latest after the death of an LSU sophomore earlier this month. The details are incredibly disturbing as we have learned that several people are now charged with raping Madison Brooks after a night of drinking just before she died. The story is incredibly difficult and we’ve been reporting on this now for days.
The coroner has officially said that the manner of death is still under investigation, but has officially ruled that the cause of death was due to multiple traumatic injuries. Police say that the LSU sophomore had been abandoned on the side of the road by three men and a 17-year-old. Prosecutors say two of the men raped the victim while the others watched.
January 15th, 2023, around 3:00 in the morning, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A ride-share driver is cruising through these empty, dark streets when suddenly there’s this hit. In the glow of his headlights, he sees a girl lying on the asphalt, barely conscious, alone, disoriented, and, you know, literally dying right there in front of him.
She passes away at the hospital a few hours later. But this this wasn’t an accident. The investigation uncovers something horrifying. 19-year-old LSU student Madison Brooks had been assaulted that night while she was severely intoxicated, and then four men, the same ones who later claimed she agreed, just left her on the road to die.
Before we get started, take a second, hit that subscribe button, drop a like, and please tell us where you’re watching from and what the weather’s like over there. And get ready. Today’s story is one of those that just cracks something inside you, you know? The night when 19-year-old Madison Brooks was assaulted, left on the road, and a few hours later, she died on that cold asphalt.
All right, let’s begin. Madison Kennedy Brooks was born in Covington, Louisiana, into a family that basically became the center of her world. Her parents, John Brooks and Ashley Boward, raised her along with her brothers and sister Aiden, Brady, and Callan in a home filled with love, laughter, and that kind of closeness not everyone gets to grow up with.
Her grandparents called her their little sunshine, and if you ever met Madison, you totally understood why. Her godparents, Hunter and Lauren LeBlanc, watched her grow up from this wide-eyed little girl into a young woman who seemed to carry light with her wherever she went. Madison studied at St. Scholastica Academy, a private Catholic school in Covington, and she wasn’t just another student, she left a mark there.
She worked hard, making the honor roll over and over again. She cheered on the sidelines as part of the cheer squad, bringing that same contagious energy and school spirit everyone who knew her would always remember. But Madison wasn’t only about school or sports. She was deeply involved in her faith community through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
She joined Doves for Life, standing up for causes she truly believed in. She was part of the Spirit Club, always finding ways to lift people up and make the school a better place. Teachers remembered her warmly, not just as a great student, but as someone who genuinely cared, someone who always showed up and always contributed.
When Madison graduated from St. Scholastica in 2021, she already had her eyes on something bigger, Louisiana State University, LSU, the place where she planned to chase her dreams. She came onto campus as a wide-eyed freshman, ready to find her place in the world, and she did. Madison chose to study communications, a field that honestly felt like it was made for her.
She loved stories. She loved people. She wanted to tell stories that mattered, stories that could actually change something. And then came the moment that really shaped her future. Madison was accepted into the prestigious Manship School of Mass Communication at LSU. For anyone who knows LSU, that is a huge accomplishment.
Manship is one of the top journalism and mass communication programs in the entire country. Getting in isn’t easy. It’s competitive. It’s a win, and Madison earned it. Her future was taking shape right in front of her. Journalism, storytelling, a career where she could use her voice to amplify the voices of others.
She was exactly where she was meant to be. But Madison’s life at LSU wasn’t only about academics. She joined Alpha Phi Sorority, where she found a sisterhood that became her second family. Her sorority sisters described her as someone with a pure heart and a laugh that was just infectious. She was the kind of person who made others feel seen, heard, and important.
Madison had this adventurous spirit that was impossible to contain. She went skydiving because why not? She loved skiing, racing down those slopes with the same fearless energy she brought into everything else. She traveled to new cities whenever she had the chance, soaking in experiences and collecting memories.
But if you asked anyone who truly knew Madison what mattered most to her, they’d all say the same thing, family and friends. Weekly family dinners, long phone calls with her mom, the traditions that kept her grounded. She valued the people in her life, and they loved her right back. Madison was the kind of girl who lit up every room she walked into, not because she needed attention, but because joy just came out of her naturally.
By January of 2023, Madison was thriving. She was 19, a sophomore at LSU, surrounded by friends who adored her, and a family that backed her every step. She was building a future, making memories, living that classic college life so many people only dream about. January 14th, 2023, a Saturday night for Madison. Just another weekend, a chance to relax, hang out with friends, enjoy being young and alive.
She had no idea it would be her last night. She had no idea that in less than 12 hours, everything would come to an end. If you’ve ever been to Louisiana State University, you know about Tigerland. It’s the beating heart of LSU nightlife, a cluster of bars and clubs right next to campus, where students go to unwind, celebrate, or just forget about classes for a few hours.
And right at the center of Tigerland sits Reggie’s bar, a packed weekend hotspot, the kind of place you hit with your friends, where the music is pounding and the alcohol is flowing nonstop. January 14th, around 10:00 at night, Madison Brooks walks into Reggie’s. For her, it’s just another Saturday, normal, routine, a night she had lived dozens of times before.
