Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — It’s a haunting anniversary for one Louisiana family as they mourn the death of Linda Frickey, a woman who died during a violent New Orleans carjacking.
On Tuesday, Frickey’s family, wearing “Justice for Linda” t-shirts, gathered at her gravesite at Restlawn Park Cemetery and Mausoleum in Avondale, letting her know that they won’t stop fighting for her. Joined by friends and some of Frickey’s former co-workers, the group prayed and shared memories of Frickey.
“We love and miss you so much,” Frickey’s sister-in-law Kathy Richard said. “Keep watching over us.”
Family members called Frickey dependable and said she had never met a stranger.
“She was just an awesome woman, and she’s our angel now, and we’ll think of that every day,” Frickey’s sister Jinny Lynn Griffin said.
Just a day prior to the one-year mark of Frickey’s death, a criminal district court judge ordered one of the four suspects, Lenyra Theophile, to a mental health facility, delaying her trial.
A court-appointed psychiatrist said that Theophile is unable to assist in her defense and is suffering from depressive symptoms.
“Is she depressed? Probably so, but are we depressed? Definitely, so you know, you did this; you chose this,” Griffin said. “We’re depressed for a different reason than she’s depressed, and we’re not considering ourselves incompetent. We’re competent; we’re coming to court. We want justice.”
Frickey’s family says her death was not in vain and hopes it incites change.
“Our fight is for Linda,” Richard said. “We want justice for our family member, but it’s not just Linda. We want this for all elderly people, for all the victims of this juvenile crime.”
As they remember their loved one, family members also prepare for the trial of the teenagers accused of her murder.
On March 21, 2022, 73-year-old Frickey was sitting in her Nissan Kicks near the intersection of Bienville and North Cortez Street in Mid-City. That’s when the New Orleans Police Department says four suspects approached the car, and forced Frickey out. However, Frickey’s arm was caught in the seatbelt of the vehicle, causing her to be dragged for several blocks until she was fatally dismembered.
Frickey’s death shook New Orleans and caused even more shock when it was determined that the four people accused of her murder were all juveniles. The NOPD later released surveillance footage of the four teens, supposedly capturing the moments that led up to the fatal carjacking.
VIDEO: 73-year-old woman carjacked at gunpoint moments before her horrific death
The four teenagers accused of Frickey’s death are:
- John Honore
- Briniyah Baker
- Lenyra Theophile
- Marquel Curtis
All four teens have been charged with second-degree murder and will be tried as adults. This week, a judge ruled Theophile incompetent to stand trial, however, further evaluations are pending.
As for the remaining three suspects, their trial date is scheduled for April 3.
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