Witnesses tell of deadly struggle

FRANKLIN — Several witnesses testified Wednesday that as Charles Chandler II struggled for a gun with Wade Blackburn, the gun went off, inflicting a lethal wound in Blackburn’s abdomen.
Chandler, 23, of Bayou Vista, is on trial on the charge of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Blackburn, 18, of Bayou Vista, on April 29, 2013.
Chandler was arrested within hours of the shooting and charged with first-degree murder, which could have resulted in the death penalty. But on July 16, 2013, a grand jury indicted him for second-degree murder, according to St. Mary Parish Clerk of Court records.
If convicted, Chandler faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without parole, according to Assistant District Attorney Anthony Saleme.
The trial began Wednesday morning at the St. Mary Parish Courthouse in Franklin.
Several witnesses testified Wednesday afternoon that on the night of the shooting, Chandler arrived at 1220 Columbus Ave. looking for Blackburn, who was inside the residence. Witnesses also said that Blackburn eventually came out of the home, and Chandler pointed a gun in Blackburn’s face.
A struggle for the gun ensued, and the gun discharged multiple times. One bullet hit Blackburn. During Wednesday afternoon’s testimony, witnesses gave possible motive for Chandler to want to kill Blackburn.
Multiple witnesses also testified that Blackburn had no weapons on him or in his vicinity when he was shot.
According to the affidavit for Chandler’s arrest, Chandler had been feuding with Blackburn for about a week for unknown reasons. The two had an altercation at Cash Magic Casino in Bayou Vista before the shooting on Columbus Avenue, the affidavit stated.
At about 11 p.m. April 29, 2013, Chandler went to the residence and asked where Blackburn was. He left and returned about an hour later, the affidavit stated.
Chandler made a comment that “Blackburn screwed him over many times and was lied to by Blackburn,” according to an affidavit.
Prosecutors called forensic pathologist Dr. Cynthia Gardner, who works for the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office, to testify about the autopsy she performed on Blackburn.
Gardner discovered a contact gunshot wound to the abdomen, which meant the gun was touching Blackburn when it was fired, she said. She could see heavy soot deposited on the wound and the impression of the gun’s muzzle, she said.
The wound was just above and to the right of the belly button, Gardner said. The bullet traveled through Blackburn’s liver, diaphragm, heart, left lung and ribs, Gardner said.
Gardner ruled Blackburn’s cause of death was a gunshot wound to the abdomen that resulted in massive internal bleeding, she said.
Gardner found low levels of Xanax and some marijuana in Blackburn’s system, she said.
Clifton Lodrigue, who was living at 1225 Columbus Ave. in Bayou Vista at the time of the shooting, heard gunshots in the early morning hours and headed outside, he said. Lodrigue said he heard Blackburn say, “‘Are you going to pull a gun on me?’”
Lodrigue grew up with Blackburn and said Blackburn was “like a little brother.”
Just before the shooting occurred, Lodrigue’s girlfriend’s brother, Kyle Riggins, woke Lodrigue up and said “something’s going down,” Lodrigue said. Lodrigue heard arguing between Blackburn and Chandler.
Lodrigue saw Blackburn’s face and also saw Chandler when Lodrigue went outside, Lodrigue said.
Lodrigue, who was in his underwear at the time, rushed back in his residence to put clothes on and then came back out to see what was going on, he said.
Before he got back to the scene, he heard three gunshots, and Chandler got in a car and left, Lodrigue said.
Lodrigue recognized Chandler from the dreadlocks he was wearing at the time and saw Chandler’s face when Chandler got into the car and drove away, Lodrigue said.
Lodrigue went to assist Blackburn to see if he could help, Lodrigue said. Lodrigue saw Blackburn lying on his side in the carport, he said. After checking to see where Blackburn had been shot, he saw the bullet hole near Blackburn’s belly button, Lodrigue said.
Blackburn had no pulse, and Lodrigue tried CPR, but “he was already gone,” Lodrigue said.
Witness Kyle Riggins, whose sister is Lodrigue’s girlfriend, also said he tried CPR on Blackburn. Kyle Riggins didn’t remember if Lodrigue was at the scene, he said.
Witness Darrell Riggins Jr., who also was living at 1220 Columbus Ave. with his mother and brothers, said he attempted CPR on Blackburn, too.
Lodrigue said he didn’t see anything in Blackburn’s hands or any firearm in the vicinity of his body. Lodrigue stayed at the scene until police arrived and gave a statement to police, he said.
A 15-year-old juvenile witness, who knew Blackburn, said he also saw nothing in Blackburn’s hands and didn’t see Blackburn make any aggressive moves. Chandler put the gun in Blackburn’s face when Blackburn pushed Chandler’s hand away, he said.
Darrell Riggins Jr. was an acquaintance of Chandler’s and a friend of Blackburn’s and Blackburn visited his house in Bayou Vista regularly, he said.
Riggins walked up to Blackburn, after he had been shot, and all Blackburn could do was shake his head side to side, he said.
Riggins didn’t know what the argument between Chandler and Blackburn was about, he said. The two did not say much before the gun went off, he said.
“The whole world slowed down” when Blackburn was shot, Riggins said.
Prosecutors also called St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Lt. Duval Arthur III, who assisted in the homicide investigation, to testify.
Arthur also assisted with the search executed on Chandler’s residence at 149 Sun Road in Bayou Vista along with several other detectives, he said.
Arthur and other detectives searched Chandler’s bedroom and found a .45-caliber pistol in a TV stand. Several rounds and one spent cartridge were in the gun, Arthur said
After searching the bedroom, Arthur went outside and talked to a neighbor who saw Chandler run by a residence on Sun Road, he said.
Arthur heard another detective say that he saw Chandler running in Bayou Vista. Detectives eventually conducted a traffic stop at Saturn Road and Venus Street on a truck driven by Craig Nini. Chandler got out of a back door with his hands up, Arthur said.
During the traffic stop, Chandler wasn’t aggressive and appeared shaken up, Arthur said.
On Wednesday afternoon, one of the jurors was dismissed after he admitted that he knew Blackburn’s family and spoke to a witness during the lunch break.
Judge Anthony Thibodeaux recessed the trial at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. The trial reconvened at 9 a.m. today.

This story was written by Zachary Fitzgerald of The Daily Review staff. Reach him at zfitzgerald@daily-review.com.