Jezmine Battie

On a Saturday morning, the quiet along a service road in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was broken by a grim discovery. On December 4, 2021, the body of Jezmine Battie, a 32-year-old Black man, was found in a grassy area off the Florida Boulevard service road, near the intersection with Old Hammond Highway. When deputies from the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office arrived, they determined that Mr. Battie had been shot. His death was officially ruled a homicide.

Little has been publicly shared about the life of Jezmine Battie. Those who knew him have contributed to an online memorial, remembering him as a "loving" person. He was a father to four children and worked at a local Little Caesars pizza restaurant. Beyond these few details, the public narrative of his life remains largely unwritten, leaving a void where stories of his passions, relationships, and dreams should be. His death came during a year of unprecedented violence in Baton Rouge, which recorded its highest number of homicides in 2021, a somber context for a personal and family tragedy.

The investigation into Jezmine Battie's murder began immediately, led by detectives from the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. The location where his body was found, a service road paralleling a major city artery, offered few immediate clues. Authorities processed the scene for evidence, but details about what they may have found, or the circumstances that led to Mr. Battie being at that location, have not been released. Investigators have not publicly identified any suspects or persons of interest in the case.

The fundamental questions surrounding the killing remain unanswered. There has been no information released regarding a potential motive, leaving his loved ones and the community to grapple with the senselessness of his death. It is unknown if he was targeted or the victim of a random act of violence, if he was killed at that location or left there, or what the final moments of his life entailed. The silence from law enforcement, while standard in many ongoing investigations, deepens the mystery and prolongs the uncertainty for those seeking justice.

Years have passed since Jezmine Battie was killed, and his case has grown cold. His name is one among many in a year marked by loss and violence in the city, but for his family, his death is a singular, devastating event. No arrests have been made, and no charges have been filed. The investigation officially remains open, but without new leads or public appeals for information, the path to resolving the case is unclear. The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office continues to hold the case file, awaiting a break that might bring clarity and accountability.

The case of who killed Jezmine Battie is now in the hands of the public. Investigators urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward. The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office and Capital Region Crime Stoppers are available to receive tips. Callers to Crime Stoppers at 225-344-7867 can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest.