Robbery leads to murder near Covington

Three men charged in connection with 18-year-old's attack

By Erik Sanzenbach
and Anne Lautzenheiser
St. Tammany News
Published on Friday, July 24, 2009 8:52 AM CDT

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Three men are in the St. Tammany Parish Jail on robbery and second-degree murder charges in connection with a botched robbery Tuesday night that resulted in the death of an 18-year-old man in the Abita Nursery subdivision near Covington.

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesman Capt. George Bonnett said deputies got a 911 call from the female friend of the victim at 8 p.m. Tuesday. She told dispatchers her friend had allegedly been attacked by three men outside a home on Jasmine Street in the subdivision. According to the woman, she and the victim, identified as Joshua Farmer of Covington, were driving in the area and had stopped to talk to the three men. The subdivision is located on Louisiana Highway 36 between Covington and Abita Springs.

Deputies arrived on the scene, and Farmer was treated and taken to St. Tammany Parish Hospital. Sheriff Jack Strain announced Wednesday that Farmer died from his injuries early Wednesday afternoon.

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Bonnett would not elaborate on the nature of the injuries but said there were no weapons involved, and there were no reports of gunshots in the area.

“It looked like this was a hand-to-hand incident,” Bonnett said, adding investigators believe robbery was the motive for the attack. Preliminary reports from the Coroner’s Office indicate head injury may have been the cause of death, but a full report with an official determination was expected later.

It is unclear what led the men to target Farmer.

“It’s easy to make assumptions as to why they were there, but we don’t want to speculate,” Bonnett said. “The investigators are still piecing this together.”

Bonnett said investigators quickly found out Tuesday night the three suspects were at a home in Lacombe. Deputies went to the house and arrested the three men on one count each of second-degree aggravated battery. The suspects are Pierre Perkins, 20, 21225 Fern St., Covington, Brenton Hills, 21, 74245 Jasmine St., Covington, and Cedric McCormick, 19, 10973 Cherryhill Ave., Baton Rouge.

Two of the three men have criminal records. McCormick was arrested on charges of aggravated battery and burglary in the Baton Rouge area in 2008, while Perkins was arrested on narcotics charges in St. Tammany in 2007 and 2008.

After the victim died Wednesday, Bonnett said the charges on the three men were changed to one count of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree robbery for each of the suspects. Bonnett said bond hearings on the three would be set later.

This is the third homicide in the parish for 2009.

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Comments

28 comment(s)

bullshit wrote on Dec 19, 2009 8:53 AM:

" Forget all the nonsense these ppl are talking about. The three young men were probally minding their own business in their own neighborhood. Has anyone ever thought of that. Has anyone ever thought of thinking about JOSHUA FARMERS history? Why was he out there? What was he doing on someones property? where he probally came from? What about tht? No one has no right to judge anyone. Only God has tht right. People say something on what they hear from a one sided story. They only think about what happened to the victim. What about the WHOLE STORY!!!! "

angela farmer wrote on Oct 27, 2009 11:30 AM:

" The boys knew his medical and knew he could not take a blow to the head 1 boy went to skool with himthey knew he carried money on him so he became there target they took 4 $ from him do you think that should have happened I fill sorry for the boys and there family do you think they thaught that when they did it they did not mean to kill him they saybut they knew what would happen if they hit hin the head who was desprate for drugs here "

angela farmer wrote on Oct 27, 2009 11:22 AM:

" This is Joshua Farmers mother Josh was born wiyh glaucoma he had been on thc since ha was 2 weeks old and yes my son has been in trouble all kids make mistakes but my son learned from his corrected them and moved on he went to rehab and just got out went back to work and had left the drugs alone nobody in life are saints the boys said he was not looking for drugs and did not owe no bill they were looking for someone to rob that nitethat came out the own kids mouth "

Jim wrote on Aug 5, 2009 11:39 PM:

" See forgottenvictims.com for similar cases and also wichita-massacre.com. "

not denying the truth wrote on Aug 5, 2009 10:57 AM:

" yodimiest, Josh could have bought exactly $20 worth of dope. That is a very common denomination of money used to by illicit narcotics. I knew Josh as well, I knew he used drugs and had knowledge of him being in trouble with the police on a regular basis. That doesn’t justify his murder though. It would be extremely difficult to prove that he stopped in a high crime and drug trafficking area to pass out bibles to the boys that killed him. May he rest in peace. "

yodimiest wrote on Aug 3, 2009 5:10 AM:

