Two teens responsible for killing a local pastor's wife during a November 2018 carjacking in Gentilly have plead guilty.
District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro's office announced they’ve secured a guilty pleas for 18-year-old Jontrell Robinson and 19-year-old Edwin Cottrell. The teens no longer face a trial for second-degree murder in the death of Jeannot Plessy. Instead, they pleaded guilty to the lesser manslaughter charge.
They also pleaded guilty as charged to attempted second-degree murder, two counts of obstruction of justice, conspiracy to obstruct justice, simple robbery, and conspiracy to commit simple robbery
A new release from the DA’s office says, “Criminal District Judge Benedict Willard scheduled sentencing for March second. But, under terms of a plea agreement already approved by Plessy's family, Robinson is expected to receive a 30-year state prison sentence and Cottrell a 12-year term for the crimes”
DA’s office says back in 2018, Plessy (49), arrived at her adult daughter's house in the 2400 block of Prentiss Avenue that night to pick up two of her children. They say the teens pulled Plessy out of her parked vehicle and threw her to the ground. One teen, climbed into the driver's seat while the other waited in a separate stolen minivan. They say When Plessy's 33-year-old son-in-law heard her screams and tried to intervene, the teen in Plessy’s vehicle accelerated in reverse, striking both victims, killing Plessy.
"This tragic case serves as a stark reminder of the quick, violent turns that can take place when young offenders are involved in carjackings, auto thefts and vehicle burglaries," Cannizzaro said. "These incidents can flip from non-violent to deadly in a split-second, as we have seen when Jeannot Plessy and Zelda Townsend lost their lives. For anyone to dismiss such crime as a 'nuisance' disrespects the lives lost and does a disservice to us all."
