A grand jury in New Orleans refused to indict a tribal member on murder charges.

Courtney Cantrell, 36, was originally booked on murder charges in the death of Patricia Fitzgerald, 45, in September 2024 after allegedly fleeing Louisiana to Montana in the aftermath of the killing. Fitzgerald was found under a wharf by the Mississippi River, and police later determined that she was beaten to death.

Shortly after her body was found Cantrell left Louisiana and went to the Fort Peck Indian Reservation where he was later arrested and extradited back to New Orleans. He was initially charged with second degree murder.

On February 14, 2025, a grand jury refused to indict Cantrell for murder.

Law enforcement previously said they were charging Cantrell in an affidavit of arrest. In an interview with cops, right before they ruled Fitzgerald’s death a homicide, Cantrell told authorities that nobody should have been beaten the way Fitzgerald was, documents state.

Police took statements from Cantrell, as well having mud and blood on his pants, as evidence against him. In an affidavit of arrest, the police also stated they had security camera footage of Cantrell immediately changing his shirt after coming up from under the wharf where Fitzgerald was found.

During the hearing, the jury decided there was not enough information available to charge him with murder.

No other information was available at press time.