The ruling came Thursday after a probable cause hearing for Sade Cari Davidson, 24, of Shoemaker Road and Kelly Lavar Stephens, 32, of West Point.
Two others charged in the case, Arthur Demartino Barrett, 22, of West Point, and Toray Dontez Porter, 23, of LaGrange waived their right to a hearing. The remaining suspect, Daniel Lee Allen, 31, who once lived in Troup County, has not been found.
Sheriff’s investigator Sgt. Kelli Ellington, the only witness at Thursday’s hearing, said Louder, 26, had met his girlfriend and 8-year-old daughter for dinner at Ruby Tuesday in LaGrange on the evening of Jan. 2. Louder left about 7:45 p.m., telling them he would see them at home in a little while. He drove to Simmons Street and met the suspects, who were in a white Volvo, to sell them drugs, but they pulled a gun and kidnapped him, Ellington said.
The assailants allegedly drove his car and the Volvo to Louder’s residence on Hillhaven Road in Greenville. His girlfriend and daughter had been there about 15 to 20 minutes when Louder came inside with his hands in the air. A man with a gun was behind him, along with two or three other men, Ellington said.
“Louder said, ‘Do as they say, give them what they want,’ ” Ellington said.
Allen allegedly wanted to kill the whole family, but was talked out of it, and they took the woman and her daughter to a bedroom where their hands and feet were “hog-tied” together with extension cords while a 42-inch TV, cash and drugs were stolen from the residence.
Louder’s hands were tied behind his back, and they all left in the same cars. The mother and daughter were able to free themselves and run to her sister’s residence.
Louder’s bullet-riddled body was found in the back seat of his Chrysler 300 the next morning on Smokey Road near Knott Road.
A neighbor on Hillhaven Road who was outside smoking told investigators he saw a Volvo with a green auto dealer’s drive-out tag make several passes around the horseshoe-shaped street before pulling into Louder’s driveway. Several people got out of the car, including what appeared to be a female who didn’t go inside, but served as a lookout.
LaGrange police later found a Volvo matching the description at some apartments on North Greenwood Street, and it was traced back to Davidson.
Friends of the victim said he was Allen’s main drug supplier, and they named Allen as a possible suspect, Ellington said.
She said the 8-year-old girl described Porter’s clothes “down to a tee,” and the clothes were taken into evidence after Porter was arrested at the local parole office.
Porter, Stephens and Barrett gave videotaped statements, but not Davidson, who was interviewed once by the GBI before requesting a lawyer, Ellington said.
Barrett told investigators that both Stephens and Allen shot the victim, but his male co-defendants said it was only Allen. Louder was shot with both a .38-caliber and 9mm handgun, Ellington said.
Davidson’s attorney, Jackie Patterson of Atlanta, told the judge, “The evidence is wholly insufficient that she knew about the killing or murder.”
“It’s not illegal in Georgia to merely be present,” Patterson said afterward. “She would be guilty only if she had prior knowledge or participated in or encouraged the crimes, and my client did none of those things.”
Assistant District Attorney Lynda Caldwell disagreed, saying, “The victim was kidnapped from his house and another location, and all the while she was following along. Clearly she knew he was kidnapped because she saw it. Clearly she was part of this and participated and assisted, and served as a lookout.”
Davidson had been an occasional substitute teacher at two Troup County public schools from September to December. There were no complaints about her performance, and she passed a criminal background check.
McWaters said there is “clearly probable cause” for the case to be presented to a grand jury.
Any bond for the suspects would have to be determined by a Superior Court judge.
Joel Martin can be reached at jmartin@ lagrangenews.com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 235.
Further proof of the inequality of punishment in the justice system.
For example the female teachers who had sexual relationships with students. Many have gtten off with probation or very little jail time. Had the teacher been a man he would have gotten 10-15 minimum.
Now I also must say the victim was not totally innocent, he lived a life of crime and he paid the price for it, so I have no sympathy for him in that reguard. Its sad though that this girl will now grow up without a father. Which as we all know will now be the responsibility of the American taxpayers to support.(if we weren't already in that position)