Family Claims Mental Health System Failure Led to Louisiana Massacre

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The family of Ryant Jones, the suspect in a tragic massacre in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana, is speaking out, claiming that he should have been committed to a hospital the day before the killings, which left three family members dead, including a 1-year-old baby and a 10-year-old child.

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Jones, 31, faces three counts of first-degree murder for allegedly stabbing to death Rhonda Powell, 40, her son Braylon, 10, and her nephew Hayden, 1, on January 9, 2025.

According to family members, Jones was suffering from a mental health crisis the day before the killings and had been brought to a medical center for assistance.

However, the family claims that when they requested Jones be committed for his escalating aggression, the medical staff did not act appropriately.

Deondra Robertson-Warner, a cousin of the victims, told local news outlet WAFB that the family begged doctors to keep Jones at the hospital and administer medication that had helped him in the past.

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Family Claims Mental Health System Failure Led to Louisiana Massacre

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Family Claims Mental Health System Failure Led to Louisiana Massacre

Instead, the medical staff reportedly gave him a pill and sent him home, where the tragic event later unfolded.

In a heartbreaking statement, Robertson-Warner said, “No one in that home survived because the mental health system failed him… Had he been committed, he would be where he needed to be today, and my other family members would be alive. Those babies would be alive.”

The St. Helena Parish Sheriff’s Department has charged Jones with first-degree murder in connection with the deaths.

Jones, who is reportedly suffering from schizophrenia, remains in custody, though his legal representation has not yet been disclosed.

The family’s calls for accountability have sparked widespread discussion about the state of mental health care and the responsibility of medical professionals in such critical situations.

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