New Orleans rapper Young Greatness, born Theodore Jones, was shot and killed outside a Waffle House on Elysian Fields Avenue on October 29, 2018. The Young Greatness murder was ultimately pinned on three men: 43-year-old Donald Reaux, who prosecutors said orchestrated the attack, and his two younger cousins, Donny Maxwell and Lovance Wix, who carried out the shooting and robbery. Reaux was convicted of second-degree murder in January 2023 and sentenced to life in prison without parole.1WDSU. New Orleans Young Greatness Murder Conviction
What Happened at the Waffle House
Jones was 34 and in New Orleans to attend a funeral. Shortly after 1:30 a.m. on October 29, 2018, he was shot in the parking lot of the Waffle House in the 2900 block of Elysian Fields Avenue. Officers found him face down with a gunshot wound to the back, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooters took his vehicle.2WDSU. New Orleans Rapper Young Greatness Shot and Killed
According to prosecutors, Donald Reaux drove his two cousins to the Waffle House with the plan of robbing and killing Jones, but did not fire a weapon himself. Donny Maxwell was 19 at the time; Lovance Wix was 15.1WDSU. New Orleans Young Greatness Murder Conviction
The Three Defendants
A grand jury indicted all three men on charges that included second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. The two younger defendants took plea deals before trial.
Lovance Wix pleaded guilty in October 2019 to armed robbery, obstruction of justice, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and discharging a firearm during a violent crime. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.3KEDM. Man Convicted in 2018 Slaying of New Orleans-Born Rapper
Donny Maxwell pleaded guilty to manslaughter, armed robbery, obstruction of justice, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, and conspiracy to obstruct justice.3KEDM. Man Convicted in 2018 Slaying of New Orleans-Born Rapper The file does not state the length of his sentence.
Reaux refused a plea and took his case to trial.
The Trial of Donald Reaux
Reaux went before Judge Camille Buras in Section H of the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court in January 2023. The prosecution’s case was built largely on technology and video. Jurors saw footage from New Orleans’ Real Time Crime Center cameras, license plate reader data, Waffle House security cameras, and Ring doorbell cameras from nearby homes, along with social media records.4Orleans Parish District Attorney. DA Williams Prosecutors Secure Guilty as Charged Murder Conviction
After three days, a unanimous jury found Reaux guilty on every count: second-degree murder, armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, obstruction of justice, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and illegal possession of a firearm by a felon.3KEDM. Man Convicted in 2018 Slaying of New Orleans-Born Rapper Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams credited NOPD detectives with building the case from the initial scene work through trial.4Orleans Parish District Attorney. DA Williams Prosecutors Secure Guilty as Charged Murder Conviction
Sentencing and Appeal
Reaux was sentenced on March 14, 2023. The second-degree murder conviction carried a mandatory life sentence at hard labor without the possibility of probation, parole, or suspension. The court stacked additional time on the remaining counts: 99 years for armed robbery, 50 years for conspiracy to commit armed robbery, 40 years for obstruction of justice, 30 years for conspiracy to obstruct justice, and 20 years for illegal possession of a firearm by a felon.5Findlaw. State of Louisiana v. Donald J. Reaux, No. 2023-KA-0497
Reaux appealed. On March 14, 2024, the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal affirmed every one of his convictions, including the murder conviction, and upheld four of the six sentences. The panel found that the sentences on two counts, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and conspiracy to obstruct justice, exceeded the statutory maximums and sent those two counts back to the trial court for resentencing. The life sentence for second-degree murder was undisturbed.5Findlaw. State of Louisiana v. Donald J. Reaux, No. 2023-KA-0497
Who Young Greatness Was
Theodore Jones grew up in the St. Bernard Projects in New Orleans’ Seventh Ward and signed with the Atlanta-based independent label Quality Control Music in 2015. His single “Moolah,” produced by Jazze Pha, debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 95 in the spring of 2016 and became his signature song, later remixed with Lil Wayne and Yo Gotti.6Forbes. Young Greatness Moolah He released the mixtape I Tried to Tell Em 2 in July 2016 and had collaborated with artists including Juvenile, Meek Mill, Pusha T, Rick Ross, Migos, and Yo Gotti by the time of his death.7Vice. Young Greatness Moolah Interview