James Bell, 39, was shot multiple times and found dead inside his home on 3rd Street in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, on the night of November 12, 2021. Ascension Parish deputies who responded to the scene pronounced him deceased, and the shooting prompted an immediate investigation.

Authorities identified a suspect within days. On November 16, 2021, 28-year-old Carlos Nicholas was arrested by the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force in East Baton Rouge Parish and booked into the Ascension Parish Jail. He was charged with second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; investigators did not publicly release a motive at the time of the arrest.

An Ascension Parish Grand Jury returned a true bill of indictment against Carlos Nicholas for second-degree murder on March 21, 2022, and he remained in custody as the case moved forward. If anyone knew James Bell, his routines, or saw activity in the 3rd Street area around November 12, 2021, please come forward with information.