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Arraignments set for teens accused in murder, gang member

Melissa Gregory
mgregory@thetowntalk.com, (318) 792-1807

Arraignments are set for Friday in the cases of four teens accused in a beating death and in the case of an alleged Alexandria gang member.

Akeeley Keshawn Blade Jr. (left) and Brooke Ashlyn Daniels

The four Alexandria teens — 17-year-olds Akeeley Keshawn Blade Jr. and Brooke Ashlyn Daniels and 16-year-olds Travis Jamire Weston and Camryn Neil Lasyone — were indicted on Aug. 25 after a decision had been made to try them all as adults.

They are accused in the beating death and robbery of Michael Butler, a 55-year-old man from Lecompte who was staying at the Motel 6, 546 MacArthur Drive in Alexandria. Though badly beaten, Butler was able to tell responding Alexandria Police Department officers that a female had come to his door, according to the department. While the two spoke, the other suspects burst through the door.

Attorney Tiffany L. Ratliff filed two motions, one to set bond and another to reduce bond, on Sept. 1 on Blade's behalf. Rapides Parish Clerk of Court records do not reflect attorneys for any of the other three defendants.

All four have been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder. No bonds were set on the murder charges, but bonds for each were set at $250,000 on the conspiracy charges.

Assuming the arraignments are held as scheduled on Friday, the four can be expected to enter pleas to the charges filed against them.

Alger Joseph Boyd Jr.

Also expected to be arraigned on Friday is Alger Joseph Boyd Jr., an alleged member of the Triple M Murder Team in Alexandria. Boyd was among 14 members or associates indicted in late March on a variety of charges, but he wasn't captured until mid-July in Columbus, Ohio.

Boyd has been charged with racketeering and remains in the Rapides Parish Detention Center on a $500,000 bond. Attorney Malcolm X. Larvadain has filed several motions on Boyd's behalf already.