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EBRSO: Family tries to cover up murder after woman's son kills her boyfriend

6 days 14 hours 48 minutes ago Sunday, February 16 2025 Feb 16, 2025 February 16, 2025 10:40 PM February 16, 2025 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - The girlfriend of a man whose body was found "mangled up" on the old bridge Thursday night was arrested in connection to his murder, along with her 17-year-old son and 55-year-old mother. 

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office said 41-year-old Gerard Nicholas Richard's body had a substantial amount of trauma to it when he was found near the center of the Huey P. Long Bridge around 7 p.m. Thursday. Documents say that Richard was wrapped inside a blanket, his wrists tied with rope and tape. His body was run over by multiple vehicles and blood smears along the railing indicated that someone had attempted to throw him off the bridge.

Deputies discovered his girlfriend, 36-year-old Coshelia Conley, her son Da'Sean Conley and her mother Cathy Conley were the last people to see him alive.

Security footage from Conley's apartment in Baker showed her and the others "removing a trash bag believed to contain bloodied clothing items" about 30 minutes before Richard was found. Deputies went to the apartment on Shilo Drive and found a trail of blood and bleach from the parking lot to the apartment. A forensic examination of the apartment showed blood that was not apparent to the naked eye in places that had been heavily cleaned.

In newly released documents, deputies said that Conley's 17-year-old son Da'Sean had been fighting with Richard. That evening, Da'Sean Conley was punching and hitting Richard before the two went to a vehicle in the parking lot and a single gunshot was heard. Deputies said the Conley family destroyed evidence and tried to dispose of the body.

A witness on the bridge told law enforcement they saw two cars stop abruptly ahead of them and then speed away. When the witness got to where the cars stopped, they saw Richard's body wrapped in the blanket.

After his body was found, deputies questioned Conley. She told them that Richard had left her home in her car hours before his body was found. Deputies said that more than an hour after the body was found, her vehicle was spotted heading toward East Feliciana Parish. Law enforcement found the car, which investigators determined had been intentionally set on fire.

Arrest documents said that Conley changed her story multiple times during questioning. Deputies said they got a search warrant for the vehicle she was driving when she showed up to meet homicide detectives. They found a gas can, cloth towels that smelled like bleach and suspected blood on the tailgate.

Coshelia Conley was arrested for being an accessory after the fact of second-degree murder and obstruction of justice. Da'Sean Conley was booked for second-degree murder and obstruction of justice. Cathy Conley was booked for principal to second-degree murder and obstruction of justice.

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