Angola Prison: Is Eric Bone Still Incarcerated There?

In 2011, Eric Bone was convicted of the second-degree murder of Demetrius Jackson and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. Bone was found guilty of driving the getaway car in the shooting of Jackson, who was killed outside a nightclub in 2009. Bone's trial began on May 10, 2011, and he was found guilty three days later. On May 19, 2011, he was sentenced to life in prison.

Eric Bone was convicted of second-degree murder in 2012 and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole

On May 13, 2011, Eric Bone was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. The conviction came after a Jefferson Parish Grand Jury indicted Bone, along with Shawn Flot, for the second-degree murder of Demetrius Jackson in November 2009.

The murder took place on July 25, 2009, outside Cesar's nightclub in Gretna, Louisiana. Jackson was shot and killed following a confrontation between two gangs—the Calliope Gang and the Gert Town gang—inside the club. Bone, a member of the Gert Town gang, was found to have driven the vehicle from which the shots were fired. Shawn Flot, also of the Gert Town gang, was identified as the shooter.

During the trial, Bone's attorney, Jason Williams, argued that Flot was also shooting but suggested that he was defending himself. Bone also claimed that the shooter was Kyron Jackson, the victim's brother, who accidentally shot his own brother while shooting at the Gert Town gang members.

Bone fled the scene and led the police on a high-speed chase, during which he crossed the Crescent City Connection and escaped. He was eventually arrested and charged with second-degree murder.

At the trial, which began on May 10, 2011, Kyron Jackson, the victim's brother, testified that Bone was in the driver's seat when Flot stepped out of the vehicle and shot his brother four times. Other witnesses, including Bone's cousin, Shykeva Bone, and his sister, Erica Bone, also testified.

Following his conviction, Bone appealed, claiming that the evidence presented against him was insufficient and that the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress text messages obtained by police without a showing of probable cause. His conviction was affirmed by the Court of Appeal of Louisiana.

Bone was found guilty of killing Demetrius Jackson, a member of the Calliope Gang

On November 19, 2009, a Jefferson Parish Grand Jury indicted Eric J. Bone for the second-degree murder of Demetrius Jackson. On May 10, 2011, Bone proceeded to trial before a 12-person jury. On May 13, 2011, the jury found him guilty as charged. On May 19, 2011, the trial judge sentenced Bone to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.

The victim, Demetrius Jackson, was a member of the Calliope Gang. He was shot and killed outside of Cesar's nightclub in the early morning hours of July 25, 2009. Kyron Jackson, the victim's brother and a fellow member of the Calliope Gang, arrived at the club with a group of friends between 12:30 and 1:00 a.m. on the night of the shooting. Members of the rival Gert Town gang, including Eric Bone (aka "Heavy") and co-defendant Shawn Flott, also arrived at the club and confronted the Calliope gang. Kyron testified that members of his gang began "fussing" and "throwing money up" at the Gert Town gang members; he further stated that one member of the Calliope gang spat in Shawn's face, leading to a "big old confrontation." Kyron testified that the actions of his gang prompted Shawn to tell him, "I'm going to kill you when we get out of the club."

At some point during this verbal confrontation, an unrelated physical altercation took place among some other patrons of the club, and the Gert Town and Calliope members left. Kyron testified that while he, the victim, and another Calliope gang member known as "Stink" began walking to their car, a vehicle driven by Bone and occupied by other Gert Town members pulled up and stopped. Kyron testified that Shawn Flott exited the vehicle and began shooting; Kyron ran back toward the club but noticed that Bone's car circled the block to see if anyone had been shot before fleeing the scene.

During the trial, Bone recalled the events of that evening and testified that he was at Cesar's nightclub on July 25, 2009. He stated that the two gangs began "fussing" at each other and that members of the Calliope gang flashed guns at him. He and Shawn decided to leave the club to avoid further confrontation. Bone testified that as he drove away, he noticed three individuals, two of whom he knew from the Calliope gang, walking on the street. He testified that Kyron first noticed his vehicle and began shooting at it. Bone stated that no one exited his vehicle at any time. As he drove away, he heard gunshots coming from the back seat of his car. Bone testified that Shawn was sitting in the front passenger seat and that one of Shawn's friends, named Brandon, was sitting in the back seat.

Bone claimed that Brandon was the shooter and that he did not stop because Brandon was pointing a gun at his head and instructing him to continue driving. Upon returning to his neighbourhood, Bone gave Brandon the car keys and walked to his neighbour's house to get a ride to a hotel. Bone argued that Kyron Jackson, the victim's brother, was the one who accidentally shot his own brother while shooting at the Gert Town gang members.

