METAIRIE, La. — A man was found guilty for the murder of his ex-girlfriend in her Metairie apartment in 2021 on Thursday afternoon.
45-year-old Charles Ross robbed and stole a man's pickup truck in Baton Rouge before entering the home of his ex-girlfriend, Nygia Lambert, 47, and shot her eight times.
A Jefferson Parish jury found Ross guilty of first-degree murder and attempted obstruction of justice for leaving the scene with the murder weapon.
Officers said Lambert hid under the bed begging for her life while her 24-year-old daughter with special needs locked herself in the bathroom to call 911.
Ross admitted to killing Lambert on Thursday and told jurors that he went on a "cocaine binge" after learning Lambert had ended their relationship. Before his relationship with Lambert, Ross served time in prison for beating a previous girlfriend and was legally barred from possessing firearms as a convicted felon.
Jefferson Parish deputies said Ross was armed with a 9mm semiautomatic pistol when he carjacked a man in Baton Rouge. Ross was arrested by Louisiana State Police in possession of the murder weapon and keys to the pickup truck.
He asked that jurors consider giving him a lesser manslaughter charge.
However, the state disagreed with Ross and argued his text messages showed threats to hurt Lambert sent to another woman, "I'm going to f--this girl up," he said 12 hours before murdering Lambert, a mother of five daughters in 2021.
Judge Stephen Grefer of the 24th Judicial District Court is set to schedule Ross' sentencing on Nov.13.
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