NEW ORLEANS — Three New Orleans teens were indicted for murder in a Gentilly carjacking that killed a local pastor’s wife.
An Orleans Parish grand jury charged 18-year-old Edwin Cottrell, 17-year-old Johntrell Robinson and 15-year-old Boavanti Robinson for the second-degree murder of Jeannot Plessy. They were also charged with the attempted second-degree murder of a 33-year-old man also injured at the scene.
The fatal carjacking occurred on Nov. 27, 2018 in the 2400 block of Prentiss Avenue around 8:25 p.m.
According to NOPD, 49-year-old Plessy arrived at her daughter’s home to pick up two of her preteen grandchildren. Plessy was yanked out of her vehicle and thrown to the ground. One of the three teens climbed into the driver’s seat of her vehicle. When Plessy’s son-in-law heard screams, he tried to intervene. The carjacker then accelerated the vehicle in reverse, striking both Plessy and her son-in-law. Plessy was fatally wounded.
According to NOPD, 17-year-old Robinson admitted to stealing Plessy’s car and backing over her while his younger brother, Boavanti, used a stolen minivan to bring him to the scene and later help him discard Plessy’s car in New Orleans East.
Both Robinson brothers each face six additional charges: obstruction of justice in a homicide investigation, obstruction of justice in an attempted-murder investigation, conspiracy to obstruct justice in a homicide investigation, simple robbery, conspiracy to obstruct justice in a homicide investigation, simple robbery, conspiracy to commit simple robbery and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
Cottrell, who was 18 at the time of the offense, faces a mandatory lifetime prison sentence if convicted of Plessy’s murder. The Robinson brothers each face a mandatory life sentence, if convicted, but with the possibility of parole eligibility after 25 years.