Two Men Sentenced to Life in Caddo Court for 2023 Murder

Two south Louisiana men convicted in December 2023 for a murder committed at a west Shreveport motel will spend the rest of their lives in prison, a Caddo District judge has ordered.

Jonathan Crenshaw and Terence Felix Jr., both of Abbeville, received the mandatory terms for second-degree murder from the Honorable Mike Pitman in Caddo District Court Wednesday, February 14, 2024. The sentences must be served at hard labor without the benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.

Crenshaw, 38, and Felix, 33, were convicted December 15, 2023, in connection with the August 20, 2019 slaying of Derrick Purnell Terrell at the Knight’s Inn motel in west Shreveport. Terrell, 45, was killed when Crenshaw and Felix chased him throughout the hotel and shot him multiple times after a dispute involving Tamala Ware, a woman Terrell was seeing and who had a room at the motel. Following the shooting, Crenshaw fled in Terrell's vehicle and Felix fled in his own truck. Ms. Ware, who testified against Crenshaw and Felix and who faces separate second-degree murder charges in connection with the slaying, also fled. Terrell's vehicle later was found torched. Felix and Crenshaw were identified by multiple witnesses and on the surveillance footage from the hotel, as well as still shots taken from that footage.

Assistant District Attorneys Kodie K. Smith and Bill Edwards prosecuted Crenshaw and Felix. Crenshaw was defended by Michael Enright and Dave Knadler. Felix was defended by Sean Landry.

The cases were docket Nos. 385727, 372007 and 369850.