A Jefferson Parish grand jury on Thursday handed up an indictment charging five defendants with the murder of a Terrytown National Guard member who authorities say fought back when the men tried to rob him.
Gerald Little, 18, accused of pulling the trigger, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Jemond Cador, 21.
Indicted with second-degree murder were Myron Lee, 20, the hold-up’s alleged mastermind and one of Cador’s fellow Guard members; Isaiah White, 20, Kewane Edwards, 22, and Matthew Smith, 20, court records said.
All five defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery. Lee was additionally charged with obstruction of justice, accused of disposing of evidence, court records said.
Only Lee knew Cador, who lived in an apartment in the 200 block of Wright Avenue, according to authorities. It was Lee who suggested Cador as a robbery target, convincing his co-conspirators that Cador would be an easy mark who only played video games and wouldn’t fight back, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The other suspects were recruited to help with the hold-up, which occurred on Dec. 6. The men traveled from Baton Rouge to Cador’s apartment in a black GMC Yukon registered to Lee’s parents, according to authorities.
Four of the men, including Little and Lee, went to Cador’s door, some armed. In a confession to investigators, Lee said he and Cador began scuffling after they kicked in the door, according to authorities.
“The victim started winning the fight, at which time, Gerald Little shot and killed the victim,” Sheriff’s Office Detective Steven Quaintance.
State Police pulled over the SUV for speeding not long after the homicide on Interstate 10 just outside of Kenner, according to authorities. Because neither the vehicle nor the weapons inside had been reported stolen, the defendants were allowed to leave with a traffic citation.
But the stop provided the information that led Sheriff’s Office investigators to the suspects, many of whom confessed to their roles in the robbery, authorities said.
The indictment did not disclose why only Little faces the more serious charge of first-degree murder, which is punishable by death if the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office elects pursue capital punishment.
But during an earlier bond hearing in the case, attorneys for Lee, White, Edwards and Smith noted that their clients had not intended for anyone to be harmed or killed during the robbery and had been angry with Little for opening fire.
After the indictment Thursday, the court set bond for Lee at $950,000. Bond for the other defendants was set at $850,000.
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