UPDATE: The Grand Jury returned a true bill on the charge of First Degree Murder. Horn will face the death penalty for his alleged crime. Horn was previously convicted in the death of Justin Bloxom, but that conviction was overturned by the State Supreme Court. We will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.


A DeSoto Parish Grand Jury takes up the first degree murder case against Brian Horn today. He is on death row at Angola for the 2010 murder of 12-year-old Justin Bloxom of Stonewall. But Horn's previous conviction was overturned by the State Supreme Court.

During the initial trial, Horn's attorney admitted in front of the jury that his client had killed young boy. But appeals attorneys for Horn say that admission went against Horn's wishes. And because of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the McCoy v Louisiana case, The high court ruled in that case that such concessions from an attorney during a trial violate a defendant's right to counsel.

Legal experts say before his trial and even during the trial, Horn told his lawyers he did not want to concede guilt. But Horn’s attorney did not heed his client's wishes and during closing arguments told the jury “We know that Brian Horn killed Justin Bloxom.… I’m not asking you to let him walk the streets. I’m not asking you to find him ‘not guilty.’”

The attorney was trying to get the jury to find him guilty of the lesser crime of 2nd degree murder. But that strategy did not work.

DeSoto District Attorney Charles Adams will be presenting the evidence against Horn to the grand jury. In Horn's original trial, he was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death.

The D.A.is again pushing for the death penalty in this case.

DEATH ROW INMATES FROM NORTHWEST LOUISIANA

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