NEW ORLEANS — A photo of a smiling Linda Frickey sits along N. Pierce Street in Mid-City, part of a memorial to the woman who died here just more than a month ago.
“She was a beautiful soul,” said Frickey’s sister Jinny Lynn Griffin.
Thursday, family members got the news the four teenagers accused of killing the 73-year-old grandmother are charged as adults with second-degree murder.
“I’m ecstatic. This is what we wanted,” said Griffin.
The grand jury indictment means 17-year-old John Honore, 15-year-old Lenyra Theophile, 15-year-old Mar’Qel Curtis, and 16-year-old Briniyah Baker face life in prison as opposed to the four to five years they would have faced as juveniles.
“There are some lines you don’t cross in a civilized society,” said District Attorney Jason Williams. “Today’s indictment is fair, and it ensures that these young people are held appropriately accountable.”
Williams says that line was crossed when those four teens intentionally preyed on Frickey when they carjacked her on March 21. She was forced out of her SUV but got tangled up in the seatbelt.
“All of the individuals got inside of the vehicle which was the weapon in this case and dragged her despite her cries for help,” said Williams.
After being dragged for just more than a block, Frickey’s arm was severed from her body. Neighbors who saw it happened rushed to help, but Frickey died on the scene. Griffin says life without Linda is tough, especially for Linda’s husband.
“He himself has watched the video and hears the screams and he just wishes he was there to help her and everybody does,” said Griffin.
Griffin says knowing the teens will be prosecuted as adults, means potential justice for her sister.
“What sentence is enough, it’s really unknown, but as adults, they’ll get a harsher sentence and what’s what we’re after, the second-degree murder,” said Griffin.
That sense of justice will never replace the loss family and friends will forever deal with.
“She was just a special person. She loved people. She was never a stranger to nobody,” said friend Robert Gaudin.
“She just was an angel. That’s the way to put it, an angel,” said friend Antoinette.
All four teens are being held on a million bond. Since this crime happened on a Monday, in the middle of the day, Williams says those teenagers should have been in school but weren’t.
“Had they been in school this crime wouldn’t have happened and Ms. Frickey would be alive,” said Williams. “We much do more to help our public schools and the NOPD and the courts to help enforce truancy laws so that our kids are in school and not out in our streets.”
Williams says he plans on working with the new school superintendent to begin enforcing those laws.