Mother, child murders reminiscent of another
At 9:22 on a Saturday morning, November 12, 2022, Tangipahoa Parish deputies booked Sedrick Elzey, a 41-year-old Hammond man, as a “person of interest” after officers found the man’s girlfriend and her teenage daughter shot to death inside their home.
Deputies responded to a call from a family member who discovered the crime scene on Stephenson Lane, a dead-end street off Old Baton Rouge Highway near the Happywoods Road intersection. The 911 call came in at 2:30 that morning.
Brandy Smith, 37, died before police arrived. Her daughter, Raven Smith, 17, succumbed to her wounds at the hospital.
Although rumors of affairs and sexual encounters dominate social media, investigators have released no details on a case the sheriff’s office continues investigating as a domestic homicide.
Being the holiday season, the double homicide reminded me of another mother and child killed two days before Christmas 2018. Although Bayou Justice asks for help with this case every Christmas, the sheriff’s office today has no person of interest or suspect to arrest in the murders of 42-year-old Daytra Miller and her 13-year-old son, Robert West, Jr.
Although Crime Stoppers and the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office have offered a $25,000 reward for information, the tragic double homicide remains unsolved.
Visiting Daytra Miller and her son Robert’s home and church on the day of their funeral, I watched the line of cars in a procession that stretched miles. Watching those cars, I felt some comfort, believing with that many concerned, answers would come quickly, but today, the investigation has grown cold.
This week, we revisit this horrendous crime.
At 6:30 PM, Sunday, December 23, 2018, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s deputies responded to another 911 call. West of Independence, inside a small wooden house at the intersection of Labruzza Lane and Fontana Road, police discovered the bodies of the mother and son.
Tacarlra Oliver, one of Daytra’s daughters, received a desperate call from her sister, saying, “Get here, help me, help me, save us.” Her sister hid inside a bathroom in the house when the shooting began, along with a nephew. She heard only multiple gunshots—no identifiable voices. When the shooting stopped, she called Tacarlra, who called the police.
Daytra Miller’s aunt, Gloria McGee, reported the week of the funeral that her niece had lived in the area for at least 15 years, most in the home on Labruzza. She described Daytra as “Hardworking, very polite, full of life, and very caring.”
McGee said her nephew was an honors student. “He was an angel, a joy to be around. So loving, respectful.”
Family friend Bradley McDonald said, “Daytra Miller was beyond fabulous in every way. She was beautiful, strong, and smart and loved her family and community. Her son was a lovely young man. He was handsome and truly kind, super polite, and smart. He was supportive of his big sister, who attends our school. I will never forget them, nor will anyone else blessed enough to meet them.”
Robert West, Sr. told reporters that Daytra Miller had sent him a text saying she had been packing to bring Robert, Jr. to stay with him for a holiday. But Christmas Eve morning, he said, instead of watching his son opening gifts, he watched coroner’s office personnel carry his son from his home in a body bag.
West, the football coach at Greenville Park Leadership Academy, said he taught his son to see that showing love and being tough were not mutually exclusive.
When his son was at home, they had a morning ritual.
“I kissed him, hugged him, and we did our special handshake,” he said.
On mornings he was at his mom’s, he said, they would talk on the phone together and share a prayer before getting their days started.
West said friends usually called his son by his middle name, Allen, or “Papi,” a nickname he gave himself. He admired baseball player David “Big Papi” Ortiz as a little boy.
The month he died, Allen attended his first school dance. West said his son asked him to go along as his “wingman.” West said the request touched his heart. Father and son had fun, proudly coordinating outfits and taking photos together.
“He wore red, and his best friend wore black and red,” West said.
Daytra Miller and Robert West, Sr. once worked together at the Southeast Area Health Education Center, aiding people in getting health insurance. West said Daytra left that job and was managing some rental properties the two owned jointly. He said the two were no longer a couple but remained close.
“I lost my best friend and my son,” he said.
He said they were together for over 15 years, and he loves her four daughters as though they were his own.
“All of us were raising my son. He’s the youngest of six, including the four girls.” He said his son’s siblings were looking forward to Christmas with their brother.
“We were just trying to preach to them how important it is for them to stay together,” he said, sobbing. “Even if Daytra and I stopped getting along, or something happened to one of us. As long as they stayed together, they’d be okay.”
Tangi Academy Principal Jackie Wilson described Robert as “a kind, helpful, and caring young man.” She said he wrote about wanting to be a professional angler “because his grandfather taught him how to fish.”
Kristian Polk-Usey, one of the teen’s teachers, said he acted as a mentor and role model for younger children. She said he was a football and basketball player, but he gave the best hugs. “He was everything you’d want your son to be,” Polk-Usey said.
Since investigators found no sign of forced entry at the house, investigators believed the victims may have known the person who committed the murders.
“We’re accepting any information anyone has about shots fired in the area,” Spokesperson Dawn Panepinto said in 2018.
Sheriff Daniel Edwards told reporters, “We hope someone with relevant information will step up and help put those responsible for this horrific crime behind bars. We know that there are people out there who have information about these murders. We want that information to lead us toward the shooters.”
Anyone may anonymously collect the $25,000 in rewards through the non-profit Crime Stoppers of Tangipahoa. When someone calls 800-554-5245, an automated system assigns them a unique code number to ensure anonymity.