Jaclyn Kelley / Eyewitness News
Email: jkelley@wwltv.com | Twitter: @jkelleyWWL
NEW ORLEANS -- Police say the men suspected of murdering musician and Bourbon Street DJ Ahmad Sheppard, 33, were dressed as police during the execution-style killing.
One year ago in the early morning hours of June 14, Police found Sheppard bound with duct tape, gagged and shot execution-style in his neighbor's apartment on Prytania Street.
During those first painful weeks friends and family gathered to celebrate the life of the French Quarter street musician and DJ, who moved to New Orleans from Houston because of his love for music.
Even then, his father Donald Sheppard, vowed to fight for his son's justice
'This is not going to be a cold case, I will be here until we find them,' said Ahmad Sheppard's father. 'He did not deserve to go out like that. He was murdered, he was actually executed.'
NOPD Detective Tanisha Sykes is leading the investigation and put out a warrant for the arrest of 25-year-old Travis Cochran.
Detectives believe Cochran and another unidentified man killed the 33-year-old, but there is just one problem, the leads in case dried up and police cannot find Cochran.
'In this particular case the suspect possibly has ties between here and Atlanta,' says Det. Sykes. 'So it's possible he is there with a relative, close friend or girlfriend.'
According to Sykes, Sheppard likely knew the two men because there were no signs of forced entry. What is more shocking, police now revealed the suspects were dressed as cops.
'The assailants were posing as police officers, they were wearing NOPD shirts and they went over to the neighbor's residence stating they had a search warrant,' says Sykes.
Sheppard's neighbor and girlfriend were home when Cochran and his accomplice busted through the front door. The pair robbed the couple, then dragged Sheppard into the apartment and shot him, before taking off in the neighbor's white 2008 Jeep Cherokee.
After months, investigators finally found the missing Jeep Cherokee at a vacant apartment building in New Orleans East, but it provided no new leads.
Police believe these two men they are searching for are possibly related and consider them to be extremely dangerous.
If you have any information that could help police you are urged to call Crimestoppers at 822-1111.
