Who is Garrett J Ward? New Orleans realtor sentenced to 30 years in prison for 2018 fatal beating case

Louisiana real estate agent Garrett J Ward was sentenced to 30 years in prison for fatally beating a 60-year-old black man during a drunken, racially motivated assault outside the Pontchartrain Hotel.

In January 2018, Garrett J Ward, 30, violently assaulted the victim, identified as Arnold Jackson. Ward was charged with involuntary manslaughter in May as Jackson succumbed to his injuries 12 days after the attack.

In a six-day trial, witnesses testified that Ward, who is white, had made "multiple racial slurs" at Jackson, district attorney Jason Williams said. The assault left Jackson with a broken jaw and severe bleeding in the brain. The blunt trauma is said to have been the cause of his death.

Jackson's daughter, Kenyada Schnyder, previously told reporters that court visits were difficult for her and that she missed many essential milestones with her father.

While expressing her rage towards Garrett, Schnyder said she would want him to suffer and pay for his crime. Meanwhile, DA Williams, who had assured the victim's family of justice, stated that Garrett J Ward's sentencing fulfilled that promise.

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Garrett J Ward's claims of self-defense

Garrett Ward's attorney had previously argued that his client acted out of self-defense. They alleged that he woke up from a drunken stupor and found Jackson armed with a knife while reaching for the cellphone in his pocket.

However, prosecutors argued that Garrett J Ward assaulted the 60-year-old after a dispute with his partner at the bar. However, the jury dismissed Garrett J Ward's claims of self-defense after six hours of deliberation.

Following the ruling, one of Garrett J Ward's lawyers, Andrew Bevinetto, announced plans to file a motion to appeal the sentence later this week.

"We were hoping to receive a sentence that was towards the lower end of the zero to 40-year guideline."

He further added:

"Not only are we upset with the sentence, but we believe it is excessive, given the facts around this case in particular."

Meanwhile, Jackson's daughter was happy with the verdict. She stated that "justice was served" with Garrett J Ward's manslaughter conviction.

Williams also extended his gratitude to the officers involved in the case and said:

"I am proud of ADAs Christian Hebert-Pryor and Narcotics Chief Andre Gaudin as well as Victim Witness Advocate Chief Alison Morgado for their hard work on this case. Special thanks to Detectives Nicholas Williams and Charles Maw for their great detective work as well as Officer Donald Wise for his quick assessment of the situation and arrest of Garrett Ward."

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Hate crimes rising in the United States

According to Hate Crimes Statistics by the US Department of Justice, a total of 8,263 hate crime incidents against 11,126 victims occurred in 2020 alone. The rising numbers indeed highlight how grim the situation is.

As per data, 62% of the victims were targeted because of the perpetrator's racial, ethnic or ancestral prejudice. Meanwhile, another report states that 5,227 race, ethnicity, or ancestry-based incidents took place in 2020, a 32% rise from 2019.

Another study reported 3,915 victims of anti-black or African American hate crimes in the United States in 2020, the highest number of hate crime victims that year.