Bossier Murder Suspect Arrested, Teen Victim Named

The Bossier Sheriff's Office has announced that a suspect has been arrested for the shooting death of an 18-year-old male in the Dogwood South subdivision in Bossier Parish.

Authorities have arrested 18-year-old Taylor Jackson Kerley on charges of 1st Degree Murder and one count of Aggravated 2nd Degree Battery. He was taken into custody in the Greenwood area without incident Saturday morning by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force.

Bossier Sheriff’s Office detectives and Crime Scene Investigators have been tirelessly investigating the shooting death since 3:20 a.m. Friday morning. They conducted a thorough investigation all day and overnight Friday, culminating with the arrest of Kerley early Saturday morning.

Detectives determined that Kerley arrived at the residence of Johnathan Bothwell, 18, at the 100 block of Dogwood South Lane, around 3:15 a.m. Friday in a scheme detectives believe was a “drug rip,” where the supposed drug deal was actually intended to be a robbery. During the robbery, Bothwell was shot and killed in the residence. There were other family members in the residence, and Kerley battered one of the other adults in the house before fleeing the scene.

Bossier investigators have recovered the firearm.

Kerley faces a total of $875,000 bond ($750,000 on the murder charge and $125,000 on the battery charge).

Law enforcement officers from the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Desoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Greenwood Police Department assisted in the investigation. Bossier Sheriff’s Office detectives are continuing their investigation.