By Monique Roth
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives have identified Alonzo Wilkens, 23, of LaPlace as a suspect in the murder of Kentrell Bailey.

Detectives have obtained a judicial court-ordered arrest warrant for Wilkens, who they describe as 5,’ 5″ tall and weighing 120 pounds. His last known address is on Grant Street in LaPlace.

Wilkens is wanted for the second-degree murder of Bailey, who was found dead in LaPlace Monday morning.

Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the intersection of Main Street and Farm Road in LaPlace at 8:29 a.m. Monday after receiving a report of a subject in a ditch.

“When deputies arrived on the scene, they found an unresponsive male subject with a gunshot wound in the head, and he was pronounced dead at the scene,” authorities said in a release. “The victim was identified as Kentrell Dyion Bailey, 30, of LaPlace.”

Detectives are asking anyone knowing the whereabouts of Wilkens to call the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office TIPS line at 985-359-TIPS or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111. Tipsters can choose to remain anonymous.

Those with information about the killing who call Crimestoppers do not have to testify in court and may qualify for a cash reward.

Residents can also submit tips on the Sheriff’s Office website at stjohnsheriff.com/submitatip.php.