Elliot Smith, 33, was killed in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, on the night of October 9, 2015, in a double homicide that also claimed the life of Quandell Beard. Authorities linked the slayings to drug-related activity and opened a multiagency investigation involving the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, the DEA, and the Hammond Police Department.

Investigators identified several suspects. Three men — Don Raines, Travon Pitts, and Baron Smith — were arrested and charged in connection with the killings. Raines and Pitts were charged with second-degree murder, while Baron Smith faced a first-degree murder charge. A fourth man, Calvin Alexander, was later indicted on first-degree murder charges along with allegations of drug distribution and a conspiracy to commit murder for hire. All the accused were being held in federal custody without bond as the case moved forward.