DONALDSONVILLE, La. — A Donaldsonville man, Kahlil Howard, 27, has been sentenced to 55 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted second-degree murder and armed robbery, the 23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced.
Howard entered his guilty plea on April 29, and sentencing took place on August 12. Judge Cody Martin presided over the case, while Assistant District Attorney Brant Mayer led the prosecution.
The sentence is to be served without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension and includes credit for time served. Importantly, the sentence will run consecutively to a 20-year sentence Howard is already serving for a 2021 manslaughter conviction.
The charges stem from a Sept. 8, 2017 incident in which a male victim was lured to the Sunshine Bridge area, where Howard, armed with a handgun, demanded a ride from the victim.
According to investigators, after the victim complied, Howard forced him to drive across the Mississippi River levee into a secluded pasture. Once there, Howard ordered the victim out of the vehicle at gunpoint and demanded money. He then opened fire, shooting the victim multiple times.
Despite his injuries, the victim managed to flee and reach a nearby residence for help. Authorities later identified Kahlil Howard as the shooter. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and he was taken into custody and booked into the Ascension Parish Jail.
Howard’s new sentence adds to his existing 20-year term, effectively putting him behind bars for 75 years total.
