LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – An Alexandria man was found guilty Friday of a double murder in Lafayette, but the verdict came over six years after the crime took place. Travis Jenkins was arrested a week after December 27, 2015, when he allegedly shot toward three people, killing two, and he’s been in the court system ever since.
Jenkins was accused of opening fire in his ex-girlfriend’s Congress Street apartment. The shooting resulted in the deaths of 17-year-old Antonio Means and 23-year-Linton Batiste. According to police and witnesses, Means and Batiste were in the apartment when Jenkins entered without permission. While they tried to escort Jenkins out, he reportedly pulled out a gun and began shooting.
Jenkins was arrested 8 days later and indicted in April for two counts of second-degree murder and one count of attempted second-degree murder, but almost six years later on February 11, 2022, the only charges a 12-person grand jury could unanimously agree on beyond a reasonable doubt was negligent homicide for the death of Antonio Means. The jury deliberated for three hours after the final arguments.
“I can’t say this is the verdict they (the victims’ families) wanted. I know that certainly, but I hope they see that we got in there, new to the case, and we did everything we could,” expressed prosecutor and assistant district attorney Alisa Gothreaux. “A lot of hinged on how they (the jury) felt about the one person that walked out, other than the defendant of course, and she testified, and they had to evaluate all the circumstances that were involved and come to a unanimous decision, and it was a tough case.”
Jenkins facing a max sentence of five years hard labor for his one negligent homicide conviction. His six years in jail awaiting a trial can go toward fulfilling his five-year sentence according to 15th Judicial District Attorney Don Landry.
“We certainly want the gun violence to stop. We want the murders to stop, and we did our very best. The prosecutors did an excellent, excellent job. Witnesses were good, testified, and we respect the verdict. The jury reached a verdict, and we certainly respect what they did,” Landry concluded.
