Shreveport, LA – Deangelo Whitaker, one of three men charged in the shooting death of Emmanuel King in May 2021, was found guilty of second-degree murder in Caddo District Court, Thursday, February 29, 2024. His co-defendants Anderito Smith, Jr. and Zykeyland Johnson both pled guilty on February 26, 2024, days before the trial began.
The seven-man, five-woman jury deliberated about an hour before returning a unanimous guilty-as-charged verdict.
On May 2, 2021, King attended a party at Lake Villa Apartments in the 3700 Richmond Avenue. Before King arrived at the party, Whitaker and Smith arrived at the apartment with Johnson arriving shortly after.
Witnesses inside the apartment said they saw Whitaker and Smith with AR-15 rifles with shell catchers attached to them, and Johnson with handguns. When King walked up to the apartment where the party was ongoing, Whitaker, Smith, and Johnson armed with guns, exited the backdoor of the apartment.
A short time later, multiple shots were fired outside of the apartment. Those inside fled upstairs for cover, while King entered and closed the front door, taking cover. When the shooting stopped, all three, Whitaker, Smith, and Johnson re-entered the apartment through the backdoor, confronting King, shooting him multiple times.
King died from his wounds and later was found inside the apartment, after one of the witnesses called 911. Whitaker, Smith, and Johnson fled the apartment and were arrested after detectives obtained witness statements.
Caddo District Court Judge Ramona Emmanuel will sentence Whitaker on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. Smith faces mandatory life imprisonment at hard labor without the benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.
Whitaker’s co-defendants Smith and Johnson both pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Smith was sentenced to 40 years at hard labor. Johnson was sentenced to 20 years at hard labor.
Whitaker was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Kodie K. Smith and Bill Edwards. He was defended by Katherine Ferguson and Royal Alexander.
The case docket No. 398588
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