Shreveport Man Found Guilty of Attempted Murder

A Shreveport man involved in the severe beating of a victim at a Shreveport apartment complex six years ago was found guilty as charged Wednesday, April 20, 2022, of attempted second-degree murder.

When Willie Dewayne Lynn, 36, returns to court for sentencing May 5, 2022, he faces at least 10 years in prison, or up to 50 years without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence.

The jury determined that on January 24, 2016, when four friends met at the Kings Manor Apartment Complex in the 7200 block of Bernstein Avenue to celebrate a birthday, Lynn drove to the complex uninvited and physically attacked one of the party-goers, a woman he was dating at the time. He repeatedly struck the woman in the face, and when a male friend of his at the party shouted at him to stop, Lynn retrieved a metal pole from his truck and attacked the male friend. Lynn struck the man repeatedly in the head even after the victim became incapacitated. Lynn fled before police arrived but was found hiding in a commercial garbage Dumpster.

One state's witness, Dr. Bharat Guthikonda, testified that the victim needed two life-saving brain surgeries. Another state's witness, Dr. Leigh Henderson, testified the victim now is paralyzed and will require around-the-clock assistance for daily needs the rest of his life.

The 10-woman, two-man jury deliberated two hours before returning its unanimous verdict, after hearing six witnesses Tuesday, April 19, and five more witnesses the following day. The state rested Wednesday and the defense rested without presenting any witnesses.

This case was previously tried in 2017 and a guilty verdict was returned. But that verdict was not unanimous and in late 2020 the U. S. Supreme Court mandated a retrial of this case.