New Orleans Teens are Graduated to Murder behind a Veil of Secrecy in Juvenile Court

Why would juvenile offenders care about victims when no one else does?

Juvenile crime has dominated headlines across the country, but the conversation rarely evolves into any meaningful discussion, because there is no accurate data available from juvenile courts. That is primarily because juvenile courts nationwide have been protected by a veil of secrecy which is virtually impenetrable. That secrecy has been touted as an effort to protect young offenders.

In February of 2024 the Louisiana legislature held a special crime session during which the “Truth and Transparency Bill” was passed. This bill essentially made all crimes of violence, or any second and subsequent offenses committed by juveniles, public record. It went into effect July 1, 2024.

The legislation was tested, for the first time, because of the tireless efforts of Jacob Carter’s family. Jacob Carter was a beloved bagel shop owner from Washington who was murdered when he came to visit New Orleans with his husband Daniel in January of 2024. Juvenile Malik Cornelius was indicted for this murder. Jacob grew up 1 of 6 siblings in a large Texas family and they have waged a relentless war for answers from New Orleans City leaders. One thing the Carter family demanded to know was the criminal history of Cornelius; what led him to this heinous act and could it have been prevented.

Because of the Truth and Transparency Bill, most of Cornelius’ juvenile records are now considered public records, but obtaining those records was far from simple. After going to the Orleans Parish Clerk of Juvenile Court’s office and requesting to see the records, the request was denied. An official email request was then made for the records and was again denied. A lawsuit was then filed in Civil District Court asking the District Court Judge to order the clerk to produce the records. Days later the clerk indicated she would produce the records. In addition to Cornelius’ records, a request was made for the records of other juveniles, several who had recently been transferred to adult court according to news reports.

Upon receipt of the records, it was clear that the documents were not consistent in their form or content. Some documents used case number, some used item number, and there were no minute entries which would ordinarily show a timeline of all court events in the case. If something was missing, there was no way to know that.

Getting minimal documentation for a handful of juveniles took several trips to the clerk’s office, hours of sorting, and just shy of one thousand dollars in filing and copying fees. This exercise was hardly what the legislature envisioned when it passed the Truth and Transparency bill.

Despite the disorganized records, one thing became transparent, juveniles who enter the criminal justice system in New Orleans don’t stand a chance. As you will see below, juvenile offenders are taught that there are no meaningful consequences for repeated crimes, even multiple violent crimes. They are sent a clear message: neither the Judge nor the District Attorney places any value on victims. Many juveniles who committed armed robbery and aggravated assault faced no consequences and followed a natural progression to murder.

When these juvenile offenders graduated to murder, suddenly the rules changed, because the cameras appeared. Several cases were transferred to adult court because of public outrage, and rightfully so. But the public had no idea what had been going on in juvenile court. Instead of the customary slap on the wrist, many of these juveniles now face a mandatory life sentence. The sentence is certainly one they deserve for the crimes they have committed, but they never saw it coming. It was the first time anyone ever told them that victim’s matter, and it was too late.

Jake Carter with his husband Daniel

Malik Cornelius was born on July 18, 2007. On September 11, 2023, at the age of 15 he was arrested and charged with:

• 9 counts of illegal possession of a firearm by a juvenile

• possession with intent to distribute marijuana

• obstruction of justice

• Juvenile in possession of a firearm

Fourteen guns were seized during that arrest. Despite all of the gun and drug charges Cornelius was arrested for by NOPD, the only charge accepted by the Orleans Parish District Attorney was obstruction of justice. Cornelius was placed on electronic supervision and released.

On January 5, 2024, Malik Cornelius murdered Jacob Carter, according to a grand jury indictment. Jacob was murdered in the presence of his husband Daniel at the intersection of Bourbon St. and Kerlerec St. in the French Quarter. A resident who ran to help stated that he would never forget the horrific cries he heard from Daniel as he tried to render CPR to his dying husband Jake.

At the time of Jacob’s murder, Cornelius was supposed to be under electronic supervision. Jacob’s family later learned that this supervision was not operational because Juvenile Court had let the contract with the monitoring company lapse in December of 2023.

The district attorney’s office has refused to provide the Carter family details of Cornelius’ arrest, only telling them that he had a prior charge for obstruction of justice. Twice, the family requested to speak with District Attorney Jason Williams and both times he cancelled the meeting at the last minute. The Carter family gave up on trying to talk to him.

