NEW ORLEANS — The suspect captured Thursday in Houston in the murder of Brandon “Boogie B” Montrell was free on bail in an Algiers car burglary at the time police say he took part in the fatal shooting of the popular local comedian as he sat in a car in a grocery store parking lot.
Jabril Cowart turned 20 one day before police say he was caught on a surveillance camera taking part in Montrell’s killing in the parking lot of Rouses Market in the 700 block of Baronne Street in the Central Business District. Montrell, 43, is thought to be an innocent bystander in the shooting, although the killing marked the beginning of a bloody stretch of gun violence that has persisted into the new year.
Cowart’s previous known run-in with the law, obtained by WWL-TV through court records, was far more pedestrian. However, it marked a rare instance in which an alleged car burglar was booked after being identified through fingerprints, the court records show.
The car break-in took place at a gas station in the 4600 block of Gen. De Gaulle Drive, not far from Cowart's last known address in Algiers. In an arrest warrant affidavit, detectives say they were able to lift fingerprints in the June 2 burglary from a broken window glass, in addition to the driver’s side door and door handle.
“The latent print…was identified as the left palm matched to Jabril Cowart,” according to the affidavit by Detective Latoya Johnson. The fingerprint match was made on Sept. 27, Johnson wrote.
Cowart was arrested on November 17 in another part of Algiers, the report states. He was released from the Orleans Justice Center after posting bond to cover his $7,500 bail.
The NOPD’s Violent Offenders Warrant Squad and U.S. Marshals caught up to Cowart on Thursday. He is being held at the Ft. Bend County lockup awaiting extradition to New Orleans on one count of second-degree murder.
Montrell was laid to rest Thursday following a funeral and second-line.
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