BR man convicted in ‘vigilante’ murder

• By JOE GYAN JR.
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Oct 29, 2009 - Page: 3B

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A 27-year-old Baton Rouge man was convicted of second-degree murder Wednesday in what a prosecutor called the vigilante-style slaying of another man in 2008.

Assistant District Attorney Beau Higginbotham said Reginald Baker was upset about threats Byron Keith Dabney made to Dabney’s former girlfriend, who is a cousin of Baker.

Less than 90 minutes after the woman told Baker of the threats, Dabney was dead of a single gunshot to the head, the prosecutor argued to the jury.

Higginbotham called it a case of “vigilante justice’’ and told jurors that kind of justice cannot be tolerated.

Baker, 2424 Lark St., allegedly shot Dabney about 9:30 p.m. Sept. 24, 2008, near Dabney’s mother’s 75th Avenue home, police said.

Baker’s attorney, Hays Town III, said Baker denied killing Dabney and told police he was elsewhere that night smoking marijuana.

Town said police made no effort to find a weapon or investigate Baker’s marijuana claim.

Second-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison.

The East Baton Rouge Parish jury also found Baker guilty of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Higginbotham said Baker had a prior armed robbery conviction.

State District Judge Lou Daniel said he will sentence Baker on Nov. 10.