Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams is applauding a jury that delivered a guilty verdict this week in the 2022 New Orleans homicide case against Nickolas Stackpoole, a man police had tagged with the street name “Duct tape.” The decision closes the loop on a long investigation into a killing that left one local family waiting a very long time for answers.
What the DA Said
Speaking with WWLTV, Williams credited a mix of methodical detective work and steady courtroom chops for persuading jurors. He praised prosecutors, investigators and witnesses for building the case jurors ultimately reviewed, framing the verdict as a win for both accountability and persistence.
Prosecutors’ Approach And Local Context
Williams has repeatedly argued that his office is leaning hard into taking violent crime cases to trial now that juries are fully back in criminal courtrooms. That strategy is reflected in the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s trial updates, where the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office points to multiple guilty verdicts as it works through a backlog of violent cases.
Case Background
The killing dates back to Aug. 24, 2022, when officers found a woman later identified as Toiannie Odom shot in a wooded area near the 11000 block of Chef Menteur Highway, according to earlier reporting. Detectives developed Nicholas “Duct tape” Stackpoole as a suspect, and an arrest warrant was issued on March 29, 2023. He was taken into custody at a Deslonde Street residence, as reported by WWL. Prosecutors brought the case to trial this spring, and the jury returned a guilty verdict.
Legal Implications
Stackpoole had been wanted on a second-degree murder warrant. Under Louisiana law, a conviction for second-degree murder is punishable by life imprisonment at hard labor without the benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence, as set out in the statute summarized by Justia. The specific date for sentencing had not yet been set.
