A Jefferson Parish judge on Thursday, April 30, 2026, found 41-year-old Jamal Harris guilty in a brutal Marrero double killing that prosecutors say began as a dating-app meetup gone wrong. Harris was convicted of two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Jessica Troulliet and her father, Robert Templet, along with obstruction of justice and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Sentencing is set for May 8, 2026.
Prosecutors Say Hurt Feelings Turned Deadly
Assistant District Attorney Taylor Somerville told the court that Harris “executed two innocent people because he got his feelings hurt that he isn’t sexy,” according to WWLTV. Prosecutors said Troulliet and Templet were each shot in the back of the head while sitting in Troulliet’s SUV. A passing driver came across the parked vehicle near Fourth Street and Garden Road in Marrero and alerted authorities. According to the district attorney’s office, cellphone records, location data and other forensic evidence connected Harris to the scene and to items recovered as the case unfolded.
Court Filings Show How the Case Reached Trial
Court records indicate Harris was indicted on two counts of second-degree murder in the October 3, 2020, deaths of Troulliet and Templet, as well as obstruction of justice and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to filings on Justia. The appellate filing reviewed by the court details pretrial wrangling over expert testimony but confirms that the bench trial moved forward in April 2026. After hearing testimony that included device-location analysis, the judge returned guilty verdicts on every count.
Digital Trail and Missing Phone Helped Build the Case
Prosecutors told the court that Troulliet’s missing phone and cellphone location records placed Harris at or near her SUV and that those digital breadcrumbs led detectives to a relative’s home, where an assault-style rifle was recovered, according to WWLTV. Authorities say the killings unfolded during a dating-app meetup prosecutors described as having “turned sour,” and that Harris was arrested in October 2020 after investigators tracked leads generated from the device data.
What Comes Next at Sentencing
Harris is scheduled for sentencing on May 8, 2026, and prosecutors are expected to urge the court to hand down a punishment that reflects the full slate of convictions. Under Louisiana law, second-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, as outlined in La. R.S. 14:30.1. The court will also factor in the obstruction conviction and the two firearm-by-felon counts when deciding Harris’s final sentence.
