Village 337 calls for transparency in Iberia Parish homicide investigation

LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)-- The Village 337 is hosting a call to action on Jan. 8 at the Harambee Center from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. The demand is for transparency in the Iberia Parish homicide investigation of Kameran Bedsole, where an 11-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy were accused of first-degree murder.

The children’s mother, Sabrina Washington, was arrested and charged with two counts of accessory after the fact. 

“Many times something happens of this magnitude in the city, the Village 337 is either put on notice by community members or family members specifically reaching out for us to help, because a lot of times they don't know what to do,” Devon Norman, the president and director of the Village 337, said. “With this specific situation, we had community members reach out, but we had an urgency, a call to action from members from within the state capital, community members there, organizers there wanting to reach out from the organization Evolve Louisiana with Laramie Griffin and others who are concerned.” 

The organization will have a phone blitz, where they are going to make phone calls and emails to the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office to speak with Sheriff Tommy Romero and the Tri-Parish District Attorney Bo Duhe’s office. They are also asking that family members and friends of those who have been accused and those in the community wanting answers show up. 

In addition, on Jan. 9, Norman said they would join the family and community in court at the New Iberia courthouse to be with the attorneys and those who are working to find out and investigate what happened. 

Norman said the questions that are being asked are:

• Why is an 11-year-old still in a juvenile detention center? 
• Where is the transparency of the sheriff's office? 
• Why was the mother arrested? 

“Three arrests for one murder and certainly justice should prevail, but you can't have justice without transparency,” he said. 

Norman explained how he was “horrified” when he heard about an 11-year-old being arrested for murder. 

“Certainly, many questions ran through my head, and I think that, as any person should and would question a child being arrested at such a young age for such a serious offense, I think the community wants to know what's happening,” he said. “Why is this child being arrested for this crime?” 

Further, News 10 learned all lawyers on the case have a gag order in place. 

“They can't speak publicly about the case, or, if I'm not mistaken, to anyone about the case. So we don't have that luxury, but we do know that we are in a place where everybody wants transparency and wants the courts and the system to work fairly for these families that have been affected by this tragedy,” Norman said. 

News 10 asked Norman if he thought the call to action would be effective as they have done these types of campaigns before. 

“If nobody's saying anything, if nobody is speaking up, then it's quiet," he replied. "We don't hear anything, but with that type of pressure, we have seen how it may not necessarily get the result that we're looking for, but it does give some information, and at this point, something is better than nothing.” 

Norman said they are not speaking and declaring innocence or guilt but demanding transparency. 

“You can’t have justice without transparency because you don't know how to distribute justice, and if it's distributed wrongly, then that's not justice. If you lock somebody up for a crime that they didn't commit, that family is not receiving justice; you’re just softening, or you’re just trying to itch their ear to tell them that you did something,” he said. 

“I think that we see that too often as it relates to Black and Brown people, whether they are the victim or they are the person on the other side committing the crime," he added. "The victims don't get justice because they don't take the crime seriously or they don't take the investigation seriously. They just want to check a box. So that's what we're trying to prevent.” 

In a message to the family of Kameran Bedsole, he said, “I think that it's important for people to know that this is not in any way a slight towards Kameran or his family. We don't know what took place on the unfortunate day when he was taken from this earth, and I think that is important to recognize the seriousness and the deep-rooted pain that exists in a moment like this.” 

He continues, “On the other hand, there's a life potentially two lives of children that are going to be lost, and that even if we can find out what happened to this 11-year-old, if we find out that she's innocent and that she wasn't the one that did this, she has been affected by this, and she will be for the rest of her life. How we deal with children, especially children who are facing these types of situations, who are facing issues, in communities where they're marginalized, where their life isn't valued or taken seriously. This speaks to the societal ills that we face.” 

“We also know that there is a lack of trust with these very same entities that are performing these investigations, and when there is a lack of trust, there is a duty and responsibility for people like the Village 337, Evolve Louisiana, and other organizations across the state of Louisiana that are going to come together to make sure that this 11-year-old girl receives the due process that is appropriate for an 11-year-old child because even if a crime was committed, we must remember that it was committed by an 11-year-old child,” he concluded. 

News 10 has tried several times to speak with the family of Bedsole, and they agreed but never solidified or made arrangements for a day and time. 

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