N.O. man convicted in stabbing death

• By DEBRA LEMOINE
• Advocate Florida parishes bureau
• Published: Oct 22, 2009 - Page: 3B

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AMITE — A Tangipahoa Parish jury convicted a New Orleans man late Wednesday night of killing a Hammond man by stabbing him 14 times and hitting him on the head with a hammer 17 times.

The jury of four men and eight women received the second-degree murder case at 6:40 p.m. Wednesday in the 21st Judicial District Courthouse in Amite and returned with the verdict about 9:40 p.m.

District Judge Brenda Bedsole Ricks set sentencing for Nov. 3.

Roderick Dangerfield, 48, of New Orleans, was tried for killing Cordell McMorris, 25, of Hammond, during a fight on Sun Lane in Hammond on Feb. 23, 2004.

No specific motive was given for the crime, but McMorris was a known drug dealer who used Dangerfield’s Lincoln Town Car to sell his goods, attorneys said during the trial.

Dangerfield initially told the Hammond police officers investigating McMorris’ death that Dangerfield and McMorris were attacked by two other men, Assistant District Attorney Patricia Parker said in her closing arguments.

Two weeks after his arrest, his story changed, she said. Dangerfield then told detectives he had struggled with McMorris and felt the serrated kitchen knife enter McMorris  twice, Parker told the jury.

However, forensic evidence shows that McMorris was stabbed 14 times, six of them fatal blows, Parker said in her closing arguments.

“Even though any one of the six could be fatal, he didn’t stop there,” Parker said.

Sherman Mack, Dangerfield’s defense attorney, told the jury in his closing arguments that Dangerfield saw McMorris was being attacked by two men and tried to help him.

McMorris, who had cocaine and ecstasy in his system, didn’t understand Dangerfield was trying to help and attacked Dangerfield, Mack said.

Two of the stab wounds were caused by Dangerfield during the struggle, Mack said.

“Cardell McMorris probably didn’t know what planet he was on, let alone who he was fighting with,” Mack told the jury.