New Orleans Parolee Who Shot Judge's Niece 19 Times Sentenced to Life Without Parole
A parolee in New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on Nov. 6 to life in prison without parole for fatally shooting the niece of a local judge.
Kelvin Atkins, 39, was convicted by a jury in September of second-degree murder. Judge Calvin Johnson imposed the sentence on Nov. 6, saying Atkins will spend the rest of his natural life in prison.
On July 3, 2023, Atkins fired 19 shots from a Glock pistol at his former girlfriend, Johnshane “Nay” Powell, 33, on a New Orleans street, killing her. Powell, a mother of two, was the niece of New Orleans Criminal District Court Judge Kimya Holmes, who testified during the weeklong retrial.
Prosecutors said Atkins had been arrested on domestic-abuse charges two days before the killing. Atkins, who had a prior felony record, was on parole at the time. Under Louisiana law, second-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life without parole.
Source: Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：新奥尔良密西西比河景。CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Mississippi River at New Orleans. CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
