Blaine Manalle, 20, has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Jeffery Howell at West Pearl River in Louisiana
A 20-year-old Louisiana woman has been arrested for the murder of a 46-year-old man who was beaten to death while recovering from brain tumor surgery.
Blaine Manalle, of Slidell, has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Jeffery Howell.
Howell was beaten to death during a brawl on a sandbar at West Pearl River on Saturday.
Manalle was arrested on Monday night and booked into the St Tammany Parish Jail.
Two men were also arrested on Sunday in connection to his death.
Cameron Alphonso, 21, was initially charged with one count of manslaughter. It was upgraded to second-degree manslaughter following additional witness interviews.
Manalle was arrested on Monday night and has been booked into the St Tammany Parish Jail
Howell was beaten to death during a brawl on a sand bar at West Pearl River on Saturday. Two men were also arrested on Sunday in connection to his death
Alden Kindergran, 22, has been charged with one count of disturbing the peace. He was released on Sunday after posting a $750 bond.
Alphonso remains behind bars and his $125,000 bond could increase after his charges were upgraded, according to The Advocate.
A brawl broke out between two large groups at the sand bar just after 5.30pm on Saturday, according to the St Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Friends of Howell, who was married but did not have children, say he had been trying to protect the river when the fight broke out.
‘From what we heard, they were throwing bottles in the river, and they were told to stop throwing bottles,’ neighbor Kathy Maillet told WVUE.
An autopsy on Monday revealed that Howell died from blunt force trauma to the head. His death has been ruled a homicide.
A brawl broke out between two large groups at the sand bar just after 5.30pm on Saturday, according to the St Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office
Cameron Alphonso, 21, was charged with second-degree manslaughter. Alden Kindergran, 22, has been charged with one count of disturbing the peace
It also showed that Howell had been hit near the scar from his surgery, which occurred just three weeks ago. He still had staples in his head.
Howell’s friends are especially devastated knowing how much he was looking forward to the future, and how much he cared about being a good man and husband.
‘Jeff was always the one to make sure everybody got home safe and all the children were taken care of,’ Janice O’ Berry told The Advocate.
‘He was a protector of sorts, I like to refer to him as that. That was just his persona.’
More than 40 people have already been interviewed in connection to the case and authorities said additional interviews – and arrests – could occur.