An arrest has been made in the murder of Ms. Sadie Roberts-Joseph, the founder of the African American History Museum in Baton Rouge, LA.
Registered sex offender Ronn Jermaine Bell was arrested in connection with the homicide Tuesday, after The East Baton Rouge coroner concluded Ms. Robert-Joseph’s death being due to  “traumatic asphyxia, including suffocation” Saturday.
Ms. Roberts-Joseph was found in the trunk of her car on 2300 block of North 20th Street on Friday afternoon as the city was bracing for Tropical Storm Barry.
Apparently, Bell was a tenant of Ms. Robert-Joseph and behind on his rent, but Baton Rouge Police Chief said that is not a confirmed motive. Bell now faces a first-degree murder charge.
“On behalf of the family of Sadie Roberts-Joseph we would like to express our sincere appreciation to all of the entities that came together in this tragedy to bring this person to justice,” Roberts-Joseph’s daughter, Angela Machen, said during a news conference.
The community activist founded the Odell S. Williams Now & Then Museum of African-American History, which is now called the Baton Rouge African-American History Museum in 2001, and it is currently the only museum dedicated to African and African American history in the city. A vigil is being held this evening to commemorate Ms. Robert-Joseph at the museum.
A GoFundMe campaign has been created to help keep the museum in operation. To learn more about it or donate, click here.
