BATON ROUGE, La. — A local man was convicted of second-degree murder after a jury deliberated for less than two hours on Wednesday, finding him guilty in the killing of a man he discovered hiding in his ex-girlfriend’s bathtub.
23-year-old Alvin Joseph Allen III was also found guilty of illegal use of dangerous weapons following a day and a half of gripping courtroom testimony. The courtroom heard how Allen, in a jealous rage, had burst into his former girlfriend’s apartment on the night of September 21, 2022, and unleashed a torrent of gunfire on 25-year-old Keandre Williams, who was struck five times and pronounced dead at the scene.
Prosecutors presented the case not as a crime of passion but as a calculated act of brutality against an unarmed man. Assistant District Attorney Schyler Brooks emphasized to jurors that Allen’s use of a powerful assault rifle turned a personal confrontation into a lethal assault, with bullets from Allen’s weapon piercing through the apartment walls.
“This man took his rifle and gunned down Mr. Williams,” Brooks said during closing arguments, gesturing toward Allen. “He unloaded his weapon into Mr. Williams’ body, leaving him no chance of survival.”
Throughout the trial, it was revealed that Allen’s relationship with his ex-girlfriend had officially ended weeks before the incident. However, defense attorney Samuel Ward Jr. contended that the couple still communicated daily, evidenced by cellphone records, suggesting a continued relationship.
Ward attempted to sway the jury toward a verdict of manslaughter, arguing that provocation led Allen to act in the heat of the moment. Manslaughter, unlike second-degree murder, does not carry a mandatory life sentence and in Louisiana is defined by killing in sudden passion arising from an immediate provocation.
Allen’s emotional turmoil and poor judgment were highlighted by his defense, “Yes, he was in love and his emotions were intense – he shouldn’t have acted as he did, but he did, taking responsibility,” Ward argued, pushing for a lesser conviction that acknowledges the emotional context.
The incident unfolded dramatically when Allen, unable to reach his ex-girlfriend despite numerous calls and texts, forced his way into her apartment. After a violent entry that included striking his ex-girlfriend, she and her roommate fled the scene. Allen then proceeded to find Williams concealed in the bathroom and fatally shot him repeatedly.
Prosecutors rejected the defense’s characterizations, maintaining Allen’s actions were those of a hunter stalking prey rather than a heartbroken lover reacting impulsively.
“He didn’t seek confrontation; he sought to end a life,” Brooks stated starkly. “What occurred was not a hasty reaction but a deliberate and deadly outcome.”
Allen is now facing a life sentence due to his conviction, with formal sentencing scheduled for next month. The case has resonated widely, prompting discussions about the intersections of jealousy, violence, and the tragic finality of actions taken in anger.