Former Marksville man facing murder charges in Sabine Parish

A former Marksville man now living in Many is expected to be formally charged soon with the murders of two registered sex offenders who were shot to death in the past five months.

Blake Joseph Kendall, 39, was booked into Sabine Parish Detention Center on an unrelated charge of theft of a firearm while arrest warrants for two counts of 1st degree murder were being secured. He is being held without bond.

Kendall has been implicated in the deaths of Jerry W. Scott, 72, of Many and Adam L. Jeter, 34, of Zwolle. Scott was found shot to death in his home on Aug. 19. Jeter was killed in his vehicle on Dec. 12 as he was checking his mailbox as he sat in his car.

Sabine Parish District Attorney Don Burkett is expected to present the case to a grand jury in the near future.

TWO VICTIMS

Kendall is accused of 1st degree murder in Scott's death because state law allows the killing of a person over the age of 65 to be classified as a 1st degree murder -- which carries a possible death sentence.

Based on the allegation that Kendall also killed Jeter four months later, he is charged with 1st degree murder of Jeter based on the state law allowing that charge for a person who has “previously acted with a specific intent to kill or inflict great bodily harm that resulted in the killing of one or more persons," Burkett said.

There was no known motive for Scott’s death, although officials theorized it may have been a “hate crime” with Scott being targeted for being a registered sex offender.

Scott was shot once in the chest, through the storm door of his mobile home, and died instantly. He was found lying on his back. Scott was charged with simple kidnapping in 1981 and again in 1994. He was charged with indecent behavior with juveniles and sexual battery in 2004.

Authorities said Jeter’s vehicle rolled into the pasture after he was shot. Investigators were given a description of a vehicle that was seen in the area immediately after the shooting. Jeter had been shot four times.

Jeter had a criminal history and had pleaded guilty to non-violent charges earlier that day. However, he had a prior convictions for attempted forcible rape in 2010, which made him a registered sex offender. 

Investigators determined the two men were both killed by the same Beretta 9 mm pistol. That pistol has been recovered by the Sabine Sheriff’s Office.

Kendall has no prior arrests in Sabine Parish, but was dishonorably discharged from the military.