Savage parolee who fatally shot niece of local judge 19 times lands life behind bars

Kelvin Atkins, 39, has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing Johnshane “Nay” Powell, a mother of two and niece of a New Orleans judge. The case has raised questions about how Atkins, who was on parole and had been arrested on domestic-abuse charges shortly before the killing, was released on bail.

Prosecutors said Atkins shot Powell 19 times in July 2023 because he feared she would testify against him. Two days before her death, Powell reportedly warned police, “What happens if y’all let him go and I end up dead tomorrow.” A first trial ended in a deadlock on the murder charge; a retrial jury found Atkins guilty of second-degree murder in September.