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NEW ORLEANS -- The suspect in the murder of a man shot outside the former Friar Tucks bar in January 2011 has been convicted of second-degree murder.
William Baham, 26, faces a mandatory life sentence for the murder of 19-year-old Errol Meeks.
Meeks was shot and killed outside the troubled Friar Tuck's bar in January 2011, causing the owner to voluntarily shut his business down immediately after the violence.
“I’m definitely relieved,” Meeks’ mother, Latisa Lewis, told The Uptown Messenger. “I know it won’t bring my son back, but it’s comforting to know [Baham] won’t take anybody else’s child.”
Jurors deliberated for two hours before making their decision. They were shown video footage of the shooting from outside the bar and along Freret Street in the three-day trial.
District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro called it a "brutal" and "senseless" crime.
“Trial testimony revealed that Errol Meeks was an extremely peaceful young man who was ruthlessly executed for nothing more than being a Good Samaritan," Cannizzaro said. "I want to thank his family for sticking with the DA’s office during this trial. While we can never cure the pain that they were forced to endure, I hope they find some small measure of solace in this verdict.”
The bar has since been turned into a restaurant in the now revitalized Freret corridor.
Friar Tucks had been cited over the years for serving underage drinkers.
