Suspect Arrested In Murder Of African American Museum Founder Sadie Roberts-Joseph
The suspect has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
Baton Rouge police have arrested a man they believe killed Sadie Roberts-Joseph, the activist and founder of the African American History Museum who was found dead in her trunk.
In a report from NPR, police arrested and charged Ronn Jermaine Bell with first-degree murder on Tuesday. They believe Bell, who was a tenant in a building Roberts-Joseph owned, killed her. Although police said Bell owed her $1,200 in rent, the exact motive for why he killed her is still being investigated.
"There's no information to lead us to believe this is a hate crime," Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul said. "There's no information that leads up to believe that this incident was motivated by Mrs. Sadie's activism or community efforts."
Bell is a registered sex offender who served seven years in prison starting in 2007 for sexually abusing a minor. He had been arrested on a warrant for not making a court fee payment connected to the sexual abuse case prior to him being suspected in Roberts-Joseph's death.
Recently, it was ruled that Roberts-Joseph's death was ruled a homicide. The preliminary cause of death was “traumatic asphyxia, including suffocation.” An autopsy was conducted by the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office.
Source: NPR