Karrington Len Jade Smith

Karrington Len Jade Smith, a 17-year-old White female from St. Helena Parish, was known to her loved ones as "Jade." She was a joyful young woman who made friends everywhere she went and had a passion for helping others. For nearly eight years, she served as a junior volunteer firefighter in her hometown, where her father was the fire chief, and she dreamed of one day following in his footsteps or becoming a nurse. In the spring of 2022, Jade was excitedly preparing for motherhood. She was 26 weeks pregnant with her first child, a boy she and his father, Dustin Husser, planned to name Dallas Layne Husser. She had been working hard to finish her high school studies before his due date in June, and the day after her death, her family learned she had passed her final tests and graduated.

On the evening of Saturday, March 12, 2022, Jade was in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, riding in a car with four friends from her parish. The group was on Siegen Lane, heading to Top Golf for a fun night out. Jade was in the front passenger seat. In the seat directly behind her sat another passenger, Chad Blackard.

The atmosphere in the car turned tragic when Blackard began playing with a handgun. According to investigators, Blackard was repositioning the weapon when he squeezed the trigger. A single bullet discharged, traveling through the passenger seat and striking Jade in the back. She was rushed to a local hospital, but the gunshot wound proved fatal. Neither Jade nor her unborn son, Dallas, survived.

When authorities first arrived, a wounded Jade reportedly told them her own gun had accidentally discharged in her purse. However, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office investigation soon pointed to Blackard as the person who fired the weapon. After questioning, he was arrested and booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. He was charged with negligent homicide, third-degree feticide, and illegal use of a weapon.

Blackard initially pleaded not guilty to the charges in August 2022. The case concluded the following year. On May 16, 2023, Chad Blackard withdrew his former plea and pleaded guilty to negligent homicide and third-degree feticide. A judge sentenced him to five years at hard labor, with 30 months of the sentence suspended. Blackard was given credit for time already served and was ordered to serve three years of active, supervised probation.