Six months since Allie Rice was murdered, family still searching for answers

BATON ROUGE — It’s been six months since LSU senior Allie Rice was killed on her way home, and the case is starting to go cold.

Rice, 21, was shot and killed in the early morning hours of September 16 while waiting for a train to cross Government St. Rice was leaving an establishment in Mid City and eating fast food fries when sources tell Unfiltered with Kiran that she was shot upwards of 10 times.

$50,000 reward

There have been no arrests and no persons of interest named in the case despite a $50,000 reward being offered.

Police did not find any evidence of a robbery or an attempted robbery, sources have confirmed. The case still appears to be a mistaken identity case with police at a loss for a true motive behind the killing.

Multiple sources have said police are looking at a teenage as a potential shooter, but no arrests have been made in the past six months.

“Live Like Allie”

Allie’s father Paul posted on his Facebook page about the grieve he and his family have endured during the past six months.

“Visiting your grave this morning on the way to work was emotional,” the post read. “All the fading pictures, the flowers, the trinkets, the prominent quiet peace and calm – there is no doubt that you were loved by not just your family, but an entire community.

“I’m sorry that someone out there knows who did it, how they did it, why they did it – but can’t find it within themselves to provide the information. And meanwhile the homicide count in our area keeps piling up,” the post read.

“If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lane.

I would walk right up to Heaven and bring you back again.

No farewell words were spoken, No time to say “Goodbye”.

You were gone before I knew it, and only God knows why.

My heart still aches with sadness and secret tears still flow.

What it meant to love you – No one can ever know.

But now I know you want me to mourn for you no more;

To remember all the happy times life still has much in store.

Since you’ll never be forgotten, I pledge to you today

A hallowed place within my heart is where you’ll always stay.”

– Author unknown

Today is March 16th. 6 months since you were taken from your parents, your family, and your friends. 6 months and I still wake up every morning hoping it was just a bad dream. I miss you every minute of every day. Visiting your grave this morning on the way to work was emotional – all the fading pictures, the flowers, the trinkets, the prominent quiet peace and calm – there is no doubt that you were loved by not just your family, but an entire community.

Yet all I can think in my head is “I’m Sorry”.

I’m sorry that I haven’t visited your grave more often – it is overwhelming emotionally to remember that you are in there, and not coming by the house later for dinner. But know that thoughts of you are in my mind from the moment I wake up until I fall asleep at night.

I’m sorry that we have not been able to bring your killers to justice. We may never get the full closure that we want or need, but it hurts me most that I did not get to tell you that I love you that one last time.

I’m sorry that despite the awakening and anger from a large part of our community, that we still have not affected the entire community and continue to see these horrible acts committed EVERY DAY.

I’m sorry that someone out there knows who did it, how they did it, why they did it – but can’t find it within themselves to provide the information. And meanwhile the homicide count in our area keeps piling up.

I’m sorry that I have not been able to consistently be who I was for you and who you believed me to be. I try every day to find a way to affect change, I try to keep your name out there in a positive way, I try to make contact and alliances with those who can help. Some days I don’t have the battle in me – but I try to take advantage of every day that I do.

I’m sorry for the pain and struggles that our family and friends endure on a daily basis – for all the people to whom you were important, significant, and vital. The loss of you is something we will never recover from. I can only hope that when it’s my time to go, that I will have made the impact on our world in all the ways that you did. I am so proud of you.

I’m really struggling for words today. So much to say, but no idea of how to say it. Grief has been a beast. Distraction and loss of attention span has become the new normal. My smile has been replaced by numbness and sadness. Every day ends being mentally and emotionally drained. But, we continue to fight on.

Allie this fight for you won’t end. We will continue to work with leaders and coalitions to promote violence prevention, justice, and change. We will continue to fight to put people who care about our mission in place and help clean house of those who do not care enough. Your name will forever be tied with our movement. Yellow bracelets and those three words “Live Like Allie” will be forever known. Patience is difficult but critical … and we will persevere. We still have a lot of work to do.

Rest in Peace baby girl. Please continue to watch over us and don’t hesitate to remind us that you are there!

‘Slap in the face’

A cross put up at the site where Allie Rice was shot and killed has been vandalized twice.

Her family put a cross in her honor along Government St., left notes and some of her favorite snacks. But the cross and everything but the flowers were taken.

Allie’s family and Shed BBQ replaced the stolen cross with a larger 5-foot cross on a utility pole. But that cross was broken.

“It’s like they’re taunting the family & BRPD like, ‘Look at what all we can get away with’,” said Shed BBQ owner Chez Ciccone.

Ciccone said they refuse to give up and they will again, replace the cross and go even higher on the utility pole.

It feels to me like we are all being taunted…Allie, our family, the community, who is still mourning and devastated, and our police system is being taunted and they keep getting away with it,” Paul Rice, Allie’s father, said. “But we are a resilient group, and we will keep rebuilding and continue to honor Allie while we wait for justice.”

If you have any information that can help lead police to an arrest, contact Crime Stoppers at 344-STOP. Remember, you can remain anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward.

Download the Unfiltered with Kiran app from the Apple App Store and Google Play to stay updated on any new developments.