Killer of Edna Karr student pleads guilty to manslaughter, avoids murder trial

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - The 20-year-old killer of an Edna Karr High School student who was a former baseball teammate avoided a murder trial and potential life sentence Monday (Aug. 28) when the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s office accepted a guilty plea to manslaughter.

Tyrese Carter admitted to shooting two-sport athlete Keyron Ross to death on Jan. 26, 2022. Ross was the kicker on the school’s football team and the catcher for the Cougars’ baseball team. According to MaxPreps, the two played baseball together.

Carter was set to go on trial Monday for second-degree murder, where a conviction would have brought a mandatory life sentence. But the DA’s office offered to forego the trial in exchange for Carter pleading guilty to manslaughter and to obstruction of justice.

Under terms of the plea deal, Carter received the maximum manslaughter sentence of 40 years. A 10-year sentence on the obstruction charge will follow, to be served consecutively according to court records. Retired Judge Raymond Bigelow, presiding pro tempore in Section I of Criminal District Court, accepted the plea agreement.

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“Keyron was a beloved member of the Edna Karr High School community, where he started for both the football and baseball teams,” Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams said in a statement. “A recipient of a dual athletic scholarship from the University of Georgia, he was not only looking forward to competing at the college level but also the birth of his first child, who was born just months after his senseless, tragic death. My office worked hard to prepare this case for success at trial.”

Williams’ statement did not explain why it did not pursue a murder conviction in the case.

“We are confident the correct perpetrator of this crime is being held accountable for his actions,” Williams continued in the statement. “We fought to ensure Carter received the maximum allowed sentence for his crimes, and he faces up to 50 years following his guilty plea. We are grateful to Keyron’s family, who were active and supportive participants in all phases of this prosecution. It was their forward thinking and compassion that enabled the plea offer and eventual acceptance.”

Ross was fatally shot while sitting in his vehicle in the 3800 block of Texas Drive in Algiers. Carter was developed as the suspect and eventually surrendered to New Orleans police on Feb. 7, 2022.

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