Derrell Haynes

Derrell Marquise Haynes, known affectionately to his loved ones as "Rell," was a young man from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with his life ahead of him. Born on July 18, 1995, to his parents Derrick Haynes and Jelanda Harness, Derrell was just 19 years old as the Christmas season arrived in 2014. He was a Black male navigating the cusp of adulthood, but his future was tragically stolen from him just two days before the holiday.

The evening of Tuesday, December 23, 2014, turned fatal for Derrell in the parking lot of a Piggly Wiggly grocery store on Choctaw Drive in Baton Rouge. In what should have been a busy, festive time, the scene was shattered by gunfire. According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, Derrell was shot in the chest during an encounter that investigators believe was a drug deal that had gone wrong. Witnesses at the scene described the shooter fleeing in a red 2013 Chevrolet Impala, leaving chaos and a mortally wounded teenager behind. Derrell Marquise Haynes died there in the parking lot from the gunshot wound.

The investigation into the homicide was launched by the Baton Rouge Police Department. Detectives worked quickly, gathering witness statements and evidence from the scene. Their efforts soon focused on a person of interest. Just three days after the shooting, on December 26, police publicly identified their suspect and announced that they had issued an arrest warrant. The warrant was for 22-year-old Aljerard Warner of nearby Brusly, Louisiana, who was wanted for the murder of Derrell Haynes.

Following the announcement, police requested the public's help in locating Warner, asking anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact Crime Stoppers. The investigation hinged on bringing the named suspect into custody to answer for the violent death of Derrell Haynes. The red Chevrolet Impala the shooter used to escape the grocery store parking lot was a key piece of information released to the public in the hopes of generating leads.

Despite the swift identification of a suspect and the issuance of an arrest warrant, the subsequent legal proceedings and the resolution of the case remain unclear in publicly available records. Information regarding whether Aljerard Warner was ever apprehended, charged, or brought to trial for the murder of Derrell Haynes has not been publicized in the years since the warrant was issued. The case's progression through the justice system has gone cold from the public's view.

As of late 2014, the Baton Rouge Police Department was actively seeking Aljerard Warner in connection with the homicide of Derrell Marquise Haynes. The family was left to mourn a profound loss during a time meant for celebration, their grief compounded by the unanswered questions surrounding the pursuit of justice. The case remains a painful memory for a family missing their son, and for a community that lost a young life to gun violence. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Aljerard Warner or further details about the shooting was urged to call Crime Stoppers at 344-7867.