Additional Arrest Made in Homicide on West Pearl River

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested another individual in connection with the deadly incident that occurred Saturday evening along the West Pearl River. Detectives have also increased the charges against an individual previously arrested.

Blaine Manalle, age 20, of Slidell, was arrested Monday evening for one count of Second-degree Murder. She was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail. On Sunday, Cameron Alphonso, age 21, of Slidell, was arrested on one count of Manslaughter (Felony). Alden Kindergran age 22, of Slidell, was arrested for one count of Disturbing the Peace. (related coverage)

Blaine Manalle

The St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office conducted an autopsy Monday morning, ruling the death a homicide and listing the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head. After obtaining additional witness statements and reviewing the results of that autopsy, the charge against Alphonso was upgraded to Second-degree Murder.

Shortly after 5:30 p.m. Saturday (June 9), St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to an incident that occurred on a sand bar along the West Pearl River just south of the Davis Landing Boat Launch. Jeffery Howell, 46, of Pearl River, died as a result of injuries he sustained in that altercation, which is now believed to have started after Howell tried to tell a group on a sandbar to stop throwing bottles into the river.

According to statements from friends of Howell, he had recently just survived surgery to remove a brain tumor and was feeling optimistic about his future.

“I applaud the hard work, dedication and exhaustive efforts of our detectives who have worked long hours and interviewed in excess of 40 people in an effort to establish the probable cause necessary to make an additional arrest in connection with what took place Saturday evening,” Sheriff Randy Smith said in a press release late Monday.