A Louisiana man has been given four consecutive life sentences after he pleaded guilty to beating his girlfriend and three children to death with a hammer.
Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul D. Connick Jr. said 36-year-old Terrance Leonard pleaded guilty Thursday to four counts of first-degree murder, news outlets reported.
Police then found three people dead and two more injured. The deceased victims from the scene were later identified as 32-year-old Kristina Riley, her 10-year-old son (Ayden Riley) and her 9-year-old niece (De’ryona Encalade).
Riley’s two daughters, a 12-year-old and 14-year-old Nashawna were taken to the hospital for critical injuries. Nashawna later succumbed to her injuries, reclassifying the case as a quadruple homicide.
Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto described the attack as “pure evil.” It happened on March 6, 2019, in Terrytown inside their apartment.
It was revealed the children were attacked while they were sleeping, then attacked Riley when she arrived home. Officials confirmed Leonard later admitted to being on crack cocaine at the time of the attack.
Later that morning, Leonard’s mother found Riley and the children with head trauma and called the sheriff’s office.
Investigators said Leonard hid the hammer used in the murders in a nearby trash can, and he tried to clean up the blood before leaving the apartment. He later returned to the scene with his mother who called authorities, not knowing her son committed them, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto said. The sheriff said he believed that Leonard returned to the scene to appear to have an alibi.
After the attack, Lopinto said Leonard told deputies that he was under the influence of drugs at the time. A neighbor told deputies she heard the couple arguing that night when Riley returned home, but the neighbor did not call police.
Leonard also pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and attempted first-degree murder of another of Riley’s daughters, who was 12 years old at the time of the attack.
Contrary to the district attorney’s office’s plans in June 2019, prosecutors have agreed to not seek the death penalty in this case.
Judge Ray Steib of the 24th Judicial District Court sentenced Leonard to 50 years in prison for the attempted first-degree murder, four life sentences, and a 40-year sentence for the obstruction of justice charge.
The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office said Leonard has an extensive criminal history that includes arrests for narcotics possession and distribution, second-degree battery, simple battery, and several offenses against law enforcement.
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