Three arrested in spring drive-by killing
Left to right, Earnest Chatman, Emmanuel Seals and Jamion James have been arrested on murder charges stemming from a May drive-by shooting on Interstate 20 that resulted in the death of a 19-year-old Ruston woman.
Ruston police have arrested three Lincoln Parish teenagers in connection with a drive-by shooting on I-20 in May that killed 19-year-old Haleei Newton.
Emmanuel Seals, Jr., 18, of Ruston; Jamion T. James, 19, of Grambling; and Earnest Chatman, 19, of Simsboro, have each been charged with second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, and obstruction of justice.
The trio was arrested Thursday after a threemonth investigation.
“I’m extremely proud of our guys,” Ruston Police Chief Steve Rogers said.
He said investigators worked tirelessly to develop leads enabling them to begin looking for suspects.
The shooting occurred between the Tarbutton overpass and Tech Drive interchange shortly after midnight May 25 as Newton and a male companion were apparently returning to Ruston from a party in Arcadia.
Police say the incident appears to have stemmed from an argument that began at the party. They say Newton wasn’t the target of the attack.
“She was basically an innocent casualty,” Rogers said.
Newton graduated from Ruston High School four days before she was killed. A post on the school’s website said Newton would be remembered for her “fun-loving personality, bright smile, and ability to make people laugh. …”
Newton was struck once in the back by a bullet that traveled through the back of Newton’s 2009 Kia Spectra.
Her unidentified male passenger, who was uninjured, apparently was able to steer the car to the side of road, police said at the time.
An RPD officer on routine patrol north of I-20 around the time of the incident heard multiple gunshots that he believed were coming from the interstate, Rogers said. As the officer was en route, dispatch advised him of a call saying someone had been shot in a car on the highway.
Newton was unresponsive when officers arrived, Rogers said.
The suspects, who were in a vehicle traveling behind Newton, had fled.
“We basically tried to backtrack (Newton’s) day. Through some excellent work by our detectives, they were able to develop suspects,” Rogers said.
Police say the suspects and Newton supposedly knew each other. Chatman, James, and Seals are being held in the Lincoln Parish Detention Center on $1.9 million bond each.
Rogers said the case remains under investigation, and anyone with any further information regarding the shooting should contact the RPD at 318-255-4141.
