Shreveport Murderer Denied Parole After 30 Years Behind Bars

SHREVEPORT, LA – A Shreveport man serving a life sentence for a violent grocery store murder will stay behind bars. 47-year-old Calvin Tolbert was 17-years-old when he committed the brutal crimes. He has served 30 years in prison.

What Happened During the Crime?

On August 1, 1994 Wilma Liberto and her son Paul were working in their grocery store, Liberto's Grocery when four men walked into the business. The store cashed checks for customers and the first of the month was known to be a very busy day for that service. The Libertos had nearly $30,000 in cash on that day to cash checks. Paul Liberto served in the Marines and wore a gun at the store.

Calvin Tolbert along with his friends Marcus Randle, Sancho Rushing, Jarod Dickson and Antoine Holmes came into the store after casing the place earlier in the day. Calvin Tolbert immediately shot Paul Liberto in the neck. He then turned and shot 77 year-old Wilma Liberto in the face. Randle shot Paul Liberto in the back. The men grabbed a pile of cash from the register and fled. This violent crime was caught on the store’s video surveillance system. But Rushing turned the system off as they were fleeing.

Get our free mobile app

What Does Calvin Tolbert Say to the Liberto Family Today?

Calvin Tolbert told the Parole Board “I understand and I feel for them. I have been praying for them. I apologize to the family. I was a young immature boy following others and trying to fit in.”

But family members told the Board Tolbert made his own choices on that fateful and tragic day. Ronda Gardner, a granddaughter says “I am thankful it sounds like Calvin knows the Lord because I’ve prayed for that. A lot has been said about his “youth” and he’s changed. I would just like to say the choices he made, he was the one that made those choices. No one made him do that.”

The Board vote against granting Tolbert parole.