WASHINGTON PARISH, La. — A Hammond man was found guilty Saturday after he was accused of robbing and shooting and killing another man, according to the Washington Parish District Attorney's Office.
Travon Washington, 21, was charged with second-degree murder of Xykie Barker , aggravated burglary and three counts of theft of a firearm, in connection to the incident in August 2021.
Prosecutors showed jury members evidence of Washington's role in a plan to target Barker, hatched by a woman named Deanna Johnson.
"After arriving at barker's home, Johnson went inside alone initially, and lured the victim outside where he was ambushed by Washington and other perpetrators," said the district attorney for Washington Parish on Saturday.
Louisiana State Police said 20 shots were fired between two guns. Barker sustained eight gunshot wounds, with fatal shots to the heart and head, an autopsy showed.
Washington and the group left the home with guns, keys and a gaming system. Authorities said Washington crashed the car less than a mile away from Barker's home where he was arrested.
State police also found an Apple Watch with text messages between the group minutes before Barker's murder. Washington also had gunshot residue on him, his DNA and fingerprints were linked to a gun used to kill Barker.
The Northshore D.A. said Johnson decided to plead guilty on Monday rather than to go to trial. She was sentenced to 50 years for manslaughter and aggravated burglary.
Washington's defense said he was just going to buy marijuana, but the St. Tammany D.A. rejected the argument.
“Mr. Washington is obviously guilty of murder because he was participating in an aggravated burglary of the victim’s home", said Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Authement. "But we have also proven that Travon Washington fired the final shot to Xykie Barker’s head as Xykie lay on the ground. The callous nature of the pursuit of the victim through his own home tells us the defendant’s intentions were far more sinister than a robbery gone wrong. They went there specifically to kill the victim.”
Washington's sentencing is set for Apr. 8 and he is also awaiting trial for a separate charge of second-degree murder for the death of 14-year-old Taysia Folse in Tangiapahoa Parish.
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