" JOSH WAS A GREAT KID, KIND, LOVING AND CONSIDERATE. THE ONLY REASON HE WAS IN THE AREA WAS BECAUSE HE WAS VISITING A CO-WORKER WHO WORKED AT THE SAME RESTRUANT AS HE DID. JOSH HAD LESS THAN 20.OO DOLLARS STOLEN FROM HIM WHEN HE WAS MURDERED. JUST HOW MUCH "DOPE " COULD HE HAVE POSSIBABLE PURCHASED ? COME ON NOW , LETS BE REASONABLE. JOSH DIED A SENSELESS AND HORRIBLE DEATH. PLEASE REMEMBER HIM AND THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS HE LEFT BEHIND IN YOUR PRAYERS. "

An Upset Covington Resident wrote on Aug 2, 2009 1:14 PM:

" Warning! My daughter, son-in-law and grandughter were attacked on Tyler St. & 29th. After stopping for the stop sign she saw what looked to be a 2 kids of color crossing the street. They darted out in front of her so she stopped again to let them pass. Before she knew it they were at her window with a gun asking for all the money. My granddaughter woke screeming and it startled them. One ran and the other hit my daughter in the face with the gun. Thank God they werent shot. Please becareful at this intersection! "

lel410 wrote on Aug 2, 2009 1:04 PM:

" Looks like the attitudes of New Orleans criminals has invaded St. Tammany for good. I also appears that the people full of excuses for the actions of these animals and others like them are in full force out here too. Every lake, ocean, river, etc. has trash wash ashore after a storm, and St. Tammany is no different. Send them all back to Nagin's camp, and if they didn't come from there originally, send them anyway - they'll fit right in. We need to show that decent people won't tolerate this form of animal life. "

First Hand Knowledge wrote on Jul 31, 2009 2:39 PM:

" Nicole, If anyone is saying Joshua “should have died” they are wrong. If you are were as close to him as you claim, then you would know that Joshua has had several run-ins with the law. Joshua has been involved with several incidents that would be frowned upon by even his own peers. I pray that Joshua is in a better place, and had made his peace before he departed us, but its no secret Joshua had taken the rough road on more than one occasion. Would you “just take a drive in that neighborhood?” "

Concerned Resident wrote on Jul 30, 2009 2:47 PM:

" Wow.. this is so sad. Really sad. Please pray for the family of the victim.. but pray for our young black men whom are obviously disturbed...Pray for them, don't degrade them. They are kids, and the bible says to repent.. we all sin, this is harsh.. someone had to die so horribly. pray for the strength of the parents of these 3 young men, they too have lost their sons.. "

Nicole Rider wrote on Jul 29, 2009 7:31 AM:

" LISTEN:
This murdered child was my blood, he was my nephew that lived with my mother and father. He was not smoking pot all day with friends then went looking for more. Josh spent the day working on his car with his POP, my father so that he could take his friend out on a date. Josh had a GREAT last day, he was happy and ready to spend the evening with his "girl-friend." This needs to stop. He should still be here with us, he isn't and this hate crime talk needs to stop. "

covington person wrote on Jul 27, 2009 4:05 PM:

" Pray for the families of all the persons going through this hard times, also think too , why was he there, was this his first time, and was the person with in the right mins frame at the time,what started this to begin with , it wasn't robbery but tell the thruth what really happen, yes no one should take a life but say what rally happen not what you think.......it all comes out in the end.... "

timeforchange2009 wrote on Jul 27, 2009 11:57 AM:

" I know we are all entitled to our own opinions, but the RACISM does not help any of us as members of the HUMAN RACE especially as it pertains to the seriousness of youth and crime.

Maybe we could all get together and figure out how we can help our youth-OF ALL RACES. Do we really care enough to do that? How about a coalition to reach out and help some of them who are obviously lost and confused-and most still CHILDREN. I am all for it. I am actually looking into some options as we speak. "

meeko wrote on Jul 27, 2009 10:32 AM:

" This is some he say she say,trying to make this guy such an angel he was smoking dope all day with dwanye barnes and was looking for more we he went looking for his next fix more than likely over dosed.not one mark on him or the so called killers please get all the facts. "

Joseph Alphonso wrote on Jul 26, 2009 8:22 PM:

" What the heck is becoming of our parish St.Tammany.
May be we need another hurricane to wash the white & black trash back down south. "

ssjwdillard wrote on Jul 26, 2009 3:30 AM:

" The three are oxygen thieves, breathing air they don't deserve. They have run ins with the law so will it be okay for a few of us to kick the crap out of them till they r dead. No we don't act that way. Ignorant people have to pick apart the victim, to make themselves and the evil murders look better. They murdered him! How does his friend doing a horrible thing justify animals killing him. Trouble with the law & he didn't belong there, does not justify the vicious evil attack by these animals? "

ssjwdillard wrote on Jul 26, 2009 2:56 AM:

