Authorities in Louisiana say they have identified and arrested a man on suspicion of killing the founder of the African American History Museum in Baton Rouge.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, the body of 75-year old Sadie Roberts-Joseph was discovered inside the trunk of a car parked about three miles from her home.
According to NPR, an investigation led detectives to suspect a tenant of the victim’s property was responsible for the death, which has been attributed to homicide by traumatic asphyxia in a report by the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office.
Police say Ronn Jermaine Bell owed Roberts-Joseph back rent, noting that they have not determined a motive in the case.
Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul said there is “no information to lead us to believe this is a hate crime” or that “this incident was motivated by Ms. Sadie’s activism or community efforts.”
Mayor Sharon Weston decried the tragic loss of one of the city’s “standout matriarchs,” vowing to “make her death a priority.”
Bell, who spent seven years behind bars after he was convicted in 2007 of sexually abusing a minor, is expected to face criminal charges including murder in the first degree.
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[Featured image: Baton Rouge Police Department]
