A mother stands accused in the death of her toddler while two men, one young and one a senior citizen, stand accused of multiple sex crimes against juveniles, in separate true bills returned Thursday, August 18, 2016, by the Caddo Parish Grand Jury.
A charge of manslaughter was returned against Brandy Lynn Shackelford, 32, of Shreveport, arrested in late May following the May 27 death of Richard Malott, her 2-year-old son. Malott and a 7-year-old child were removed the previous day from their home in the 6200 block of Buncombe Road after police responded to  reports the children had suffered bruises to multiple areas of their bodies.
Also indicted were James Dickens, 81, and Clifford Meshell Jr., 23, both of Shreveport. Both indictments were placed under seal due to the ages of the victims.
Dickens is charged with two counts of aggravated and/or first-degree rape of a person under the age of 13, indecent behavior with Juveniles under age 13 and sexual battery. He was released August 3, 2016, after posting a $75,000 bond but due to the indictment being filed, that bond has been revoked.
Clifford Albert Meshell, Jr., 23, of Shreveport, charged with two counts of first-degree rape of a person under the age of 13, five counts of indecent behavior with juveniles under the age of 13 and sexual battery of a victim under the age of 13. Meshell’s bond, originally $100,000, has been increased to $1 million.
Shackelford and Meshell are in custody and now are incarcerated at Caddo Correctional Center. Dickens, however, is being sought. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts should call authorities, specifically the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s office. People with information regarding the crimes for which Dickens and Meshell have been charged, or have knowledge of any other victims, should call the Caddo Sheriff’s office or, in Meshell’s case, the Shreveport Police Department.