OPDA Secures 55-Year Prison Sentence for Jared Pawlus in Double Homicide

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 15, 2025

OPDA Secures 55-Year Prison Sentence for Jared Pawlus in Double Homicide

Plea Agreement Reached at Arraignment for Killings of William Shoop and James Newman

NEW ORLEANS – Thursday, August 14, 2025, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams announced that Jared Pawlus has pleaded guilty as charged to two counts of Manslaughter in the 2023 killings of his roommates William Shoop and James Newman. Pawlus accepted a total sentence of 55 years, a resolution reached at the arraignment stage, avoiding years of protracted litigation and sparing the victims’ families the trauma of a lengthy trial.

“This outcome does not bring William or James back,” said DA Jason Williams, “but it delivers justice, accountability, and closure. Resolving a case of this magnitude so early, while still securing a decades-long sentence, speaks volumes about the skill of our Homicide Unit and the strength of our partnership with NOPD.”

Williams emphasized that early, coordinated work between prosecutors and detectives was key to the result. From the moment the case was assigned, Assistant District Attorney Carlos Torres and the trial team worked closely with NOPD Homicide Detectives Jamaane Roy and Miles Guirreri to review every piece of evidence, verify every fact, and build a case ready for trial from day one. That preparation, paired with meaningful engagement with the victims’ families, made the resolution possible.

•              ADA Carlos Torres, lead prosecutor

•              Victim Witness Advocate Melissa Robles

•              Homicide Unit Investigator Adrian Malone

•              Trial Assistant Alecia Richards

•              NOPD Homicide Detectives Jamaane Roy and Miles Guirreri, whose investigative work helped lock in the evidence

Also present was OPDA Homicide Unit Chief Matthew Derbes, whose leadership has driven nearly a 90% conviction rate in homicide trials and a matching success rate in homicide plea agreements. These plea outcomes, often carrying maximum or near-maximum sentences, are a direct result of the strength of OPDA’s trial preparation and the inevitability of conviction.

Chief Derbes credited the early vertical prosecution model and close coordination with NOPD for making resolutions like this possible. “When the trial attorney is assigned the case the day of arrest and works hand-in-hand with detectives from the start, we can move with speed and strength,” Derbes said. “Defendants are seeing our results. Both in court and at the plea table, and they know we’re ready to prove our case.”

“The loss of Bill Shoop has profoundly affected our family, leaving us in deep grief and longing. His absence is felt daily. This tragedy has left an enduring sorrow, a legacy of loss that touches every part of our lives. Today’s arraignment and the 55 years of prison time Mr. Pawlus accepted is a fair punishment for his crime. The Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office has helped us through this incredibly hard time with a speedy conviction, and we thank them all for their support.”

Williams also addressed those who misrepresent OPDA’s work on social media or in public debate: “The truth is in the data, in the results, and in the reality of a safer New Orleans, where violent crime continues to decrease while public safety rises. We are achieving historic results through unprecedented collaboration, and the numbers don’t lie. The real challenge is not to heckle from the sidelines, but to figure out what you can do to get in this game, get off the bench, and figure out what you can do to help the city of New Orleans row toward a better, safer city.”

Tel: 504.822.2414

Email: communications@orleansda.com