GUILTY LA - Levi Cole Ellerbe, 6 mos, kidnapped, burned to death, Natchitoches, 17 Jul 2018 *arrests*

[Niner]

If anyone noticed I have not posted anything on the trial for Monday, 10/26 or today - as I have NO idea what is going on in this case....

Anyone?

 

[Marg from Oz]

I'm in Australia so am as clueless as you are. One consolation is they will not be going anywhere. So, we just have to wait.

 

[Niner]

Bumping up - I'm still getting old articles - most recent June, 2020.

Was wondering if anyone in the U.S. following this case can find ANYTHING on this "supposed" trial for Barker that supposedly started on 10/16/20??

TIA!

 

[Niner]

No idea IF this is going to start this morning since I am only getting very old articles & have no access to the court sites in LA. But I'll go ahead & post this - just in case - and maybe someone reading here will see a recent article on both of them.

Tuesday, January 19th:
*Trial set to begin (@ am ET) – LA – Levi Cole Ellerbe (6 mos.) (July 17, 2018, Natchitoches; died July 18, 2018; kidnapped & burned to death) – for *Felicia Marie-Nicole Smith (25/now 27) arrested & charged (7/21/18), indicted (8/30/18) & arraigned (1/24/19) with 1 count of 1st degree murder & charged (1/24/19) with criminal conspiracy. Plead not guilty. Held without bond. Natchitoches Parish Detention Center/Richland Parish
Trial set to begin on 1/19/21.
7/25/18 Update: Additional charges are expected for Smith. 7/28/18: DA charges Smith with criminal conspiracy. 10/16/18: First appearance scheduled for 10/23. 10/23/18: Next hearing on 12/20. 1/24/19 Update: Plead not guilty. Another judicial procedure is set for April 2019 (no exact date); Trial is set for March 2020.
4/30/19 Update: Had Motion hearing re Smith not having an attorney since her arrest & indictment. A Preliminary hearing was granted to determine if there's enough evidence to proceed in her case after a judge cited the delay in appointing a public defender for her on 6/14. 6/14/19: Preliminary hearing continued to 8/23. 8/23/19: Next hearing on 11/12. 11/12/19: Several motions were discussed. Next motions hearing continues to 12/16. 12/16/19: Status hearing on 3/10/20. DA has yet to decide whether to seek the death penalty.
3/10/20 Update: The defense worked to obtain DNA data from the state crime lab. Judge Desiree Duhon Dyess had signed a subpoena for the evidence, but it hasn't been turned over. Asst. DA Cliff Strider withdrew a motion for change of venue after the defense opposed it. Trial has been set for 1/19/21.
*Hanna Nicole Barker (22/now 23) “mom”- Trial was set to begin in Oct. 16, 2020. No update as of 1/19/21.

 

[Subiechik21]

I found the following SS on the main page of 10th Judicial District of Louisiana's website.
Tenth Judicial District Court of Louisiana

 

[Niner]

Thanks @Subiechik21 ! Making note of this.

 

[Subiechik21]

Thanks @Subiechik21 ! Making note of this.

You're welcome!

 

[Niner]

Bumping up for little Levi - anyone know "what" is going on with this case?

TIA!
- I'm just getting very old articles over here....

 

[Niner]

@Subiechik21 - any updates yet on these 2?

TIA!

 

[Niner]

Bumping up again for @Subiechik21 - it is past March - so wonder if there might be update on these 2?
I looked in the jail site - but neither of them came up...

TIA!

 

[Niner]

Bumping up for anyone that might have heard anything about court dates or trial dates for these 2 *#$(%) ??

TIA!

 

[Niner]

I posted on FB to see if I would get a response. I did!

I asked if there were any court dates coming up for these 2....

Justice For Baby Levi Ellerbe
Hopefully Hanna first of October. No word on Felicia yet


link: sorry no link - it gave my name....

 

[Niner]

Okay - I looked at the FB for Levi - and can't link as it gives my name.

Hanna is due in court for motions hearing on 7/1/21 & trial still to begin on 10/1/21. On Felicia - waiting for DNA testing results. No dates on her.

 

[Niner]

I hate it when I can't access articles....

