Fellow New Orleanians, 

When I ran for District Attorney, my goal was never to make friends, but it was to do everything within the power and responsibility of the office to make New Orleans a safer city. And since January 11, 2021, that has been my absolute top priority.

As I am sure you heard, this week, under my direction, my office secured Grand Jury indictment decisions against Que’dyn Growe and Demond Thomas for second degree murder and armed robbery. These juveniles were arrested for the murder of Mrs. Anita Irvin-LeViege and a subsequent armed robbery in New Orleans East. If convicted in Criminal District Court, Mr. Growe and Mr. Thomas could face life imprisonment for these crimes. However, according to federal law, they would be eligible for parole after 25 years in prison.

Link to WWL Morning Show Interview: https://fb.watch/5KxF1rrjUf/ 

According to the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) reports, Mrs. Irvin-LeViege and her dog, Chloe, were killed on January 3, 2021 during a failed attempt to steal the car she was driving. Additional NOPD reports also detail an armed robbery that happened less than an hour later near the site of Mrs. Irvin-LeViege’s murder. 

I ask that you keep the family and friends of Mrs. Irvin-LeViege, and anyone who has lost a relative to senseless gun violence, in your thoughts and prayers. This is an extremely tough time for them. 

I obviously take no pleasure in prosecuting a person this young in adult court, but I am sworn to seek justice; this is what justice looks like. These young men know it and their parents know it. Multiple rounds of high-powered ammunition were fired, killing a woman simply on the way to help take care of her aging parents. 

While I completely believe in handling juvenile matters in the juvenile system to ensure developmentally appropriate adjudication of young people, the juvenile sentencing limits would be inadequate to ensure that these young people are appropriately held accountable for taking a life. Any other action would send the wrong message to our youth. Furthermore, it would send the wrong message to parents and any adults who recruit, support, cover up or fail to report unlawful acts by young people. Other cities have seen the unintended creation of a cottage industry of young killers: juveniles being coerced into committing violent crime by adults because they are convinced that young people will get shorter sentences. I will not allow that to occur in this city.

It shakes me to my core to speak with the saddened loved ones of those who have lost their lives to senseless violence, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that we hold people responsible in ways that are fair and just. All other types of juvenile offenses will continue to be handled in juvenile court. However, my administration understands that the decision to take a life requires greater accountability, and we will ensure that justice is delivered.

I am asking for your help. If we are going to dramatically decrease juvenile violence in our city, it will require ALL OF US. There must also be work being done at the community level with neighbors, elders, educators and community leaders to invest time, resources and support in our kids to prevent crimes because once 911 is called and the police, DA and courts get involved, everything changes. This is why we are looking forward to hosting the DA’s Youth Violence Prevention and Accountability Summit in the coming weeks. This convening will bring together young people, educators, advocates, social workers, criminal legal system stakeholders, and parents for a solutions-focused summit aimed at stemming youth violence in New Orleans and increasing opportunity.

Together, we can turn the tide of violence, but it must start with all of us being honest and working together to prevent crime.

Thank you,

Orleans Parish District Attorney