Caddo Parish DA clarifies domestic violence history of murder suspect

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — The Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office is clarifying details after it was revealed that a murder suspect in Shreveport had a history of domestic violence.

This is regarding 30-year-old Jacobi Hughes, who was arrested in connection with the death of his girlfriend, 27-year-old Kalisia Franklin. The victim’s body was found in a home on September 6. Caddo Parish District Attorney James E. Smith is clarifying any misconceptions that his office did not convict Hughes previously, especially after it was revealed that he has a history of violent behavior.

According to the District Attorney’s Office, the suspect has been arrested twice for charges of domestic abuse battery, with one arrest in 2013 and another in 2016.

Hughes was arrested again in 2016 for failing to appear in court and later pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace. In 2019, he was arrested for not complying with the sentence he received in 2016. All of these incidents occurred in Shreveport City Court, not the DA’s office. Additionally, Hughes was charged in connection with an injury to a six-year-old child, but those charges were later dropped after he entered a guilty plea.

As of January 2025, Stewart’s Office decided that all domestic violence arrests are to be prosecuted by his office and not the Shreveport City Attorney’s Office. He also noted that all domestic violence cases with an arrest date after January 1, 2025, are now prosecuted exclusively at Caddo Parish District Court.

In a press release, Stewart said if and when an indictment is returned, the case will be prosecuted with vigor and to the full extent of the law.