By ROBIN SHANNON

Staff Reporter

HAHNVILLE — Authorities in St. Charles have arrested three men in connection with a homicide in Hahnville that involved an apparent drug deal gone bad.

According to a report from the Sheriff’s Office, Edd Raymond, 26, was found by deputies on the floor of an apartment at 172 Keller St. in Hahnville. Raymond had been shot several times including once in the head.

The incident happened around 1:30 p.m. Monday. It is the fourth homicide in St. Charles Parish this year.

St. Charles Sheriff Greg Champagne said Tuesday that just prior to the shooting, Raymond helped two other men steal about 2 ounces of marijuana from a New Orleans man who had come to the apartment to perform a drug sale.

Sgt. Dwayne LaGrange, a public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office, said the alleged dealer, 28-year-old Harry Carraby, broke into Raymond’s apartment to take back the drugs, which were swiped from Carraby’s truck, and shot Raymond during a confrontation inside the home.

Champagne said Carraby went to the Keller Street apartments for a pre-arranged drug transaction involving

Raymond, and 19-year-old Hahnville residents Dejae Smith and Jy’Vohn Harris. Champagne said while Carraby was meeting with one of the men in the back yard of the complex, another went out to Carraby’s white Ford pick-up truck to steal the marijuana, which has an estimated street value of $300 to $400.

Authorities said when Carraby had realized he had been ripped off, he forced his way into the apartment, shot Raymond, took the drugs and fled the scene under fire from one of the other men involved in the deal.

LaGrange said Carraby, who lives at 1805 Peniston St., New Orleans, was apprehended a short time after the shooting. He said deputies stopped Carraby’s truck along Airline Highway just before the Interstate 310 onramp. He said deputies found two handguns and a stash of marijuana in the truck. The truck’s body was riddled with bullet holes.

Carraby was booked with first degree murder, illegal carrying of weapons during the sale of narcotics, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of marijuana — third offense. He is being held without bond.

LaGrange said Harris, who is a resident of the apartment where the shooting took place, was arrested just after the incident and booked with armed robbery and attempted possession of marijuana. He was later booked with simple escape after he tried to elude custody while in the restroom at the office where he was being questioned by authorities.

Smith, who was wanted on attempted first-degree murder and simple robbery charges, turned himself in to police just after 8 p.m. Tuesday.