Kristie Thibodeaux

Kevin Nunez was born on November 23, 2008. On July 6, 2022, at the age of 13, he was arrested for domestic abuse and was released by the court. For 2 years after that arrest, the district attorney’s office failed to make a decision as to whether or not it would accept the charges in that case, a process known as “screening”. While that first case was still being screened by the district attorney, in the months between January and October of 2023, Nunez was arrested in 4 separate incidents for the following escalating charges:

• January 21, 2023: simple criminal damage to property

• February 4, 2023: 3 counts of aggravated assault with a firearm

• March 2, 2023: domestic abuse child endangerment

• October 20, 2023: 4 counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and 1 count of illegal possession of a handgun by a juvenile

He was released by the court after each arrest. On February 1, 2024, Nunez was finally brought into court on all of these charges. When he arrived in court, he tested positive for: cocaine, methamphetamines, ecstasy, and marijuana.

On March 8, 2024, he pled guilty to all the charges and received a sentence from Judge Candice Bates-Anderson of 21 days in Boys Town - a charitable organization which is self-described as “meeting the needs of youth and families through a variety of Continuum of Care services” - for all of his charges.

On May 13 Nunez appeared in court and again tested positive for marijuana. The court also noted that he refused to charge his ankle monitor and thus it was not operational. As a result, Judge Bates-Anderson sentenced him to 12 days in juvenile jail. Just 7 days into that incarceration, on May 20, 2024, his defense attorney petitioned the court to release him early, and the Judge agreed.

Weeks later, on June 30, 2024, Nunez murdered French Quarter tour guide Kristie Thibodeaux, according to a grand jury indictment. Nunez was ambushed and murdered as she sat in her car. Nunez was wearing an ankle monitor that had been deactivated at the time Thibodeaux was murdered.

Noah Hansard and his mother Elisabeth

Cruz Matute was born on November 21, 2006. In January of 2021, at the age of 14, he was arrested for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and aggravated flight from an officer and was released by the court.

Between the days of June 5-6, 2021 Matute was again arrested in 3 separate incidents in 3 separate locations. The charges included:

• 5 counts of armed robbery and carjacking

• 2 counts of second degree kidnapping

• 1 count of aggravated battery

He was released by the court after each arrest.

Matute pled guilty to some of the charges on August 12, 2021, and Judge Darensburg sentenced Matute to 30 days of outpatient alcohol treatment with the Counsel of Alcohol and Drug Abuse (“CADA”), another charitable organization.

The robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, and aggravated battery charges, all crimes of violence, were reduced by District Attorney Williams. The reduced charges allowed Matute to get probation from Judge Darensburg. On November 15, Matute was sentenced to 2 years of probation for all of his charges.

Court records indicate that his probation was riddled with violations:

• February 7, 2022: “[h]e continues to miss school. He is not compliant with his probation and not compliant with his 8:00p.m. curfew”.

• March 28, 2022: the Judge removed the condition that he wear an ankle monitor.

• June 13, 2022: “continued” violations of his probation (no specifics noted)

• July 11, 2022: Matute had “failed summer school due to too many absences and will have to repeat 9th grade”.

On August 21, while still on probation, Matute robbed and attempted to murder Noah Hansard, according to a grand jury indictment. Noah was robbed, shot and left for dead on the side of the road in Lake Terrace. As a result of that incident, Noah is now confined to a wheelchair and has spent most of his time in and out of hospitals.

On September 19, 2022, Judge Darensburg, “commends Matute for doing a good job and staying out of trouble”, seemingly unaware of Matute’s whereabout weeks before when Noah was robbed and shot.

Noah Hansard and his mother Elisabeth have fought tirelessly for answers in Noah’s case. To this day, they have never been told of Matute’s juvenile record, despite multiple requests to the district attorney’s office. Both Noah and Elisabeth testified before the Louisiana legislature in support of the Truth and Transparency Bill because of their frustration with the secrecy of juvenile court.

Scott Toups

Kendell Myles was born on October 1, 2004. On April 2, 2021, at 16 years old, he was arrested for theft of a motor vehicle and 2 counts of aggravated assault and was released by the court.

On June 7, 2021, he was again arrested for:

• illegal possession of a handgun by a juvenile

• aggravated flight from an officer

• unauthorized use of a motor vehicle

After this arrest, he was again released by the court.

Court records from Orleans Parish indicate that on October 25, 2021, Myles also had gun charges pending in Jefferson Parish. On that day Myles pled guilty to his Orleans parish charges and Judge Darensburg adopted the sentence of 2 years probation that Myles received in Jefferson parish.

By January 10, 2022 Myles was arrested again for 3 separate incidents which occurred at 3 separate locations. The charges included:

• 2 counts of attempted armed robbery

• illegal possession of a handgun by a juvenile

• unauthorized use of a motor vehicle

• 2 counts of illegal possession of stolen things

On March 17, 2022, he pled guilty to these charges and received a sentence of juvenile life. The sentence states that Myles is, “hereby placed with the Office of Juvenile Justice until his 21st birthday or until October 1, 2025.” Myles was immediately remanded into custody on that date.

