“It was important that we put another cross for Allie Rice to show that we are not going down without a fight. Her death was tragic and the vandalism felt like we were being taunted with the first cross being stolen and the second one broken.” ~Paul Rice
BATON ROUGE —- For the third time, Allie Rice’s friends and family put up a cross at the site where the LSU student was killed in Sept. 2022 with several loved ones watching in awe.
“We are continuing to fight… physically, financially, and politically. We are not going away. We will make sure that everyone in this community forever remembers the name Allie Rice,” said Allie Rice’s father Paul Rice.
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.
Now approaching eight months since her murder, 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 eight months.
Allie’s birthday week started with her friends, family and even a complete stranger helping to get a bright yellow cross bolted to a pole. Yellow was Allie’s favorite color. May 9th, Allie would have turned 22.
“We were able to honor Allie’s memory this weekend right before her 22nd birthday so that added some extra emotion to the event today. There were tears and applause as the cross was attached to the pole,” said Rice.
Two different people, who did not want to be recognized, helped make the cross. Both said they were simply honored to make it. e It’s a yellow, metal cross with powder coating. Terry Granier made the wooden part that sits on top of the metal cross.
Entergy was going to assist with putting the cross on the pole but could not. That’s when a friend reached out to a man named Troy Cage with a tall ladder. Cage went to Government St. and bolted the cross to the pole.
“We would like to thank the friends and family who came out to show support, the community who helped build the cross, provided the metal backing, and engraved her name and details. Also a huge thank you to Sgt. Belford Johnson and Troy Cage who helped save the day today and ensured that the cross was hung,” said Rice.
The reason for putting the cross so high and bolting it is because the first cross family and friends put up was stolen. The second cross, a six-foot cross, was vandalized.
“It was important that we put another cross to show that we are not going down without a fight,” said Rice. “Her death was tragic and the vandalism felt like we were being taunted with the first cross being stolen and the second one broken. This monument is not just important to our family but her friends and an entire community that has become our family in the aftermath. It is a sign that we are committed to this fight and are committed to results. We want it to be a reminder to everyone to stay aware of your surroundings and be safe, and to also remember that this could have happened to any of us – regardless of age, race, political affiliation, wealth, or social status.”
“The latest vandalism of Allie’s roadside memorial just feels like a slap in the face to Allie’s memory and to our family,” said Rice after the second cross was vandalized in Oct. 2022.
Anyone with any information on this case is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 344-STOP.
Download the Unfiltered with Kiran app from the Apple App Store and Google Play to stay updated on any new developments.
Leave a Reply