The first of three people charged in the shooting deaths of cousins Tristavian and Jakeva Datcher has pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against his co-defendants. Rufus Odell Anderson, 22, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 40 years in prison, according to court documentation cited by the Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate.
As part of his plea, Anderson was ordered to testify truthfully against his co-defendants, per court documentation cited by The Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate. Anderson was one of three defendants indicted in the case, which stemmed from the deaths of Tristavian Datcher, 21, and Jakeva Datcher, 21, in a Cross Lake apartment complex parking lot, the paper reports. In a police arrest report cited by the Advocate, Anderson admitted to firing a gun at the scene.
What Happened the Night of Dec. 27, 2024
Shreveport Police Department officers were called to a shooting scene on S. Lakeshore Drive at 10:24 p.m. on Dec. 27, 2024, according to the Advocate’s reporting. Tristavian Datcher was transported to Ochsner LSU Health, where he later died, a detail also reported by shreveporttimes.com, which noted both victims were found shot that night in west Shreveport.
Accounts of where Jakeva Datcher was found differ. The Advocate reports she was found dead in an SUV, while shreveporttimes.com has reported she was found in the backseat of an SUV in the 3000 block of Curtis Lane, and ktbs.com has reported she was found in a vehicle at the intersection of Carondelet Drive and Curtis Avenue. The deaths were counted among the city’s 50th and 51st homicides of 2024, according to a report from ktbs.com.
A Witness Account and a Disputed Drug Deal
A witness allegedly heard the shooting over a phone call with Tristavian Datcher, according to a Shreveport Police Department account relayed by the Advocate. The same witness account indicates Tristavian Datcher had said he would not provide drugs before being paid…