Carleton Marcel Phillips II, a young Black man known to friends and family as a fun, caring, and outgoing person, was just 21 years old when his life was violently taken. Remembered as intelligent, strong, and a protector, Carleton was a graduate of McKinley High School in his hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His death on a Saturday evening in the spring of 2021 left his loved ones heartbroken and searching for answers.
On the night of April 24, 2021, around 8:00 p.m., officers with the Baton Rouge Police Department responded to calls from the 1000 block of North Donmoor Avenue. There, they discovered Carleton inside his car, suffering from fatal gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. From the outset, investigators believed the motive for the shooting was likely drug-related, a theory that would guide their investigation in the months that followed.
The investigation into Carlton's murder was handled by Baton Rouge Police Homicide Detectives.
For several months, they worked to piece together the evidence and identify the individuals responsible for the shooting. Their efforts eventually led them to two teenage suspects. In July 2021, detectives identified 19-year-old Mekhi Palmer-Davis as a person of interest. Palmer-Davis was already incarcerated in the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, having been arrested on July 1 for his alleged role in the separate April 30 shooting death of 21-year-old Raychard Flowers. Police booked Palmer-Davis with first-degree murder in connection with Carlton's death.
A few months later, in October 2021, the investigation led to a second arrest. Police apprehended 19-year-old D'Angelo Givens, believing he was the other individual involved in the fatal encounter. According to arrest documents, Givens admitted to investigators that he had arranged to purchase marijuana from Carlton on the night of the shooting. Police allege this planned transaction turned into a deadly armed robbery.
Following their arrests, both Mekhi Palmer-Davis and D'Angelo Givens were booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. Palmer-Davis was charged with first-degree murder for his alleged role in Carlton's death, in addition to the second-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon charges he already faced for the killing of Raychard Flowers. D'Angelo Givens was booked on charges of first-degree murder and armed robbery.
A funeral service for Carleton was held on May 1, 2021, at the Charity Christian Center in Baton Rouge, where family and friends gathered to mourn their loss. He was laid to rest in Lutheran Cemetery. Online memorial pages show an outpouring of love and grief, with friends lighting candles and sharing memories of a compassionate young man gone too soon.
As of the latest available information, the cases against both suspects were proceeding through the justice system. The matter is considered resolved through litigation, indicating the legal process has addressed the crime, though specific trial outcomes, pleas, or sentencing details have not been widely publicized. The investigation by the Baton Rouge Police Department successfully led to the identification and charging of the individuals they believe are responsible for the death of Carlton Phillips.
