A normally quiet block in Harvey is still reeling after a December shooting that left 68-year-old Robbie Walker dead and her 66-year-old husband, Zed Walker Jr., under arrest. Relatives say they are caught between grief and disbelief as investigators describe a domestic argument that started inside the couple’s home and spilled into the street. The gap between what detectives say happened and what family members remember has neighbors rattled.
Robbie's daughter, Jerlisa Walker, told reporters she believes her father's actions were accidental and that the family is "in pain," according to NOLA. Other relatives have described a long and sometimes tense relationship between the couple, even as they insist the shooting was not intentional. They recall Robbie as someone who loved decorating the house and who had just put up a Christmas tree, details that make her death feel all the more abrupt. Those memories only sharpen the contrast with the early law enforcement narrative.
What investigators say
The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office reports that deputies were called around 10:15 a.m. on Dec. 6 to the 2200 block of Deerlick Lane, where they found a woman with a single gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the Sheriff's Office, Zed Walker Jr. stayed on site, was taken into custody, and was booked with attempted murder and manslaughter. Officials said the couple's adult stepson was present but not injured. Those initial details were reported after local outlets reviewed the Sheriff's Office statements, including FOX 8/WVUE.
Family remembers Robbie Walker
Relatives describe Robbie Walker as a grandmother and longtime caregiver who poured energy into her home and family. One sibling told reporters the couple's 44-year relationship could turn volatile, even as other family members insist the shooting could not have been deliberate. Those accounts, along with the basic timeline of the December morning, were detailed in local coverage, including a December report on the Harvey shooting death.
Legal outlook
Court records reviewed for this update show that a Jefferson Parish grand jury later indicted Walker on charges of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder, and that he entered a not guilty plea, according to NOLA. Under Louisiana law, a second-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment at hard labor without the possibility of parole, probation or suspension of sentence, a consequence repeatedly noted in legal summaries and appellate decisions. Legal guides and case law also explain that attempted versions of crimes that can draw life sentences typically bring substantial multi-decade prison exposure as well, as outlined in summaries on FindLaw.
The case is moving through Jefferson Parish courts as investigators and prosecutors continue to review physical evidence and witness statements. For now, relatives say they are concentrating on laying Robbie to rest and trying to make sense of what happened, while neighbors on this usually quiet Westbank street wait uneasily to see what comes next.
