple times. In the final clip of the two entering the apartment, the victim’s shirt was bloodstained, and she had a visible black eye. Additionally, photographs taken by STPSO on the day of the crimes documented injuries entirely consistent with her statements.
At trial, the victim made clear that she did not wish to be present. During her testimony, prosecutors observed her using her phone. After raising the issue with the Court, it was discovered that a woman in the courtroom, who had been advocating for Massey through filings, was actively communicating with the victim while she testified. The Court confiscated the phones and instructed the defendant’s advocate to cease communication with the victim while she was testifying.
The jury also heard recordings of Massey’s jail calls to the victim. In one call, referring to the October 30th incident, Massey told her, “Remember that paper that I f*cked you up behind?” In another, referencing the rape, he stated, “You were my girl, I can f*ck you anytime I want.” Additional calls revealed Massey coaching the victim to fabricate an explanation for her injuries. These calls formed the basis of the second offense violation of a protective order charge, as Massey had been under a protective order issued in Orleans Criminal District Court since March 2025 and continued contacting the victim from jail as late as November 2025.
District Attorney Collin Sims stated: “This conviction reflects the difficult and often unseen reality of domestic abuse. Victims frequently recant out of fear, coercion, or emotional entanglement with their abusers, not because their initial disclosures were untrue. Here, the detective’s independent corroboration of the victim’s early statements allowed the jury to see past the dynamics of abuse and provide the justice she was unable to seek alone.”
DA Sims emphasized that this outcome was the product of exceptional interagency collaboration and praised the investigative efforts of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, particularly Lead Detective Katie Ragan, as well as the New Orleans Police Department and the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office. Additional thanks are extended to the U.S. Marshals Service, whose diligence led to Massey’s apprehension following his escape from the Orleans Parish Jail. Assistant District Attorneys Zachary Popovich and Elizabeth Authement prosecuted the case.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 12, 2026.