" Why Joshua Farmer was there is irrelavent. Some people think this savage beating is acceptable because the victim was asking directions or maybe he was there to buy drugs. If drugs were involved, doesn't it seem like his dealers beat him to death. Compare Joshua an addict, with drug dealers, robbers and a brutal murdering gang. Some people think and say that because the victim didn't belong there is an acceptable excuse for three animals to beat him to death. What are you thinking with. Our neighbor hoods belong to everyone. Nothing he did excuses what they did. "

mad covington resident wrote on Jul 25, 2009 3:15 PM:

" It doen't matter why Josh was in that neighborhood. We are allow to go wherever we please! That does not give permission to kill him!!! These young men are not a contributing factor to society, and should not be allowed to go free again!! Don't see this on nation news, as we do about the harvard profressor getting arrested,(racial profiling), why, because joshua was white and its 3 blacks who done this????
Pretty Sad!!! "

notbrnysterday wrote on Jul 25, 2009 3:15 PM:

" Well I just wonder where the Revs Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton are now demanding that "justice be served for this HATE crime"? This is not unlike the incident in Jena that they chose to inject themselves into, only in reverse. I say prosecute these three as a hate crime. "

covington person wrote on Jul 25, 2009 10:23 AM:

" no one has the right to take another life no matter what dont jump until you know the truth "

tgcw wrote on Jul 24, 2009 9:21 PM:

" I don't live far from that area and I'm not stupid as to why someone would go down that street then return a short time later. That however doesn't give anyone the right to play GOD and take lives!!!!!! To all families YOU ARE IN MY PRAYERS.This is a very sad situation no one wins EVERYONE LOSES!!! "

a sad parent wrote on Jul 24, 2009 4:40 PM:

" to the person who sai raise ur kids right! what do u know about the way any of these kids have been raised? u always want to point blame at the parents. i know 2 out of the 3 boys accused of this awful crime as well as their parents! these kids come from good homes! we were not there, so we son not know the full facts! i feel sorry for all the families involved! evedryone here has lost something or someone! ONE CHILD HAD TO LOSE HIS MORTAL LIFE AND THE OTHERS THEIR PHSICAL LIFE! SO STOP BASHING! "

Cham wrote on Jul 24, 2009 4:14 PM:

" No matter where anyone is..........anytime of the day or night...........NOBODY has the right to kill another human being (PERIOD!) "

Devils Advocate wrote on Jul 24, 2009 12:03 PM:

" When you drive into one of St Tammany’s roughest neighborhoods, where he didn’t belong, getting hurt is implied. I pray Mr. Farmer is in a better place and was saved.
On another note, Mr Farmer has had several run-ins with the law. He was a very close friend of the young man who beat the little baby in Covington a few months ago. Mr. Farmer was well on his way down the wrong road.
I hope that the three young men who killed Mr. Farmer are convicted to the laws fullest punishment.
A life has been taken. "

SOMEONE IN ABITA wrote on Jul 24, 2009 11:50 AM:

" THINK FOR A SECOND BEFORE YOU START BASHING THE THREE MEN. ASK YOURSELF WHY WAS HE AT THE RESIDENCE? I LIVE RIGHT DOWN THE STREET AND I SAW JOSHUA LEAVE THE HOUSE AND RETURN TO THE HOUSE.SO DON'T GO BASHING THEM JUST CAUSE SOMEONE DIED. I MEAN I'M SORRY THAT IT HAD TO HAPPEN, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING THE EYE WITNESS IS NOT TELLING. ASK YOURSELF WHY WERE THEY REALLY THERE??? JUST TO SAY HI??? C'MON!! "

Rhonda wrote on Jul 24, 2009 11:34 AM:

" Wait let me guess they killed Joshua because he was black tooo.

good job to the police!!!!! "

Someone wrote on Jul 24, 2009 9:31 AM:

" Disgusting Cedric McCormic makes me sick with his little smirk in his mug shot. That POS dosn't seem the least bit remorseful. I hope that they all three rot in jail. Surely them being the age they are they will get beaten on and raped. It sounds like it will be consequences for their actions. To the family of the victim, you are in my prayers. "

Covington Resident wrote on Jul 24, 2009 9:21 AM:

" How horrible these 3 young men are. They deserve 2 spend the rest of their lives in jail. Only 19,20,21 they will hopefully be there for a long time. People, raise your children the right way. It helps 2 bring them up in church and teach them morals and to respect others. Every day we are seeing more and more murders and robberies. It makes me sick. To the family of Joshua Farmer may the Lord be with you during this devastating time. Your family is in my prayers and God is with u try 2 stay strong. RIP Joshua "

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