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Sentence stands for driver's role in Sulphur homicide - American Press.Sentence stands for driver’s role in Sulphur homicide Published 1:11 pm Thursday, June 4, 2026 The 30-year sentence for a Lake Charles man who was initially charged with first-degree murder but ultimately pleaded guilty to manslaughter as part of a deal will stand.A charge of attempted second-degree murder was dropped.Kardae Vyntrel Caldwell was one of four people arrested in the June 7, 2023, death of Gerald Wilson Jr.in the 600 block of West Verdine Street in Sulphur.When Sulphur Police were dispatched to the scene, they found Wilson’s body in the front yard.He had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.An injured Andre Cornelius and his unhurt son were inside.According to prosecutors, Caldwell was the driver that night and carried multiple passengers — all armed — to the home.He also drove one of his injured passengers to Lake Charles Memorial Hospital following the shooting.“Although evidence may not show that he got out of the car or that he shot (from) the car, he had full knowledge of what the plan was whenever they were to get inside of the home and things went left,” the state said.“We have one person that is dead.We have one person that is severely injured, and we have a child who will remember this for the rest of his life.” The state argued Caldwell — who has a prior conviction for illegal carrying of a weapon while in possession of drugs — knew the plan that day was to steal drugs and money from Cornelius, who was ultimately left paralyzed from his gunshot wounds.Public defender Remy Voisin Starns, Caldwell’s attorney, said during sentencing that her client admits to be inside the vehicle that day and recognizes his position as a “principal “in the case.“He was not the shooter; however, he rode from Lake Charles to Sulphur over there, was present, and is pleading guilty as a principal to the homicide,” Starns said.“He was involved in what was gonna be a drug deal and, obviously, things went wrong.He didn’t have a gun … but he was present for what went wrong.” Caldwell appealed his sentence, arguing it was excessive because the trial court failed to consider that he did not fire the fatal shot, failed to consider he had not previously been convicted of a crime of violence, and did not consider the excessive hardship his imprisonment would cause for him and his four children.The Louisiana 3rd Court of Appeal rejected Caldwell’s claims, saying they lacked merit.Caldwell was “originally charged with first-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder.He was therefore exposed to a sentence of life imprisonment at hard labor for first-degree murder and to a sentence of up to 50 years at hard labor for attempted second-degree murder, both without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.Yet in pleading guilty to the reduced charge of manslaughter, his maximum exposure was 40 years at hard labor … and indeed, the trial court sentenced him to 30 years at hard labor.The sentence imposed by the trial court was far less than the maximum sentence.”