Yesterday evening East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Detectives arrested Billy Joe Hebert, 31, for the murder of 45-year-old David King Jr. of 12150 Hooper Road. Hebert and King allegedly met at a men’s shelter in Livingston Parish and lived together in a motel for a short time before King obtained the trailer in Central where his body was discovered by his landlord yesterday morning.

 Detectives responded to a call at 9:52 Monday morning in reference to a deceased male at 12150 Hooper Road in the trailer park behind the Winn Dixie. Upon arrival, detectives found 45-year-old David King Jr. dead inside his trailer. According to the coroner’s initial findings, King was the victim of foul play and had been dead at least 24 hours. There was no sign of forced entry into the trailer, and detectives noted King’s pants pocket had been turned inside out.  Detectives also found a large amount of blood near King’s body and a single strand of hair in King’s hand.  The hair did not appear to belong to the King, as it was shorter and of a different color. All evidence collected was sent to the LSP Crime Lab for analysis.

 During the course of the investigation detectives were able to contact King’s boss who said King owned a small gray Isuzu pickup truck.  The truck was missing from King’s trailer at the time his body was discovered. King’s boss also said King was paid $246 on Friday. At the time his body was discovered, detectives could not find King’s keys, wallet or money. An acquaintance of King told detectives that King had recently moved from another state and did not have many friends. However, King did befriend a man at a men’s shelter known only to him as BJ.

 Detectives made contact with the trailer park manager who stated King moved into his trailer on Saturday, July 11, 2009 alone. A witness reported seeing King with a white male, alleged to be BJ, that same day.  The witness said they saw King and his friend in the gray Isuzu truck and later the same day at the nearby Winn Dixie Store.  The witness said they last saw the truck  parked at King’s trailer Saturday evening.  According to the witness it was no longer there Sunday morning.

 The staff at the men’s shelter in Livingston parish identified BJ as Billy Joe Hebert.  Staff members informed detectives Hebert and King became friends while at the shelter.  After leaving the shelter, the two were roommates at a motel, until King obtained the trailer in Central. 

 While leaving the shelter in Livingston Parish detectives were traveling on Florida Boulevard when they saw King’s truck backed into a parking space in the parking lot of the Village Inn Motel, located at 1210 Florida Blvd, Denham Springs, LA.  Detectives saw Hebert come out and get into the truck. At that time, detectives detained Hebert and obtained a search warrant for his hotel room.  Detectives, along with the assistance of Denham Springs Police Department,  executed the search warrant and collected items belonging to Hebert, and sent them to LSP Crime Lab for further analysis.  Detectives also found a Village Inn Hotel receipt indicating Hebert checked in on Sunday, July 12, 2009 at 4:32 a.m. and paid $236.25 cash for a week’s stay. 

 While interviewing Hebert, he admitted he knew King and was with him at his trailer on Saturday, and that they went to Winn Dixie and ran other errands. According to Hebert, he left King’s trailer, went back to his motel room in West Baton Rouge Parish, and then decided to move out at approximately 4:00 a.m. Sunday morning.  Detectives met with management at the motel in West Baton Rouge Parish and learned Hebert had not checked into the motel as he previously stated.

 Hebert said that King gave him the Isuzu truck, and he planned to pay for it at a later date when he got a job. An acquaintance of King’s said that the King would not have given his truck away, and that he declined to sell it when the witness offered to buy it.

 When confronted with witness statements and evidence obtained from the scene, Hebert asked for an attorney, and the interview was stopped. Detectives booked Hebert into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison for First-Degree Murder.

 Detectives have been unable to locate any relatives of King to notify them of his death.

 Anyone with information as to this incident is asked to contact the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office at 225-389-5000, or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at (225) 344- STOP or (225) 344-7867.