BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – A teen along with his mother and grandmother were arrested in connection with the death of a man found on the Old Mississippi River Bridge on Thursday, Feb. 13.
Gerard Nicholas Richard, 41, was initially found dead in the middle of the bridge around 7 p.m. on Thursday evening. The westbound lanes were shut down as detectives investigated.
Deputies say Richard was found with a substantial amount of trauma to his body. According to officials, he appeared to have been hit by multiple vehicles at some point while on the bridge. His wrist were also tied with rope and tape. Through an autopsy, Richard’s death was ruled a homicide.
According to authorities, the victim’s girlfriend, Coshelia Conley, 36, was arrested on accessory after the fact to second-degree murder and obstruction of justice.
Police later arrested Coshelia’s son, Da’Sean Conley, 17, on charges of second-degree murder and obstruction of justice, as well as her mother, Cathy Conley, 55, on principle to second degree murder and obstruction of justice.
Through the investigation, deputies learned that Da’Sean had an ongoing dispute with Richard and expressed to his mother his displeasure that she continued the relationship anyway. Officials say on the day of the murder, Da’Sean physically assaulted the victim multiple times before exiting the apartment with Richard, getting into Coshelia’s vehicle and shooting him.
Coshelia’s mother, Cathy, initially said she was asleep into the apartment at the time of the incident, but was later seen in images discarding large garbage bags from within the apartment after the homicide. Deputies say they found other evidence that she actively participated in destroying evidence.
A blanket and weighted kettlebell were recovered on the bridge with blood smears on the railing. Officials say this suggests that the suspects attempted to throw Richard’s remains from the bridge.
A witness says they saw two vehicles stopped on the bridge that allegedly sped away once the witness approached them. Richard was found where the vehicles were stopped, officials say.
According to authorities, Coshelia initially stated she had last seen the victim alive hours before his body was found. She alleged he was driving her vehicle. Police later discovered the same vehicle she described was found traveling northbound on Plank Road an hour and a half after Richard’s remains were found. When the vehicle was found later, it was burned ‘beyond recognition’ in a fire that was determined to be intentionally set.
A second vehicle was also seen following behind Coshelia’s vehicle while it was traveling along Plank Road. When she arrived to meet with homicide detectives as part of the investigation, she was driving this vehicle, according to deputies.
During a search of the Baker residence, deputies also found a trail of blood from the parking lot to her apartment. A large area of blood droplets that had been attempted to be cleaned up was also discovered. Blood was also found in other areas of the apartment and in Coshelia’s truck.
After her arrest, Coshelia denied any knowledge of Richard’s death, but later changed her story regarding here whereabouts and had knowledge that one of the previously mentioned vehicles had been burned prior to speaking to detectives, officials say.
The suspects were booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.
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