Competency hearing will start action in Quentin Watson's double murder trial on Friday

The double murder trial of 29-year-old Quentin Watson of Franklinton will get under way on Monday, Aug. 1 in the 22^nd District Courtroom of Judge William Knight instead of Friday as previously reported.

Quentin Watson

Watson is charged with the shooting deaths of Anita Smith, 46, and her nephew, William Lewis, 32, in Smith’s East Acres Subdivision. Their bodies were discovered on Feb. 6, 2008

On Friday, the court will hold a competency hearing for Watson, who first accepted responsibility for the killings when he was arrested in August 2009, then pled “not guilty” during his arraignment and continued to profess his innocence during a jailhouse interview with the Bogalusa newspaper.

Anita Smith

If Watson is deemed competent to stand trial — meaning he understands the charges against him and can aid in his defense — the trial will get under way on August 1.

It was in that interview that Watson even claimed to have talked with the person he believes to be the real killer and said his confession to police was out of fear for the safety for his family and himself.

Watson said he received a call on his cell phone the day the bodies were discovered and was told that if he said anything, he “would be next.”

Law enforcement discounted Watson’s claims and said he was looking for a way out. They also said the person Watson was referring to was never a suspect in the case and that Watson’s claims are not supported by the evidence collected — which includes his DNA.

Getting to this point was not easy, as law enforcement officers spent 18 months following every lead, then going back and following up again. Despite evidence found at the scene, the pieces of the puzzle never quite seemed to fit together.

But that began to change when Watson was arrested for prescription fraud in November 2008. It what Watson described as the first time he ever got in trouble, he says he bought a forged prescription for Lortab from a former nurse and tried to get it filled in Bogalusa.

It was that arrest, and subsequent collection of his DNA by Pardons and Paroles in March 2009, that led to Watson’s arrest.

A backlog delayed the entry of Watson’s DNA into the state system until July 2009 but it was at that point that investigators got a hit with evidence they had collected at the crime scene.

Police began tracking Watson’s movements before bringing him in for questioning when, Franklinton Police Chief Donald Folse said, “he took full responsibility” for the killings.

Information hard to come by in murder case of 3-year-old foster child Faith Saucier

A 3-year-old child is dead, the person accused of her death has been arrested, charged with second-degree murder and released on a $150,000 property bond and, amazingly, the information trail seems to grow cold at that point.

Faith Saucier

Little Faith Saucier was laid to rest on Good Friday in the T.P. Fornea Cemetery at Varnado after dying April 16, allegedly at the hands of the foster parent appointed to protect and care for her. News of her death was not released by the authorities, but rather by family members seeking to learn what happened.

For 18 days, law enforcement officials looked for 49-year-old Mark Johnson of Hammond — and formerly of the Crossroads, Miss. community — before Jefferson Parish officials arrested him on May 4 in Metairie. He was later transported to Amite, where he was booked and bonded out.

In Tangipahoa Parish, amazingly, it is almost as if nothing ever happened.

Mark Johnson

A search of the online archives of the Hammond Daily Star for “Mark Johnson” and “Faith Saucier” bring up no results. A search of the same website under the phrase “murder” for the period of March 25, 2011 to the present resulted in two hits — one tied to a 2007 case and another to a shooting at the end of May.

A search of the online archives of Tangilena.com, the online edition of the Amite-Tangi Digest in the parish seat of Amite for the same terms brought up one entry — “Mark Johnson, wm, 49, second degree murder” — as part of the Tangipahoa Parish Jail bookings for May 2-9.

The only news stories to appear in Tangipahoa Parish in regards to the murder and subsequent arrest came on May 4 on actionnews17, an online news site operated by veteran newsman Ken Benitez.

Bogalusa attorney Bill Arata is representing Saucier in her attempt to find out what happened to the child she placed in foster care as she battled drug problems, but knows little more than what the coroner’s report says and what has come to him in the form of hearsay.

Arata told WDSU more than two months ago that the Tangipahoa Parish coroner's report he obtained showed the manner of death was homicide.

"Blunt force trauma, sub-scalpular hemorraging about the head along with two perforations of the small intestines," Arata said.

The report also included pictures of apparent bruises on Faith's arms and neck.

"Soon thereafter, I was informed there was a gag order. Nobody's presented me with a copy of this alleged gag order," Arata said.

The alleged gag order is what Tangipahoa Sheriff Daniel Edwards’ office has used as a reason to not release any information. The gag order was supposed to have been released by 21st Judicial District Juvenile Judge Blair Edwards, who is the sheriff’s wife.

No one with the office of Children and Family Services in Tangipahoa Parish would comment and, at the time, Judge Edwards said, "There is truly no need for a gag order in any juvenile case. All juvenile matters are confidential by law to protect and ensure the safety of all children."

In the meantime, the silence surrounding the murder of little Faith Saucier is deafening.

(Portions of the story came from WDSU-6 and www.actionnews17.com)

(This Mark Johnson is not related to Johnny and Henretta Johnson of Gaylord Drive in Bogalusa.)

(Reader news tip story.)

Shooter in attempted murder arrested

Police place attempted murder
suspect Nakai "Head" Butler in
Sgt. Patrick Lyons' cruiser Thursday.
(Photo by John H. Walker)

Members of the Bogalusa Police Department, and State Fugitive Task Force arrested 22-year-old Nakai R. Butler of Kentwood in connection with the attempted murder of a 17-year-old Bogalusa man on Thursday, June 2.

Police executed the warrant at 1303 Military Road, a house long-associated with drug traffic and activity.

In addition, two women and one man — identified as 27-year-old Jennifer Smith of Bogalusa, 43-year-old Mable Mingo of Angie and 45-year-old El Demetrist Jennings of Angie — taken into custody and charged with accessory after the fact to attempted second degree murder (harboring Butler) after they admitted to officers they knew he was wanted.

Mable Mingo

The three were also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and officers at the scene said there was a large amount of drugs in the house.

Approximately two weeks ago, the primary resident of the house was arrested on drug-related charges and was still in jail at the time of Thursday's raid.

Mingo

Ryan Seal, who lives three houses down the street, said he knew of two deaths that had occurred in the house in the 12 years he has lived in the neighborhood.

El Demetrist Jennings

"The ironic thing," Seal said, "is that I was in Chief (Joe) Culpepper's office this morning, telling him we had to do something about this house and the drug traffic. Then, I come home for lunch and here they are ... I thought ‘Man, now that's getting with it!"

Jennings

Culpepper said the assistance of the Fugitive Task Force was requested because Butler, whose nickname is “Head,” has relatives in north Washington Parish area.

Jennifer Smith

Butler has been charged with attempted second-degree murder after shooting a 17-year-old during a fight in the Poplas Quarters area of Bogalusa on June 2. The 17-year-old remains in undisclosed condition at LSU-Bogalusa Medical Center.

Smith

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.com)

(This is a reader news tip story)