The prosecution, however, presented testimony and evidence to prove that only one weapon was used in the murder and that the scene did not support Bone's claim of a "shoot-out." They also established a history of violent exchanges between the two gangs and a motive for the killing. The jury ultimately found Bone guilty of second-degree murder.

Jackson was shot and killed outside Cesar's nightclub in the early hours of July 25, 2009

On July 25, 2009, Demetrius Jackson was shot and killed outside of Cesar's nightclub in the early morning hours. Jackson was a member of the "Calliope Boys" gang, named for the B.W. Cooper public housing development. Eric "Heavy" Bone, a member of the rival "Gert Town Hounds" gang, was convicted of second-degree murder in Jackson's death and sentenced to life in prison.

On the night of the shooting, Jackson's brother Kyron Jackson and a group of friends arrived at Cesar's nightclub between 12:30 and 1:00 a.m. Bone and co-defendant Shawn Flott, members of the Gert Town gang, also arrived at the club and confronted the Calliope gang. Kyron Jackson testified that members of the Calliope gang began "fussing" and "throwing money" at the Gert Town gang members, and that one member of the Calliope gang spat in Flott's face, leading to a "big old confrontation." During this verbal confrontation, an unrelated physical altercation took place among other patrons of the club, and the Gert Town and Calliope members left the club.

Kyron Jackson testified that as he, the victim, and another Calliope gang member began walking to their car, a vehicle driven by Bone and occupied by other Gert Town members pulled up and stopped. Kyron Jackson testified that Flott exited the vehicle and began shooting, and that Bone's car circled the block to see if anyone had been shot before fleeing the scene. Officer Jacob Tapley, who was working a detail at the nightclub, was outside of the club, approximately 300 feet away, when he heard gunshots. He radioed the description of the vehicle into headquarters and ran to the victim to render assistance.

Officer Alton Savage, who was working a detail a few blocks away from the shooting, received the description of an Infiniti vehicle involved in the shooting and noticed a vehicle matching the description traveling at a high rate of speed. Savage activated his emergency lights and attempted to stop the Infiniti, but the vehicle's driver refused to stop and a high-speed chase ensued. The vehicle was later found burned and abandoned in New Orleans.

Based on the evidence presented at trial, including witness testimony, text messages, and physical evidence, the jury found Bone guilty of second-degree murder. Bone appealed his conviction, claiming that the evidence presented against him at trial was insufficient to support his conviction, but the conviction was affirmed.

Bone's co-defendant Shawn Flott pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received an 18-year sentence

On July 25, 2009, Demetrius Jackson was shot and killed outside Cesar's nightclub in Gretna, Louisiana. Jackson was a member of the "Calliope Boys" gang, named for the B.W. Cooper public housing development. Eric "Heavy" Bone and Shawn Flott were members of a rival gang, the "Gert Town Hounds", named for the New Orleans neighbourhood.

During Bone's trial, Jackson's brother, Kyron Jackson, testified that Bone was in the driver's seat when Flott stepped out and shot his brother four times. However, Flott's attorney, J.C. Lawrence, found a witness who was among the throng outside the club who claimed that Flott remained in the car during the shooting.

Flott was initially charged with second-degree murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence. However, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter and received an 18-year sentence. He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit public bribery and received a 30-month sentence to be served concurrently with the manslaughter sentence.

Flott had already served two years of pre-trial incarceration, which was subtracted from his 18-year sentence.

Bone was the driver of the vehicle from which Flott shot and killed Jackson

On the night of July 25, 2009, Eric "Heavy" Bone was driving an Infiniti vehicle outside Cesar's nightclub in Gretna, Louisiana. Bone was accompanied by Shawn Flott and other members of the Gert Town gang. At the same time, Demetrius "Little D" Jackson, a member of the rival Calliope gang, was leaving the club with his brother, Kyron Jackson, and another Calliope gang member known as "Stink".

Kyron Jackson testified that Bone's car pulled up alongside them, at which point Flott exited the vehicle and began shooting. Demetrius Jackson was shot and killed, with four bullets striking him in the back.

Kyron Jackson ran back towards the club, while Bone's car circled the block to see if anyone had been shot, before fleeing the scene. Bone led police on a high-speed chase, but managed to escape. The Infiniti was later found burned and abandoned in New Orleans.

Bone was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. He appealed the conviction, claiming that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction and that the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress text messages obtained by police without a showing of probable cause. The appeal was unsuccessful, and the conviction was affirmed.

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