SHREVEPORT, LA — A man who had been wanted for eight years in a Shreveport homicide case was sentenced last week in Caddo District Court after taking a plea deal. Keithon Lovelace, 47, received six years in prison on an amended manslaughter charge tied to the 2017 shooting death of Randy Taylor, 30.

The Facts

• What: Keithon Lovelace was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter in a 2017 Shreveport homicide case.
• Where: The case was handled in Caddo District Court in Shreveport, with the fatal shooting reported in the Eden Gardens area on Ascalon Street.
• When: Taylor was shot on April 27, 2017, and Lovelace was arrested on March 7, 2025, in Carthage, Texas. Sentencing came last week.
• Who: Lovelace was identified by police as the suspect in the shooting of Randy Taylor.
• Charges: Lovelace pleaded guilty to manslaughter on an amended charge after originally being sought in connection with a murder allegation.
• Status: He was sentenced to six years in prison after the plea deal.

What police say

Shreveport police said officers were called to a shooting early in the evening in 2017 and found what appeared to be bloody shell casings in a yard on Ascalon Street. Taylor had been moved from the scene to a nearby business parking lot, where Shreveport Fire Department personnel responded and took him to a hospital.

According to police, a witness said Lovelace started the shooting and fired at a group gathered on Ascalon Street with a weapon similar to an AK-47. Two on-scene witnesses identified him in a lineup, police said.

One witness told detectives the shooting stemmed from Lovelace trying to collect a $1,700 debt from someone in the group, according to investigators.

“Started the shooting and initiated” the gunfire

Police records also say Lovelace had been wanted for years before his 2025 arrest in Carthage on a separate drug charge involving less than two ounces of marijuana.

The investigation

Cases that remain open for years often depend on witness statements, lineup identifications, scene evidence and later arrests in unrelated matters. In this case, police said witness accounts helped link Lovelace to the shooting after the original 2017 investigation.

The arrest in Texas came after Lovelace was taken into custody on the marijuana charge, which gave authorities a chance to move forward on the long-running homicide case. Police did not describe any additional forensic evidence in the account made public.

When police investigate a shooting, they typically document shell casings, canvass the area for witnesses, review surveillance video if available and compare statements from people who saw the event. That process can be slow when witnesses are reluctant or the suspect is not immediately found.

What the charges mean

Manslaughter is a serious felony, but it is less severe than a murder charge. In many cases, a plea to manslaughter reflects an agreement that resolves the case without a trial, usually because both sides want certainty over the outcome and sentence.

A plea deal can also change the formal charge filed in court. That means the judge sentences the defendant on the amended count, not necessarily the original accusation. The exact sentence still depends on the plea agreement, the judge and the facts placed on the record.

In Louisiana, prison time is typically followed by requirements that affect how much of the sentence must be served, but those rules depend on the offense and the terms of the judgment. Courts also use plea agreements to avoid the risks and delays of a trial, especially in older cases with hard-to-find witnesses.

What happens next

With the plea accepted and sentence imposed, the criminal case against Lovelace has been resolved in district court unless there is a later post-conviction challenge or appeal. The conviction on the amended charge now controls the outcome of the case.

His earlier criminal history was also noted at sentencing, including a prior manslaughter plea tied to a 2005 homicide and other drug and weapons-related pleas. Those earlier cases were part of the record discussed in court, but they are separate from the 2017 Shreveport killing.

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