MOUNT HERMON, La. — A man and woman were shot and killed Wednesday in the small Washington Parish town of Mount Hermon. According to the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office, the couple’s grandson confessed to shooting them.
WPSO dispatchers got the call Wednesday afternoon. The caller told them their next-door neighbor, 23-year-old Colby Stokes, had come over and told them he killed his grandparents. When deputies arrived, Stokes told them the same thing.
They found Beverly and Carley Stokes at their home. Both had been shot. Carley Stokes was pronounced dead at the scene, while Beverly Stokes was taken to a hospital where she died a short time later.
Sheriff Jason Smith, who was sworn in less than a week ago, told WWL Louisiana Colby Stokes also confessed to the shooting on video. He added that Stokes was not a stranger to the Sheriff’s Office.
“He’s been in and out of jail,” he said, referencing “past mental health” struggles and “some drug and alcohol abuse.” In 2018, WPSO posted Stokes’ photo on Facebook with a description of a recent arrest for a burglary, in which multiple firearms were stolen. He was 17 at the time.
Now, he is facing two murder charges for the deaths of his grandparents. ”This family, they’re on both sides of this,” said Smith, “not only have they been victimized by it, they’ve also perpetrated it, so it’s a very difficult circumstance to be in.”
WWL Louisiana spoke with a family member who said neither he nor any others wished to speak on camera.
Through a family friend, they passed on the message that “they are dealing with the loss of two wonderful people and just trying to process… they ask prayers at this time for everyone involved. It is a tragedy that no one should have to face.” They also provided several photos of Beverly and Carley Stokes, which show them with their arms wrapped around each other, smiling.
Sheriff Smith said he is from Mount Hermon as well and knew Carley Stokes personally. “He was very personable,” he said. “He was a former Marine, like myself, so we would always talk about that, he had worked for WST for years. He was well-known and well-liked.”
Stokes will be booked and charged with two counts of 2nd-degree murder.
See Stokes' Washington Parish Sheriff's Office booking sheet below:
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