DA Jason Williams Announces Guilty Verdict in Murder of Clark Bowdry Mother of Victim Delivers Emotional Remarks as Jury Convicts James Moliere for New Year’s Day 2023 Killing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 17, 2025

DA Jason Williams Announces Guilty Verdict in Murder of Clark Bowdry

Mother of Victim Delivers Emotional Remarks as Jury Convicts James Moliere for New Year’s Day 2023 Killing

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Surrounded by family, supporters, and members of the prosecution team, District Attorney Jason Williams today announced the conviction of James Moliere for the 2023 murder of Clark Bowdry, a beloved father and only child to his mother, Ms. Rheesa LaBoyd. The jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict in Section E late last week, finding Moliere responsible for fatally shooting Bowdry in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

Clark Bowdry, 33, was a devoted father to a young daughter, Kaliyah, and the only son and only child of Ms. Rheesa LaBoyd, who has spent the past two years seeking justice while navigating unimaginable grief.

“Thank you, D.A. Williams. This was my very first experience with anything like this, and I just want to thank you and your incredible team. Assistant District Attorneys Joseph Tucker and Adele Krieger put together an unbelievable case. The defense had no leg to stand on. I also want to thank the jurors — it was amazing to watch them take their job so seriously,” said Ms. Rheesa LaBoyd, the mother of Clark Bowdry.

District Attorney Williams delivered remarks acknowledging the family’s strength and the skilled work of the entire trial team, including Assistant District Attorneys Joseph Tucker and Adele Krieger, NOPD Homicide Detective Maurice Stewart, and Victim Advocate Melissa Lewis.

“Justice in this case was made possible by a prosecution team that combined deep compassion with outstanding legal skill,” said DA Williams. “They worked tirelessly to ensure that the Bowdry family was seen, heard, and cared for every step of the way. That is the standard we hold ourselves to for every case.”

Ms. LaBoyd offered heartfelt thanks to Detective Maurice Stewart, who led the NOPD investigation with care and commitment, and to Victim Advocate Melissa Lewis, who she described as “a constant, reassuring presence who never left my side.”

Homicide Unit ADA, who served as First Chair in this trial, fought back emotions as he candidly spoke of his empathy for Ms. LaBoyd and her young granddaughter:

“By the time we get to trial, we’ve built relationships with the families. We don’t just see a victim – we see a full person, a life lived. We meet their children; their loved ones. As a father myself, the quick and thoughtless actions that led to Clark being taken from his daughter break my heart,” said Assistant District Attorney Tucker. “When you get to know families like this, you can’t help but feel connected. We give our all in these cases because we believe in them, and that belief comes from the families.”

Homicide Unit ADA Adele Krieger addressed the key contributions of two women who bravely came forward to serve as witnesses at trial.

“I would just like to thank the jury, all of the members of the jury who delivered the only true and legal verdict in this case, and that was guilty as charged. And I would also like to thank the two courageous and brave women who came forward and not only testified, but provided integral evidence that helped secure this conviction.” ADA Krieger continued: “I want to thank everyone involved, especially my teammate Joe, for the work we put into this case. And most importantly, I want to thank Ms. Rheesa and her family for trusting us to fight for justice for Clark.”

This conviction is the latest example of the growth of the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office’s Homicide Unit, which was launched to sharpen trial coordination, enhance interagency collaboration, and provide more consistent support to victims’ families. Since its inception, the unit has helped increase conviction rates while improving how families experience the justice process.

But DA Williams emphasized that the fight doesn’t end in the courtroom.

“Every life lost to violence in our city deserves the full weight of justice,” he said. “We are not only trying to secure convictions – we are working upstream to prevent these tragedies from happening in the first place. The public should know this: we are getting better, faster, and more united in standing against violent crime.”

As the press conference closed, DA Williams reminded the public and potential wrongdoers of the ongoing.

“Our ultimate goal with this aggressive and focused approach is simple: prevention. We want the people planning to hurt others to stop and realize in a way they never have before that there is a unified front standing against them.”