Cayla Kelley, 27, was shot and killed on the evening of January 6, 2024, on the 2700 block of Washington Avenue in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans. Police identified her boyfriend, 31-year-old Earl Simmons, as the suspect and arrested him twelve days later on two counts of second-degree murder, one for Kelley and one for a second person killed with the same gun hours later that night.1NOLA.com. After Two Killed Within Four Hours in Central City, New Orleans Make an Arrest
What Happened on Washington Avenue
New Orleans police responded to the Washington Avenue address at approximately 6:13 p.m. on Saturday, January 6, 2024, and found Kelley dead from gunshot wounds. The Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office publicly identified her two days later, on January 8.2WGNO. Man Accused of Killing Two People on Same Day in New Orleans Surveillance video captured the shooting.1NOLA.com. After Two Killed Within Four Hours in Central City, New Orleans Make an Arrest
How Police Identified Earl Simmons
While officers were still at the scene, Simmons’ brother arrived and told them that Simmons had called him to say he had killed the victim. The brother’s employer later told police that the brother had asked for time off because “his brother just shot his girlfriend,” confirming the relationship between Kelley and Simmons.3NOLA.com. Violent Crime Continues to Plummet in New Orleans
About four hours after Kelley was killed, 64-year-old Eddie Matthews was shot multiple times at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and South Liberty Street, less than a mile away, and died at a hospital.4Audacy/WWL. NOPD Arrests Suspect in Two Different Murders Surveillance footage from that scene showed a man matching Simmons’ description approach Matthews, walk away, then return with a gun and shoot him at least three times. Ballistics testing on evidence recovered from the Kelley scene matched bullets recovered from Matthews’ body, establishing that the same firearm was used in both shootings.1NOLA.com. After Two Killed Within Four Hours in Central City, New Orleans Make an Arrest
Arrest and Charges
On January 18, 2024, NOPD and the U.S. Marshals Service located Simmons at a residence in the city’s Sixth District and arrested him without incident.5NOPD News. NOPD Arrests Suspect in Two Homicide Investigations Simmons, born June 13, 1992, was booked into the Orleans Parish Justice Center on two counts of second-degree murder, one for Kelley and one for Matthews.2WGNO. Man Accused of Killing Two People on Same Day in New Orleans
In Louisiana, second-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole upon conviction. No motive has been reported for the Matthews shooting, and no relationship between Simmons and Matthews has been reported.
Case Status
As of the most recent available reporting, there is no public record of a trial, plea, or sentencing in the case. Simmons is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.