No new murder trial for men who shot Sandy Kaynor following his death, prosecutors say

The three men already serving multiple-decade sentences in prison for a crime spree that included the shooting of attorney Sandy Kaynor in October of 2012 will not be tried again for murder now that he has died, the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s office announced Thursday afternoon.

Three men — Charles “Mob Chuck” Carter, Devante “Tae Banger” Billy, and Byron “Wink” Johnson — were convicted in 2015 and 2016 for a series of crimes that included both shooting Kaynor in the driveway of his Camp Street home and the murder of UNO student Valan May. Billy pleaded guilty to 60 years, Johnson pleaded guilty to 45 years, and Carter was found guilty at trial and sentenced to life in prison plus 362 years.

After Kaynor died in April, Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro Jr. said he would wait until a ruling by the coroner on the cause of death before deciding whether to retry the defendants on murder charges. The coroner’s office announced that Kaynor’s death was due to complications from his gunshot wounds on Thursday morning, and by Thursday afternoon, prosecutors said Kaynor’s family did not want another trial.

“We have consulted with Mr. Kaynor’s widow, Grace Kaynor, who has expressed her satisfaction with the sentencing results already achieved and her desire to avoid further court proceedings,” said Ken Daley, a spokesman for Cannizzaro. “Out of respect for her position and the needs of her family to move on from this horrific tragedy, we do not anticipate further action against these defendants at this time.”

Murder has no statute of limitations in Louisiana, Daley noted, so prosecutors can change their minds later and bring new murder charges if needed.