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The Investigative Unit
Yesterday
Hammond police seize phones from teen over TikTok video, raising civil rights concerns
Posted 7:12 PM 4/2/2026 by Bess Casserleigh
HAMMOND — Police seized a teenager's phones after people reported concerns about a TikTok video showing him dancing to a rap song with lyrics about a shooting.
The video shows 19-year-old Amari Sexton dancing to music with lyrics about a shooting. A caption on the video reads "Y'all (More)
4/1/2026
Ricky Foster, subject of documentary, arrested for rape in Livingston Parish
Posted 7:14 PM 4/1/2026 by Sarah Gray Barr & Logan Cullop
LIVINGSTON — A Livingston Parish man who was the subject of a documentary called "The Devil Wears Dunks" has been arrested for rape.
Last week, the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office received allegations of sexual abuse involving Ricky Foster. The documentary, which has (More)
3/31/2026
Trooper previously not prosecuted on domestic violence charge arrested for second time by AG's office
Posted 10:32 AM 4/1/2026 by Logan Cullop & Bess Casserleigh
BATON ROUGE - A Louisiana State Police trooper who allegedly covered up evidence and coerced a domestic violence victim to repeatedly lie to law enforcement investigating him was arrested Tuesday.
Trooper James Jefferson III, 41, was taken into custody by the attorney general's (More)
3/30/2026
Convicted felon allegedly stabbed, strangled girlfriend seven months after he was released on parole
Posted 6:11 PM 3/30/2026 by Bess Casserleigh
BATON ROUGE — A man with a three-decade-long criminal career and multiple felony convictions was arrested over the weekend for allegedly stabbing, strangling and kidnapping his girlfriend.
Raymond Brumfield, 48, was on parole before this weekend. Now he stands accused of sexually (More)
3/27/2026
WBRZ Investigative Unit: Gun thief says you can do what you want 'as long as you don't leave fingerprints'
Posted 9:40 AM 3/30/2026 by Stephen Stock, Joe McCoy and Joshua Lennix
BATON ROUGE — A man who served time for theft and selling drugs says the "art" of stealing guns from unsuspecting firearms owners offered "quick money" and was "like taking candy from a baby."
After a yearlong probe examining the problem of stolen weapons, the WBRZ Investigative Unit (More)
3/26/2026
WBRZ Investigative Unit: Hundreds of guns stolen from capital area cars and homes
Posted 9:39 AM 3/30/2026 by Stephen Stock, Joe McCoy and Joshua Lennix
BATON ROUGE — In a year-long probe of firearms data and other public records, WBRZ’s Investigative Unit has found that 1,642 different guns were stolen from private gun owners in the greater Baton Rouge area during the last two years.
The data, compiled for the first time into (More)
3/24/2026
Bill calls for transparency from DOC after 18 'unexpected deaths' at EHCC in 2025
Posted 6:24 PM 3/24/2026 by Bess Casserleigh
BATON ROUGE — A state lawmaker aims to compel the Department of Corrections and other prison facilities to be more transparent about inmate deaths.
It comes amid last year's 18 'unexpected deaths' at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center. De'Troit Draper, 30, was one of them.
(More)...3/19/2026
Former Pointe Coupee deputy working at Angola dies at 27 after car crash on prison grounds
Posted 6:16 PM 3/19/2026 by Domenic Purdy
NEW ROADS — A former Pointe Coupee Parish deputy who was working at the Louisiana State Penitentiary died in a car crash on Angola grounds on Wednesday.
Tyler Grezaffi, 27, was involved in a car crash where her vehicle went off the roadway and into a ditch full of water at Angola (More)
3/16/2026
WBRZ Investigative Unit: West Feliciana Parish Pres. Kenny Havard violated ethics rules, opinion says
Posted 6:23 PM 3/16/2026 by Bess Casserleigh & Logan Cullop
ST. FRANCISVILLE - The Louisiana Board of Ethics published an opinion, saying West Feliciana Parish President Kenny Havard violated ethics codes in his dealings with his business — The Oyster Bar.
The WBRZ Investigative Unit has covered the alleged violations (More)
3/12/2026
WBRZ Investigative Unit: Man accused of raping 94-year-old accused of another sexual assault
Posted 12:27 PM 3/12/2026 by WBRZ Staff
BATON ROUGE — A man arrested last week for allegedly raping a 94-year-old woman is now being accused of another sexual assault of a separate victim that allegedly took (More)
3/10/2026
Former Elayn Hunt employee alleges retaliation after reporting major's relationship with inmate
Posted 6:52 PM 3/10/2026 by Bess Casserleigh
ST. GABRIEL — A former Elayn Hunt employee says when she tried to report a higher-up's sexual relationship with an inmate, she was retaliated against and even physically attacked.
(More)...
3/9/2026
WBRZ Investigative Unit: Another inmate dead at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center, DOC says
Posted 10:37 AM 3/12/2026 by WBRZ Staff
ST. GABRIEL — An inmate at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center died on Friday, according to officials from the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections.
The inmate was identified as 42-year-old David Closson. The cause of death is undetermined at this time, and an (More)
3/4/2026
WBRZ Investigative Unit: Elayn Hunt lieutenant arrested, allegedly didn't report inmate's cell phone
Posted 11:38 AM 3/5/2026 by Logan Cullop & Bess Casserleigh
ST. GABRIEL - An Elayn Hunt lieutenant has been accused of not reporting that an inmate had a cell phone inside the facility, according to WBRZ sources.
Paula LeBlanc, 40, was booked into the Iberville Parish Jail for malfeasance in office on Wednesday.
Sources told WBRZ that (More)
3/5/2026
WBRZ Investigative Unit: Former Elayn Hunt major arrested for malfeasance, allegedly had inmate's children
Posted 5:39 PM 3/5/2026 by Bess Casserleigh & Logan Cullop
ST. GABRIEL - A former high-ranking corrections officer at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center was arrested for allegedly having sex with an inmate and giving birth to twins.
Major Francis Smith turned herself in to the Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office on Thursday.
She allegedly gave (More)
