Winston Bartholomew Arrested; – A man from Metairie was convicted of murder on Wednesday evening after he allegedly “brutally” assaulted another man to death in May 2024.
As reported by the Office of District Attorney Paul Connick Jr., 62-year-old Winston Bartholomew believed that 62-year-old Gary Olver was disseminating damaging rumors about his girlfriend. On May 14, 2024, Bartholomew and his girlfriend drove past Olver’s residence, a second-floor apartment situated above a tavern on Mississippi Street, and chose to stop and confront him.
Inside the apartment, investigators claim that Olver made an inappropriate advance towards the woman, which led Bartholomew to launch an attack on him. A nearby resident reported hearing the commotion, along with a woman shouting, “stop it, stop it. You’re going to kill him.”
By the conclusion of the assault, the woman had reportedly exited the apartment. Bartholomew then proceeded downstairs to the tavern and ordered a beer.
Ultimately, Olver sustained a fatal brain injury, multiple broken ribs on both sides, and a laceration to the back of his head. He passed away two weeks later, on May 28, after his family made the decision to remove him from life support. Bartholomew was apprehended on May 31 after being identified as the perpetrator.
Following less than two hours of jury deliberation, Bartholomew was found guilty of second-degree murder and obstruction of justice, the latter charge stemming from his admission of destroying his cell phone to evade detection by investigators. His sentencing is set for April 9.
