NEW ORLEANS — Nearly two years after Brandon 'Boogie B' Montrell was killed, his mother says there's been a big development in the case. His mother now says it's encouraging, but the work isn't over for the New Orleans Police Department investigation.
WWL Louisiana's reporter Alyssa Curtis sat down with her to speak about how she's honoring her son.
It's been almost two years since Montrell was shot and killed in the parking lot of Rouses downtown.
"Oh I'm dreading it," said Montrell's mother Sherilyn Price. "It's going to be difficult, every 23rd of every month is hard."
An arrest was made in the case in January — just a few weeks after Montrell was murdered. But now, Price says a recent call from an NOPD detective gave her some reprieve. Price says NOPD informed her of a big development in the case.
NOPD has not confirmed it with us, but Price calls the progress encouraging.
"I was surprised to hear that they were still working on it the way they were," she said. Even with the development — Price says there's still a long way to go. And while she's dreading the trial and the next steps in her baby boy's case — for her it goes beyond that now.
"I can't take Boogie's death on the chin like it's just another day, some things have to change now that this has happened, they drug me into it," she said.
It was an unexpected thrust into an unwanted spotlight. "I lamented New Orleans' fate, but I didn't consider that it was my fight and the fight has come to me," Price said.
But now that she's here, she says things need to change. She says to achieve that change we must invest in children — specifically conflict resolution.
"How to resolve their problems without using violence because public safety is at risk," she said. "It matters whether they have enough recreation, it matters whether their equipment at parks in their neighborhood it matters if there's social organizations."
But before we get there — we'll reach Dec. 23. The second anniversary of Boogie B's murder, and on that day she hopes everyone who loved him honors what he loved.
"Brandon would want you to take care of New Orleans, understand that it was so much a part of who he was."
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