NEW ORLEANS — Skye Guillory is having a very hard time. Her sister, Anastasia Rei Rayborn was killed when a car, allegedly with the father of her 2-year-old child behind the wheel, slammed into her and pushed her into a building near the intersection of St. Roch and Marais Streets.
“I never really liked him,” said Guillory via Zoom. “Makes me feel guilty because I didn’t try hard enough, even though I know I did.”
The recently turned 21-year-old Rayborn died on the scene. The father of her child, 31-year-old Anthony “Tony” Cooper was arrested on second-degree murder counts.
At least one witness says video of the scene shows the two arguing and then the woman getting or being forced out of the car, which then slammed into her.
“He (Cooper) got her a car that he never let her drive and ultimately he killed her with it,” said Guillory.
Guillory said that Rayborn and Cooper had been “couch surfing” recently.
Guillory said the relationship between the two was troubled from the start, which was when, by current age, Rayborn was 17 and Cooper 27.
They lost a child together and had one in August 2022.
Guillory described the odds being against Rayborn, but that she was so much more than a challenged young woman.
“She was very, very kind,” said Guillory. “She’s so beautiful. I can’t understand how you can look at that beautiful angel-of-a-being’s face and hurt her.”
Guillory showed several pictures of she and her sister from when they were young. She said that she’s constantly been concerned about the relationship between Cooper and Rayborn and that it ended in the worst possible way.
“I gave her a safe word," said Guillory. "I got her out of that situation more than once. I’m livid. That’s how I feel.”
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