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T h u r s d ay, J u n e 26, 2025
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AG wants death penalty cases expedited
Murrill seeks clarity from state Supreme Court BY MATTHEW ALBRIGHT and MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writers
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill is asking the state Supreme Court to review and potentially expedite five death penalty cases, saying they have languished in the court system for too long and that her office needs clarity on conflicting lower court rulings. The defendants in those cases,
all of whom have been convicted of murder, are: n Larry Roy in Rapides Parish. Roy, known as the “Cheneyville slasher,” was convicted of a double murder in a knife attack in 1994. Some of his victims are still alive. n Antoinette Frank in Orleans Parish. Frank, a former New Orleans police officer, was convicted in 1995 in a triple murder at the Kim Ahn Noodle House in New Orleans East.
n Robert Miller in East Baton Rouge Parish. Miller was convicted in the 1997 murder, rape and armed robbery of his landlord at her home. n Marcus Reed in Caddo Parish. Reed was convicted of killing three brothers in 2010 after a burglary at his home. n David Bowie in East Baton Rouge Parish. Bowie was convicted in the murder of his friend in Scotlandville in 1996 after a night
of gambling. All five cases are in the postconviction relief stage. The defendants have been found guilty, but are challenging the constitutionality of their verdicts or sentences. “In these five cases — and many others — the of- Murrill fenders failed to move their cases for many years and sometimes decades,” Murrill wrote in a news release Wednes-
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day. “Meanwhile, victims’ family members are left with the fear that the conviction might be vacated and the pain and trauma of waiting for finality for decades.” Cecelia Kappel, an attorney for death row inmates, slammed Murrill’s news release and accused her office of attempting to stop defendants from having their claims heard. “Courts around the state have rejected the attorney general’s arguments, and their news release is
ä See EXPEDITED, page 4A
Lafayette finalist in Bloomberg challenge City could get $1M for sewage system project BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer
STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK
Lafayette Fire Department Capt. Coby Bailey will compete against home chefs from across the U.S. on Season 4 of ‘Great American Recipe,’ airing on PBS in July.
Lafayette fire captain takes Cajun cooking from Station 9 to national TV BY JOANNA BROWN
to keep those skills to yourself. Bailey grew up in Lafayette and said he first started cooking for groups while Sharing meals at the station is a tra- on mess duty in the Navy. Cooking condition for firefighters. These first re- tinued to play a role in his career as a sponders spend long hours together in young fireman — going to the store with between rushing to emergencies, and in his crew, chopping up ingredients, prepLouisiana, great food plays an important ping sides and learning from his captain role in cementing the bond among team- and colleagues about crowd-pleasing meals. More than 27 years later, Bailey mates. According to Capt. Coby Bailey, of La- is now getting ready to retire from his fayette Fire Station 9, it’s typical for the firefighting career — and step into a new station captain to take charge of prepar- role as a TV chef, Cajun seasoning entreing group meals. It’s about showing ap- preneur and Louisiana food personality. America can watch Bailey show off preciation for the team, creating opportunities to play and work together, and his Cajun chef skills in the Season 4 premaybe showing off a few skills. After all, miere of “Great American Recipe,” airwhen you learned how to cook from your ing July 11 on PBS. The show pits home Cajun mother and grandmother, it’s hard chefs from around the country against Staff writer
each other in a competition that highlights the variety of American cuisines. About five years ago, Bailey created a YouTube channel and posted his first Cajun cooking video. He had no way of knowing where the endeavor would lead, but to his surprise, the videos started attracting attention immediately. “This whole thing started as a joke,” he said. “I had a young fireman who asked me to subscribe to his channel, and I was like, ‘What does that mean?’ “He said, ‘Me and my girlfriend film our daily life, and people watch that.’ I was like no, I work with you 12 days a month, I don’t want to know what you’re doing on your day off.”
ä See CAPTAIN, page 4A
Lafayette has a chance to win $1 million for a project designed to help increase the city’s sewage system capacity. The city’s proposal is one of 50 finalists for Bloomberg Philanthropies’ 2025 Mayors Challenge, which aims to spur government innovation for projects that bolster essential city services and improve residents’ lives. Lafayette’s proposed project is to streamline sewage pipe repairs on private properties by creating a public-private partnership to manage and repair leaks at no cost to owners and increase sewage system capacity, according to the Mayors Challenge website. “Out of 630 ideas submitted, Lafayette’s idea stood out for its originality, potential for impact and credible vision for delivery,” a Bloomberg spokesperson said in a news release. “Lafayette’s bold idea addresses outdated and overburdened sewage infrastructure by creating a publicprivate partnership to manage and repair leaks on private properties at no cost to owners.” Other ideas from the 50 finalists include increasing public transit ridership, lowering household energy costs, strengthening sanitation and improving youth safety. Lafayette will receive $50,000 to prototype the idea and participate in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Ideas Camp in July to test the concept with feedback from experts and peers. In January, 25 city halls will be awarded $1 million and operational assistance to bring their ideas to life, according to a news release. “Local government is where people
ä See FINALIST, page 4A
Trump says U.S. and Iranian officials will talk next week BY JON GAMBRELL, DAVID RISING and FARNOUSH AMIRI
Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Israel and Iran seemed to honor the fragile ceasefire between them for a second day Wednesday, and U.S. President Donald Trump said that American and Iranian officials will talk next week, giving rise to cautious hope for longer-term peace. Trump, who helped negotiate the
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ceasefire that took hold Tuesday on the 12th day of the war, told reporters at a NATO summit that he was not particularly interested in restarting negotiations with Iran, insisting that U.S. strikes had destroyed its nuclear program. Earlier in the day, an Iranian official questioned whether the United States could be trusted after its weekend attack. “We may sign an agreement; I don’t know,” Trump said. “The way
I look at it, they fought, the war is done.” Iran has not acknowledged any talks taking place next week, though U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff has said there have been direct and indirect communications between the countries. A sixth round of U.S.-Iran negotiations was scheduled for earlier this month in Oman but was can-
ä See TRUMP, page 4A
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Workers clear the rubble of a damaged building in Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday after an Israeli strike on Tuesday. ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By VAHID SALEMI
100TH yEAR, NO. 361