A teenager has pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges in the fatal shooting of a beloved baker on vacation in New Orleans.
In what his attorney called, “our best outcome,” 17-year-old Malik D. Cornelius changed his plea in exchange for a 26-year prison sentence. A hesitant district judge accepted the deal on May 9.
What was supposed to be a new year’s celebration turned tragic in the early morning hours of Jan. 5, 2024. Jacob Carter, a 32-year-old baker from Tacoma, Washington, was gunned down in the French Quarter, dying in the arms of his husband, Daniel Blagovich.
Using ballistics, surveillance video and DNA testing, police tied Cornelius to the gun and car used to flee. Cornelius was originally charged with second-degree murder, and court records indicated he did not act alone.
Defense attorney Michael Kennedy told NOLA.com his client was in an exceptionally difficult situation being tried as an adult and taking the fall for others.
“We know multiple people were involved and are in fact [at] fault for the death of Mr. Carter.”
Those people, Kennedy said, “have chosen to allow a child to accept the blame for all.”
The tragedy shook Tacoma’s LGBTQ community and would reveal Louisiana’s fractured juvenile justice system.
Carter and Blagovich married in 2022 and had recently opened a popular bagel shop.
“Jake was such a great guy,” said Emily Birdsong, an employee at Howdy Bagel. “I’ve been working here since the beginning. This is what he wanted to do. He loved to bake, and we’re trying to keep his dream alive.”
It’s not unusual to see a line stretching out the door at Howdy Bagel. The shop prides itself on vegan bagels that are hand-rolled, fermented, boiled and baked. T-shirts, with gay and Western themes reflecting Carter’s Texas roots, are for sale along with coffee, candies and products from other local small businesses.
Following the shooting, a GoFundMe was established and quickly raised over $300,000 to help the Howdy team carry on Carter’s vision.
Meanwhile, the killing prompted lawmakers in Louisiana to pass the Truth and Transparency Bill, which included violent crimes committed by juveniles in the public record.
Because of this law, it was discovered Cornelius was previously arrested on firearms and drugs charges at the age of 15.
“At the time of Jacob’s murder, Cornelius was supposed to be under electronic supervision,” wrote attorney Laura Cannizzaro Rodrigue. “Jacob’s family later learned this supervision was not operational because Juvenile Court had let the contract with the monitoring company lapse in December of 2023.”
Formal sentencing is set for May 19 in Orleans Parish Criminal Court. Attempts to reach Blagovich were unsuccessful. The family can provide victim statements at formal sentencing.
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