WASHINGTON PARISH, La. —
Authorities say a Texas man faces a murder charge after a 24-year-old was shot multiple times on Easter Sunday in Washington Parish.
According to the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a rural area in southeast Washington Parish Sunday afternoon after getting calls of gunshots. At the scene, deputies found the body of Brett Ritchie of Bogalusa who had been shot multiple times.
Investigators say witnesses in the area described a car with Texas plates that drove away from the area after shots were fired. A car matching the witness description was later found in the Enon area and deputies detained the driver, 24-year-old Trevion R. Mark.
The sheriff’s office says the deputies searched Mark and found illegal drugs, although it wasn't clear what kind. Mark was booked into the Washington Parish Jail on drug possession charges.
“After several search warrants and interviews, detectives were able to put Trevion Mark at the crime scene with the victim,” the sheriff’s office said. Mark was then arrested on another charge for second-degree murder. He remains in jail on $805,000 bond.
Investigators are still trying to determine a motive for the shooting. Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call detective Kody Glenn at 985-839-3434 or 985-201-6033.
“A stroke of good luck was the key to solving this crime so quickly,” Sheriff Randy Seal said. “A description of the suspect’s vehicle and a chance encounter by deputies led to his arrest. We may never know the motive behind the shooting, but we do know this was a ruthless murder.”
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