ADDIS — A Brusly man was sentenced to 49 years in prison on Monday after pleading guilty to manslaughter for the killing of 18-year-old Ja'Morius Mitchell in 2024 in West Baton Rouge Parish.

According to District Attorney Tony Clayton, 20-year-old Tyler Davis shot and killed Mitchell in a sugarcane field off Sid Richardson Road on Dec. 18, 2024, before setting the field on fire to destroy Mitchell's body and any evidence left at the scene.

Davis allegedly shot Mitchell twice from behind, with his body later being located on Dec. 18, 2024, by local farmers while attempting to extinguish the flames from the fire set by Davis. Mitchell's body was identified through a matching clothing description and dental records, as about 40% of his body was covered in severe burns. 

On Dec. 19 2024, Davis allegedly fled during a search of his residence where a backpack containing the murder weapon was located in a shed. While fleeing, Davis allegedly entered an unoccupied residence on Teds Lane in Port Allen and hid his clothing in a dryer before fleeing West Baton Rouge Parish. 

On Jan. 3 2025, Davis was arrested in Baton Rouge by the Middle District of Louisiana Fugitive Task Force. On Monday, he was sentenced to 49 years in prison for manslaughter, obstruction of justice and unauthorized entry into an inhabited dwelling.