Louding defense: Tapes inadmissible
The jury that tries Michael “Marlo Mike” Louding in the 2009 shooting death of Terry Boyd should not be allowed to hear Louding’s full confession to police in which he also allegedly admits his involvement in several other killings in Baton Rouge, his attorney contends.
“The State’s motion is nothing more than a backdoor attempt to introduce inadmissible character evidence to prove Louding committed the murder of Terry Boyd,” defense attorney Margaret Lagattuta claims in court papers filed late Monday opposing the state’s notice of intent to introduce so-called “other crimes” evidence at Louding’s trial in the Boyd slaying.
“Other than Louding’s alleged confession, there is no other proof that the defendant committed the crimes that the State intends to introduce evidence on,” she argues.
Louding, 19, of Baton Rouge, made a brief appearance Tuesday before state District Judge Trudy White, and afterward, prosecutor Dana Cummings countered Lagattuta’s assertions.
“There is plenty of corroboration,” Cummings said.
On May 11, an East Baton Rouge Parish jury acquitted Baton Rouge rap artist Torence “Lil Boosie” Hatch on a first-degree murder charge in the alleged murder-for-hire of Boyd on Vermillion Drive.
Louding testified at the trial that neither he nor Hatch had anything to do with Boyd’s killing. Louding also denied killing anyone else. A portion of Louding’s videotaped police statement was played during the trial, and in that statement he said Hatch paid him $2,800 to kill Boyd.
Cummings stressed that the state has a “totally different case” against Louding in the Boyd slaying.
“Nobody has heard the evidence in the Michael Louding case yet,” she added.
Louding, who is not eligible for the death penalty because of his age at the time of the killings, is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of local up-and-coming rapper Chris “Nussie” Jackson on Feb. 9, 2009; Marcus Thomas on April 25, 2009; Boyd on Oct. 21, 2009; and Charles Matthews and Darryl “Bleek” Milton on April 1, 2010. He also is charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Michael Smith on Dec. 18, 2009.
The state wants to introduce “other crimes” evidence at Louding’s trial in the Boyd killing to establish Louding’s “identity, motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, and absence of mistake or accident,” Cummings notes in her notice of intent.
Louding told Baton Rouge police in May 2010 that he was involved in the killing of all six people. He testified before a grand jury on June 3, 2010, and a day later murder indictments were returned against Louding and five other Baton Rouge men — Jared Williams, Adrian Pittman, Ryan “Sneaks” Carroll, Kendrick Johnson and Johnathan Rogers.
Hatch, 29, was indicted two weeks later, as was Reginald Youngblood, also of Baton Rouge.
Citing Louding’s testimony at Hatch’s trial and a lack of corroborating evidence, Cummings dismissed first-degree murder charges against Williams and Rogers in June and July, respectively. Williams was accused in the Thomas killing, and Rogers was charged in the killing of Matthews and Milton.
Hatch is imprisoned at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola on drug charges.