Can someone give a 10% synopsis on this one? And what the additional charges are? And maybe a court hearing date? TIA!

Mom faces additional charge in burning of baby in Natchitoches

 

[misgrn]

I hate it when I can't access articles....

Can someone give a 10% synopsis on this one? And what the additional charges are? And maybe a court hearing date? TIA!

Mom faces additional charge in burning of baby in Natchitoches

From the link you shared:

"According to the Natchitoches Parish Journal, an amended indictment returned Thursday charges Hanna Barker with conspiracy to commit murder. The Journal said the charge adds $60,000 to her bail that now tops $1 million."

It was a short article so paraphrasing the rest.
Prosecutors said Barker asked Felicia Smith to kill Levi and that Barker waited a few hours before reporting that he had been kidnapped.

According to the article, Barker's next hearing is set for July 15th. Her trial is set to start in September and that the DA is seeking the death penalty. Smith's trial is scheduled to start in January.

Edited for clarification

 

[Niner]

Thanks a bunch @misgrn !

Okay - I had Barker's next hearing on July 1st - have moved it to the 15th & I have her trial starting Oct. 1st.

 

[Niner]

Thursday, July 15th:
*Motions Hearing (@ ET) – LA – Levi Cole Ellerbe (6 mos.) (July 17, 2018, Natchitoches; died July 18, 2018; kidnapped & burned to death) – *Hanna Nicole Barker (22/now 24) “mom” arrested (7/25/18), charged (7/28/18) & indicted (8/9/18) with principle to first-degree murder, meaning “actual perpetrator of the crime” & 1 count of criminal conspiracy. Indicted (11/8/18) with 1st degree murder. Plead not guilty. Held without bond. DA will seek DP.
Trial was set to begin on 10/16/20 continued to 10/1/21. Jury will be picked from St. Landry Parish, but will be tried in Natchitoches Parish.
10/22/20 Trial Day 1: Again no info on this trial. Trial was cancelled. 5/11/21 Update: Motions hearing on 7/15/21. Trial to begin on 10/1/21.
*Felicia Marie-Nicole Smith – Trial was set to begin in Jan. 19, 2021. All hearings on hold for DNA testing results.

 

[FlossyMay]

This poor boy will always haunt me.

Such a cruel and senseless act.

 

[Niner]

Hanna Barker arraigned on new charge in death of Levi Cole Ellerbe

July 16, 2021

NATCHITOCHES — Hanna Nicole Barker, the mother accused in the 2018 burning death of her baby boy, was arraigned Thursday on an additional charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder of a child younger than 12.

Barker, 25, already was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of 6-month-old Levi Cole Ellerbe. She faces the death penalty.
[.....]
Barker pleaded not guilty to the new charge, letting attorney Dru Thompson answer for her. Thompson stood beside her, his arm around her shoulder at times.

The rest of the hearing was spent setting dates for future hearings. On Aug. 12, motions not related to the death penalty part of the case are scheduled to be heard. Motions related to the death penalty are scheduled for Aug. 17.

Barker's trial remains set for Sept. 27. Jury selection should begin that day with potential jurors brought in from St. Landry Parish.

 

[Niner]

YES!!

Felicia Smith pleads guilty in burning death of baby Levi Cole Ellerbe

July 21, 2021

NATCHITOCHES — The woman who prosecutors say set 6-month-old Levi Cole Ellerbe on fire in a ditch on July 17, 2018, has taken a plea deal that will send her to prison for life and could require her to testify against the baby's mother.

Felicia Marie-Nicole Smith, 28, pleaded guilty Wednesday afternoon to an amended bill of information that charged her with manslaughter, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and cruelty to a juvenile.

She will receive 40 years at hard labor without the benefit of probation or suspension of sentence for manslaughter, 30 years at hard labor for conspiracy and 10 years at hard labor for cruelty to a juvenile. The sentences will be served consecutively, meaning she'll be sent to prison for 80 years.

Tenth Judicial District Court Judge Desiree Duhon Dyess accepted the plea after an afternoon of meetings between the state and defense.
[.....]
Smith will be formally sentenced on Oct. 27.