UPDATED
A 23-year old Mount Hermon man is charged with two counts of 1st degree murder after he allegedly shot and killed his grandparents early Wednesday afternoon at the grandparents' home to the southeast of Mount Hermon.
Colby Stokes approached a neighbor around 2 p.m. last Wednesday (July 3) and reportedly told the neighbor he had shot his grandparents. The neighbor called 911 and waited with Stokes at the scene of the shooting.
When Washington Parish Sheriff's deputies arrived, they located two gunshot victims. Stokes was then taken into custody without incident, according to Sheriff Jason Smith.
The grandfather, Carley Stokes, 81, was pronounced dead at the scene, while his wife, Beverly Ann Stokes, 75, was rushed to North Oaks Hospital in Hammond, where she passed away.
The shooting occurred at the Stokes residence on Eulon Duncan Road just off of the Sunny Hill Road.
Carley Stokes had been a long-time contract employee of Washington-St Tammany Electric Cooperative after earlier working for CLECO for many years. He and his wife were well-known in Mt Hermon. They were also well-known in the Franklinton area not just through Carley’s work at WST, but also because they were active members of First Baptist Church of Franklinton.
Deputies were still attempting to determine the reason for the shooting. However, the sheriff said Colby Stokes was known to have alcohol and drug abuse issues, and he had been in trouble with the Sheriff's Office before. In fact, one of the charges he was booked on in addition to the 2 counts of first degree murder was “convicted felon in possession of a firearm”.
While the sheriff made it clear that no motive for the shooting has yet been officially determined, acquaintances of the family said the incident may have been sparked by a damaged vehicle. Apparently the grandson took one of the Stokes’ vehicles and wrecked it. The grandparents wanted to get a police report so they could file insurance and get the vehicle fixed. This allegedly led to a conflict between the grandson and his grandparents. Colby Stokes, the acquaintances said, did not want his grandparents to get a police report on the accident.
Personnel from the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab were at the Eulon Duncan Road home Wednesday afternoon and evening, collecting evidence and processing the crime scene.
Colby Stokes was initially charged with 2nd degree murder. Sheriff Smith said that after additional investigation, the decision was made to upgrade the charges to 1st degree murder.
Colby Stokes, after being arrested at the scene of the shooting, was taken to the Sheriff's sub-station in Bogalusa because the main office in Franklinton is currently undergoing remodeling and renovation.
Once questioning was completed, he was taken to Franklinton and booked into the parish jail. In Louisiana, killing a person over the age of 65 allows authorities to file first degree murder charges, and both of the grandparents were over 65. However, there are also other possible reasons why the second degree murder charges were upgraded to first degree murder --- those reasons will become public as Colby Stokes’ case proceeds through the judicial system.
During questioning at the Bogalusa sub-station by investigators, and after being advised of his Miranda rights, Colby Stokes apparently made a statement on video indicating that he had killed his grandparents, which is also what he reportedly indicated to the neighbor who originally called 911.
Funeral services for Carley and Ann Stokes were held on Monday (July 8) at First Baptist Church of Franklinton.
•Complete obituary information appears in this week’s edition of The Era-Leader and also at era-leader.com
