Federal Murder Sentences in the Eastern District of Louisiana, FY2016–2025
All 73 people sentenced in the "Murder" offense type in the Eastern District of Louisiana in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 received a prison term, and 30 received a life sentence. The median prison term was 470 months (39.2 years), compared with 240 months for this offense type in all 94 federal distric
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 6 min read
Trends › Federal Prosecution Analysis › Federal Sentences in the Eastern District of Louisiana, FY20 › Murder: Eastern District of Louisiana
In brief: All 73 people sentenced in the "Murder" offense type in the Eastern District of Louisiana in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 received a prison term, and 30 received a life sentence. The median prison term was 470 months (39.2 years), compared with 240 months for this offense type in all 94 federal districts.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 73 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Acquittals and dismissals come from a second source, the Federal Judicial Center's records of 753,808 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. It is part of the Federal Prosecution Analysis series, which builds on Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System. How the numbers were built: How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built.
Life Sentences and the Median Prison Term
Life sentences were imposed on 30 of the 73 people. Among those sent to prison, the median prison term was 470 months, which is 39.2 years.
The sheet lists 470 months as both the median and the figure that a quarter of the group received or exceeded. A quarter received 288 months or less. In all 94 districts, 3,754 people were sentenced in this offense type, and more than 99% were sent to prison.
Trials Were Common in This Group
Of the 73 people, 45 (62%) pleaded guilty and 28 were convicted after a trial. In all 94 districts, 78% of people in this offense type pleaded guilty. For all offenses in this district the figure was 96%.
The median prison term after a guilty plea was 330 months. After a trial it was 470 months, based on 28 people. Among the guilty pleas, 87% had a written plea agreement and 13% were straight pleas with no agreement.
Which Murder Guidelines Applied
The Commission's "Murder" category is based on the main sentencing guideline. In this district, 68 cases fell under §2A1.1 (First Degree Murder), 3 under §2A1.2 (Second Degree Murder), and 2 under §2X3.1 (Accessory After the Fact).
Murder cases were 2% of the 2,953 people sentenced in this district. The median prison term for all offenses in this district was 60 months.
Mandatory Minimums and the Guideline Range
A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 45 of the 73 people, which is 62%.
Sentences were within the guideline range for 67% of the group (49 people) and below it at the government's request for 26% (19 people). Another 5% (4 people) were below the range without a request, and 1% (1 person) was above it. In all 94 districts, 39% of sentences in this offense type were within the range.
Supervised Release, Restitution, and Criminal History
Supervised release after prison was ordered for all 73 people (100%), with a median term of 60 months. Restitution was ordered for 41 people (56%), and no fines were ordered.
In criminal history, 21% were in the lowest category and 12% in the highest. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.
Cases by Fiscal Year
Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 had 45 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 had 28 people. Fiscal year 2017 had the most, with 21 people, and fiscal year 2020 had the fewest, with 2.
The yearly median prison term ranged from 120 months to 470 months. Most years had fewer than 10 people, so the yearly medians depend on a few cases. The table lists each fiscal year.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 12 | 470 months | 75% |
| 2017 | 21 | 470 months | 38% |
| 2018 | 7 | 360 months | 5 of 7 |
| 2019 | 5 | 439 months | 3 of 5 |
| 2020 | 2 | 120 months | 2 of 2 |
| 2021 | 6 | 270 months | 6 of 6 |
| 2022 | 4 | 355 months | 1 of 4 |
| 2023 | 6 | 470 months | 2 of 6 |
| 2024 | 7 | 360 months | 7 of 7 |
| 2025 | 3 | 330 months | 2 of 3 |
What These Records Cannot Show
The Commission's data includes only people who were convicted and sentenced. Acquittals and dismissals are not in it, and prison terms are the terms imposed, not time served.
The records do not describe the facts of any case. This post reports federal numbers on their own.
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Eastern District of Louisiana (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Louisiana East") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Murder" (73). Offense types are the Commission's OFFGUIDE categories.
Federal fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30. No person, judge, or lawyer is identified in any of these records.
What to Keep in Mind
No parole in federal prison; credit for good conduct. Federal prison has no parole for crimes committed on or after November 1, 1987. A federal prisoner can earn up to 54 days of good conduct credit for each year of the sentence the judge imposed, which is about 15%. Some federal prisoners can also earn First Step Act time credits, but many offenses make a person ineligible. The numbers in this post are the sentences judges imposed, not the time people actually served.
Federal supervised release. Most federal prison sentences are followed by a term of supervised release that the judge sets as part of the sentence. A person who violates it can be sent back to prison. A court-martial cannot sentence anyone to supervision after release. Military parole and mandatory supervised release are decided later by a board, not by the judge at trial.
Who decides the sentence, and under what rules. Federal judges sentence every federal case. They must calculate the Sentencing Guidelines range, which is advisory, and must impose any mandatory minimum the statute requires unless an exception applies. In courts-martial, the accused could choose sentencing by members until the rules changed. For cases in which every guilty finding is for an offense committed after December 27, 2023, a military judge sentences alone, within sentencing parameters. Courts-martial tried in 2024 and later include both old-rule and new-rule cases, and the data cannot tell them apart.
Time periods. Federal numbers are by federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30), based on the sentencing date. The military numbers are by trial date. Neither source has the date of the offense, so a change in law shows up in either data set gradually.
How life sentences and "time served" are counted. In the federal numbers, a life sentence is counted as 470 months, and any other sentence longer than 470 months is counted as just under 470 months. A sentence of "time served" is counted as one day (0.03 months). Averages are affected by these rules; medians much less.
Mandatory minimum sentences. Many federal statutes on drugs, images of child exploitation, child sex abuse, and firearms carry mandatory minimum prison terms. The UCMJ has mandatory minimums only for a few offenses (a dishonorable discharge or dismissal for rape and sexual assault, and life for premeditated murder). Federal sentences for these offenses are partly set by Congress, not by the judge.
Related Analysis
- Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System (the background article)
- Federal Prosecution Analysis (all federal posts)
- How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built (sources and method)
- Federal Sentences in the Eastern District of Louisiana, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Eastern District of Louisiana, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Eastern District of Louisiana, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Firearms Sentences in the Eastern District of Louisiana, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the Eastern District of Louisiana, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles (source)
- Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants) (source)
About the author. Jocelyn C. Stewart is a retired Army JAG with more than 24 years of trying courts-martial and more than 200 jury trials. She hosts Where All The Bodies Are Buried and runs the Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart. This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.