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Kevin Dukes, accused of 2018 killing, found not guilty for second-degree murder
BATON ROUGE - A jury found Kevin Dukes not guilty for second-degree murder and obstruction of justice in a 2018 case where he was accused of killing Julius Thomas Sr. and dumping his body on a road.
Dukes was accused of killing Thomas, who Thomas' family members told deputies that Thomas owed Dukes money, and then dumped the body on South Flannery Road in December 2018.
Further issues arose after an ankle monitor was put on Dukes. In 2021, he and his attorneys requested the ankle monitor be taken off because it was causing leg irritation. It was granted by a judge, and Dukes was required to be monitored through his cell phone. Dukes was re-arrested in Lafayette in 2023 for leaving the Baton Rouge monitoring area.
Dukes was also accused of murdering a man in Livingston Parish in August 2018, although a grand jury chose not to indict him.
The jurors spent several hours on Friday before reaching a verdict, where they ultimately found Kevin Dukes not guilty of both counts.
One of the attorneys over the case, Christopher Murell, says they are thankful that the jurors took a long, thorough look at the case before reaching their verdict.
"They evaluated the evidence, they saw the absolutely shameful investigation by the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, they saw the disappointing, just disgraceful testimony of the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Detective Office, " Murell said.
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Ron Haley, another lawyer involved in the case, told WBRZ this case meant more to him and all the attorneys who were working the case.
"You get to know some for that long, you get to fight with someone for that long, you have a personal affection for them. This was not just business for us, this was personal for us to make sure an innocent man walked," Haley said.
Additionally, Thomas' family disagreed with the outcome.
"All the evidence they had, how can they find him not guilty?," Anthony Thomas, Julius' brother said to WBRZ. "How could they let him walk away? It's not right."
District Attorney Hillar Moore made the following statement about the case:
“While we must accept the decision of the jury, we absolutely disagree with the defense attorney’s comments of the EBRSO’s investigation and testimony. The jury carefully evaluated the evidence, including the thorough investigation conducted by EBRSO. Despite defense’s criticisms, the investigation adhered to standard protocols, and the detectives provided clear and detailed testimony. Their dedicated work played a crucial role in presenting a case for the jury's consideration.”
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