Crime
Vicksburg man sentenced to life in Louisiana murder-for-hire case
A Vicksburg man has been sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in a Louisiana murder-for-hire case. Johnnie Hicks was identified as the gunman in the murder of 65-year-old Herman Harris in 2024.
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A Vicksburg man has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in a Louisiana murder-for-hire case.
Johnnie Hicks officially received his life sentence Monday along with co-defendants Rilonda Brooks and David Brooks. Prosecutors identified Hicks as the gunman who shot and killed 65-year-old Herman Harris in 2024.
During the trial, Javadda Lewis, an Edwards, Mississippi, native, testified against the defendants for nearly four hours. Lewis identified Hicks as the person who shot and killed Harris.
Lewis’ testimony portrayed the killing as part of a murder-for-hire plot. According to Lewis, Brooks told him that his sister was having problems with an employee and that “she needed him out of the way.”
Lewis testified that Brooks then proposed compensation in exchange for carrying out the plan. Hicks was to receive a vehicle and a job, while Lewis was to receive a fronted kilogram of cocaine.
Lewis also detailed the events leading up to Harris’ death, testifying that he and Hicks went to Harris’ home before the killing. According to Lewis, the two knocked on the door, turned the doorknob and entered the residence.
Lewis said he initially went inside before stepping back outside, where he stood under the carport as a lookout while Hicks remained in the home.
According to Lewis’ testimony, Hicks later emerged from the residence carrying a pillow. Lewis said Hicks dropped the pillow before the two fled to a vehicle.
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