It seems now that the case will go to trial on November 5th in U.S. District Court Judge Eldon Fallon's court, after being postponed a few times.
http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2012/08/marrero_man_accused_of_mulitpl.html
Here is a link with some of the legal doc from the case, including this summary of it.
This case arises out of alleged arson of an apartment, resulting in death and personal injuries to the occupants of the apartment. At approximately 4:00 a.m. on November 10, 2004, Jefferson Parish sheriff's deputies and firefighters were called to a two-story, four-plex at 1005 Tallowtree in Gretna, Louisiana. Inside Apartment C of the building, there was a fire on the second floor landing. After the firefighters extinguished the fire they found in the upstairs bedrooms: Cynthia Carto; Ms. Carto's baby Cyanna; Ms. Carto's brother Cleveland McGinnis, Jr.; Ms. Carto's mother Janis; and Ms. Carto's brother Jarvis. All were deceased except Jarvis. Ms. Carto had died from multiple stab wounds before the fire started. Mr. McGinnis also had stab wounds, but non-lethal. Cyanna died from smoke inhalation. Janice had a lethal stab wound but was still alive when the fire started. Within an hour, the Defendant, father of Cyanna, was arrested in connection with the fire.
The Defendant was indicted by a Jefferson Parish grand jury with four counts of first degree murder and one count of attempted first degree murder. These charges were later reduced to second degree murder and attempted second degree murder. The only issue at trial was the identity of the person who committed the crimes. The jury acquitted the Defendant on all counts on May 31, 2008.
On June 2, 2011, a federal Indictment for Arson of a Building Affecting Interstate Commerce Resulting in Death and Physical Injury was returned against the Defendant. (R. Doc. 1). In the Indictment, the Grand Jury charges that on or about November 10, 2004, in the Eastern District of Louisiana, the Defendant, "maliciously damaged and destroyed and attempted to destroy, by means of fire and explosive materials, the multi-residential building at 1005 Tallowtree Apartment "C" in Harvey, Louisiana," and resulted in the death of "Cyanna Carto (age 10 months) and Cleveland McGinnis, Jr. (age 11 years old)" and personal injuries "to Janice Carto (age 32 years old), Jarvis Carto (age 10 years old), and Fireman Walter Allen," all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(i). See id.
The Indictment also contains a number of Special Findings, supporting the statutory aggravating factors of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 3591, 3592, and 3593. See id. Among these Special Findings are charges that the Defendant intentionally killed Carto and McGinnis; in committing the offenses charged, Defendant did so "in an especially heinous, cruel, or depraved manner in that it involved torture or serious physical abuse;" and Defendant committed the offense after substantial planning and pre-meditation to cause death. See id. A Notice is attached to the Indictment stating that certain of the charges in the Indictment carry a maximum penalty of death if the Department of Justice chooses to seek the death penalty. "
I had just typed up a much longer post which was lost when I hit "post". I will rewrite it again tomorrow.
Thanks to everyone who stops by this thread and takes an interest in this case. It is time for this case to come to light and for justice for Cleveland and his family to finally happen.
In light of the fact that Jhessye Shockley's killer (her bio mom, jerice hunter) was finally arrested today and in another case Drew Peterson was FINALLY found guilty today of murdering his wife, I have a renewed hope that we will see some justice in this case as well.