August 10, 2026

NEW ORLEANS — Thursday, August 6, 2026, an Orleans Parish jury found Mark Pohlen guilty as charged of second-degree murder and aggravated assault with a firearm in the killing of 59-year-old social worker Cheryl Squire. The jury returned the verdict after about 90 minutes of deliberation, rejecting Pohlen’s claim of self-defense.

Squire had opened her home to Pohlen and was helping him find permanent housing. The act of kindness ended in senseless violence inside the place where she should have been safest.

“No person should have generosity answered with violence, and no one should be made unsafe in her own home. When a gun is introduced into an argument, a temporary conflict can become an irreversible loss in seconds.” — Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams

On Oct. 2, 2025, at about 10:30 p.m., Squire called her sister, Rose Bourgeois, and said Pohlen was intoxicated, that they were arguing and that she needed help. Bourgeois and two other women went to the General Taylor Street home. Four minutes after Squire’s call, Pohlen called 911 and said he had been attacked, but also told the dispatcher that no weapons were involved and that no one was in danger. At 10:55 p.m., a caller reported hearing two gunshots and seeing someone bleeding on the steps; two minutes later, Squire’s niece called for an ambulance and reported that her aunt had been shot.

New Orleans Police Department Second District officers found Squire on the front steps suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. They secured the scene, established a perimeter and took Pohlen into custody inside the residence within 10 minutes. Investigators recovered a Kahr Arms 9mm handgun from the bedroom where Pohlen had been staying. The gun was a ballistic match to three cartridge casings recovered at the scene, and ATF records confirmed that Pohlen purchased it in 2020.

Lead Detective Robert Long assembled the timeline from 911 recordings, witness accounts and physical evidence, giving jurors a clear record against which to evaluate the self-defense claim.

“To hear 12 members from our community reject that in 90 minutes and say this was wrong was such a joy for this family—to be able to get that peace and hopefully be able to move on from this horrible, horrible thing that’s happened to them.” — Assistant District Attorney Forrest Ladd

“People like Cheryl are what a community needs. There are people who spend their entire lives trying to make their city just a little bit better. These are the unspoken people who make this city great. It feels good to know the citizens of New Orleans realized this was not self-defense. I very much appreciate this family for allowing Forrest and me to work this case, trusting us and allowing us to get the only just verdict.” — Assistant District Attorney Carlos Torres

“Cheryl was always a giving, loving person. She enjoyed family. She appreciated her friends. She was a churchgoer. She was the church secretary for 30-plus years. She was just a consummate professional and she just embraced everybody that crossed her path. She didn’t know how to say no… It gives me satisfaction to know that I got justice for my sister because she deserved better than she got. I want to thank the DA and his crackerjack staff that got it done! He has a crackerjack team that took care of this family and helped bring us some justice. And for that, I will always appreciate it.” — Antoinette Bocage, Cheryl Squire’s sister

Assistant District Attorneys Forrest Ladd and Carlos Torres prosecuted the case. Victim-Witness Advocate Elizabeth Herron and OPDA Investigator Elizabeth Garcia supported Squire’s family and the prosecution throughout the proceedings.

The Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office also thanks NOPD lead Detective Robert Long; Officer Felicia Cantu; Officer Joshua Phipps; Crime Technician Cheyanne Crum; and the Second District personnel who responded, secured the scene and supported the investigation through trial. The office thanks the jurors for their time and careful attention and remembers Squire’s family and friends as they continue to grieve her loss.

Sentencing is pending.

Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office
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