The murder of a French Quarter salon owner shocked the community last year, and now, New Orleans Police have arrested Mark Ott in connection with the brutal killing.

Investigators said they believed Robin Malta's murder was ordered by an alleged drug dealer to settle a debt, but Malta’s sister said she still doesn’t think that’s the whole story.

WWL-TV

Robin Malta owned and operated a hair salon in the French Quarter with his sister.

Last June, friends and family members gathered outside Malta’s Decatur Street hair salon, Salon de Malta, to pay their respects to the stylist.

The community held a vigil and marched to express their outrage about a string of high-profile murders in New Orleans.

Monica Malta found her brother, Robin, murdered inside his Port Street home on June 12, 2007.

"My brother and I used to talk 20 to 30 times a day. I mean, we were in business together. I don't have that anymore. The only lasting memory that I have is something so painful that it's unimaginable," said Monica Malta.

Shortly after Malta was beaten to death, New Orleans Police named a person of interest in the case.

He is a man who stayed with Malta shortly before he was killed, and police later released him.

Then, last November, police announced plans to arrest 27-year-old Laura Michelle Lapaz, who uses the nickname "Seven", on first degree murder charges for ordering a hit on Malta because of an alleged drug debt.    

Court records show that she's in federal custody, charged with nine other people as part of a methamphetamine drug distribution ring.

Monica Malta said she believes the drug debt wasn't her brother's but someone her brother had helped.

Wednesday, a police spokeswoman would only say that the motive for the killing was “narcotics.”

"The brutality of what occurred was beyond a hit. It was someone, some people completely out of their minds who thrived on some kind of demonic pleasure," Malta said.

Wednesday, police also arrested Mark Ott on first degree murder charges.

The arrest warrant shows his blood was found at the scene, but police won't release any information on how he was developed as a suspect.

And according to a police spokeswoman, detectives aren't looking for any other suspects.

"There's more to come, and this is soley from my heart and based from what I saw at the crime scene," Malta said.

She also said it's been a struggle just to get to this point in the investigation.

"I have filed a complaint against the initial detective with the (NOPD Public Integrity Bureau)," Malta said.

She said another homicide detective took over the case last year, and Monica credits that detective with the latest break in the case.

Despite the struggle this past year, Monica said she’s still hopeful that she'll someday know the whole truth about what happened to her brother, a man who’s still missed, still loved inside his salon and beyond.

"That's the kind of person he was. He loved life and he saw the good in everyone," Malta said.