Somehow, just 4 months later, on July 17, 2022, Myles was free from his juvenile life sentence. On that day, he carjacked and shot Scott Toups twice, according to a grand jury indictment. Toups was left fighting for his life in the ICU for 71 days. The district attorney missed the legal deadline to transfer Myles’ case to adult court and the case against him was dismissed.

Kayla Smith was born on January 25, 2006. She was also charged in the robbery and attempted murder of Mr. Toups. The documents provided for her are incomplete but what was provided shows:

• October 24, 2021: arrested for burglary at the age of 15 and released by the court.

• December of 2021: arrested for 5 new armed robberies at 5 separate locations, released by the court, and placed on an ankle monitor.

• February 3, 2022: charges also pending in St. Bernard Parish, but the nature of those charges is not listed.

• May of 2022, she had cut off her ankle monitor.

In reference to her involvement with the robbery and attempted murder of Mr. Toups, her lawyer argued that her case should not be transferred to adult court because, “[t]eenagers, you know, they make weird decisions. We think we should treat kids like kids.”

Another juvenile that was not transferred to adult court and whose criminal history would therefore never be brought to the public’s attention, is Jerome Kelly. He was born on May 7, 2008. On January 18, 2023, at 14 years old, he was arrested for stealing a car and committing 2 separate burglaries on the same day in 2 different locations. He was released by the court after his arrest.

The DA’s office took nearly 11 months to screen this case and did not accept charges until December 12, 2023. While the DA was waiting to make a screening decision, Kelly picked up all of these new charges.

April 7, 2023, he was arrested for:

• unauthorized use of a motor vehicle

• possession of a stolen firearm

• simple escape

• simple criminal damage to property

June 24, 2023, he was arrested for:

• theft of a motor vehicle

• flight from an officer

• simple burglary

• illegal possession of a stolen firearm

• illegal possession of a handgun by a juvenile

He was released by the court after these arrests.

Court records are not clear about which charges were resolved on which specific date, but by December of 2023, Kelly pled guilty to several charges and was sentenced by Judge Darensburg to 6 months of probation.

Within days of receiving that sentence, Kelly embarked on a crime spree and committed 138 new offenses. By March of 2024, he was charged with 67 counts of burglary, 59 counts of criminal damage to property, 2 counts of attempted armed robbery, 3 counts of aggravated assault with a car on a police officer, to name a few. The graphic above is a pleading from juvenile court dated March 14, 2024, detailing these charges.

Recent years have shown that money is not the issue, quite the opposite. According to local reports, federal money is continuously flowing into juvenile programs:

• 2022: $4.5 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) (to this day, only $400,000 of this has been spent)

• October 2023: $750,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice

• November 2023: $4.85 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act

  • This appears to be in addition to the $4.5 million given in 2022, though it does not appear on the City of N.O. ARPA Implementation Project Management Office website. New Orleans got $388 million in ARPA money during COVID.

Unfortunately, a familiar question dominated headlines in 2024 when it came to these juvenile programs: where did all the money go?

On May 13, 2024, the City Council was presented with a 29-page report which showed that nine programs given $3.5 million to address juvenile crime were not being utilized and failed to produce data. City Commissioner Stevens admitted to the City Council that Juvenile Court does not provide data. She stated, “[a]s it relates to Juvenile Court, we’ve been fighting this battle for a long time. We don’t get data”. Councilmembers admitted that they also have no idea where the money went. City Council Vice President J.P. Morrell said, “[w]e give you funding and you can’t present data, and that’s a problem. ... There needs to be receipts.” Councilman Joe Giarrusso said, “I’m tired, candidly, of not getting data from juvenile court, and not knowing what’s going on.”

It only took a few more dead bodies for anyone to notice that the $4.5 million in federal dollars allocated in 2022 for a juvenile court ankle monitoring system was missing. After days of customary finger pointing, a City Council hearing in August of 2024 revealed that no one had bothered to implement the program, and instead the money just sat. The Cantrell administration admitted that it had an “influx of funds” and was never able to formulate a plan on how to spend all of the money they were receiving. There was so much money going to Juvenile Court by 2023 that the City didn’t even know what to do with all of it.

An influx of money and zero transparency in Juvenile Court became a deadly combination in New Orleans, literally. The revolving door of violent crime and no programs to foster accountability cost many innocent people their lives. When juvenile offenders are taught that no one cares about victims, it becomes easy to kill a victim who doesn’t comply or in an effort to avoid identification. Juveniles assume the consequences will be minimal, because that is all they have ever known. But when they get transferred to adult court, the veil of secrecy is lifted, and suddenly the rules change. When the cameras are on, out of nowhere, victims matter. Juvenile offenders facing mandatory life sentences are left asking, who was the veil of secrecy actually meant to protect?