New court date set for Casen Carver in Madison Brooks rape case

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A new court date has been set for Casen Carver, one of the suspects in the Madison Brooks rape case, after a judge was recused and several motions were withdrawn.

Carver, 21, was originally scheduled to go to trial in December, but that changed after District Judge Gail Horne Ray was recused from the case.

Court records show Carver had previously filed a motion for a speedy trial in April and later waived his right to a jury trial in September. Following the judge’s recusal, the speedy trial motion was withdrawn, and a new status conference was scheduled.

As of now, Carver is set to return to court at 10 a.m. on Jan. 7, 2026.

Carver is one of the men accused in the case involving Madison Brooks, a 19-year-old LSU student who was allegedly raped before being struck and killed by a vehicle on Burbank Drive in January 2023 after leaving Tigerland.

He faces charges of first-degree rape, third-degree rape (simple rape), and video voyeurism.

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