But that very same evening, four men are also at Reggie’s. Konn Washington, 18. Desmond Carter, 17. Casen Carver, 18. Everett Lee, 28, the oldest in the group and Washington’s uncle. Madison doesn’t know these men, and they don’t know her. They’re strangers who just happen to end up in the same place on the same night, but their paths are about to cross in the worst possible way.
The security cameras inside Reggie’s bar recorded everything that happened that night, and what they captured is absolutely critical to understanding the events that led to Madison Brooks’s death. On the footage, you can see Madison and 17-year-old suspect Desmond Carter dancing together, hugging. At first glance, it looks like a regular night out, two young people just having fun.
But as the hours pass, something shifts. Around 1:00 in the morning, the cameras catch Madison starting to stumble. She falls. She can’t keep her balance. People around her, friends, strangers, try to help her stand. Her speech is slurred. She’s clearly drunk, visibly disoriented, and the four men there watching.
By 2:00 in the morning, Reggie’s bar closes. Last call is over, the lights come on, and people spill out into the warm Louisiana night. And this this is the moment where everything goes wrong. The outside cameras catch Madison leaving the bar, but she’s not alone. She follows the four men, all four of them, out to the parking lot, toward their car.
According to what they later told police, Madison asked them for a ride home. Just think about that for a second. Madison didn’t know these men. She didn’t know where she was going, and by every account, including their own, she was absolutely in no condition to make decisions about her safety.
But she still gets into Casen Carver’s car. Carver is driving. Everett Lee is in the front passenger seat. In the back, Madison, Konn Washington, and Desmond Carter. The car pulls away from Reggie’s bar, and somewhere out there in the darkness of Baton Rouge, it stops. What happens next becomes the center of a criminal case that, even more than 2 years later, still isn’t fully resolved.
By Casen Carver’s own words, Madison was really unsteady on her feet, couldn’t keep her balance, and couldn’t talk clearly without slurring. He knew she was drunk. They all knew. But according to the arrest affidavit, Konn Washington and Desmond Carter repeatedly asked Madison to have sex with them, and according to their version of events, she said yes. She agreed.
Here’s the problem. When police directly asked Carver whether he believed Madison was too intoxicated to give consent, he answered with just two words, “I guess. I guess. Yeah, probably. Something like that.” Later, he told investigators that what happened made him uncomfortable and that he hated it. Ow.
But he didn’t do anything to stop it. Everett Lee, according to investigators, stepped out of the car during the alleged assault, but he also didn’t intervene. Two men, prosecutors say, assaulted Madison in the backseat. Two others were present and did nothing. And now, the most haunting part. The defense attorneys later confirmed that someone in the car recorded video.
Video of Madison drunk, slurring her words after the alleged assault. In the recording, she asked them to let her out of the car. She says she’ll call an Uber and get home on her own, and they let her out. Around 2:50 in the morning, roughly 50 minutes after leaving Reggie’s. They drop Madison off near the Pelican Lake subdivision, a place she didn’t know, in an area she wasn’t familiar with, and they just drive away.
Madison is left alone in the darkness. Hardly any streetlights. She’s disoriented, confused. Her blood alcohol level, according to toxicology, was 0.319%. For comparison, 0.08% is the legal driving limit in Louisiana. Madison’s level was nearly four times that.
At that level, medical experts say a person can lose consciousness, fail to recognize danger, and be completely unable to make rational decisions. Madison wanders out toward Burbank Drive. Somehow, she ends up in the middle of the dark roadway, 3:00 in the morning. A ride-share driver is passing through the area. He turns onto the road, and in the glow of his headlights, Madison.
He doesn’t have time to stop. Impact. The driver immediately calls 911. He wasn’t drunk. He wasn’t at fault. He stays at the scene and fully cooperates with investigators. He’s stunned, shaken to his core. First responders arrive and rush Madison to the hospital. She’s fighting for her life. Her family is called.
They race to her, but the injuries are too severe. Within a few hours, Madison Kennedy Brooks is pronounced dead. Official cause of death, multiple traumatic injuries from a pedestrian versus vehicle collision. She was 19 years old. A night that started as a simple Saturday with the promise of fun ended with a young woman dying alone on a dark road, and four men would soon be facing criminal charges for what happened in the hours leading up to her death.
January 15th, 2023. As the Sunday morning sun rises over Baton Rouge, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office views Madison Brooks’s death as a tragic accident. A young woman struck by a car in the dark. Wrong place, wrong time. A horrible, senseless loss. But when investigators begin piecing together the timeline, something doesn’t add up.
Why was a 19-year-old LSU student standing in the middle of Burbank Drive at 3:00 in the morning? Where had she been? How did she get there? And most importantly, who was she with? Detectives start collecting surveillance footage from nearby businesses. And then they pull the recordings from Reggie’s bar in Tigerland.
What they see on those tapes changes everything. Investigators replay the moment Madison walks into Reggie’s around 10:00 at night. She looks happy, normal, ready for a night out with her friends. But as the hours pass, they watch her condition slowly fall apart, the unsteady walk, the falls, people helping her up, all unmistakable signs of severe alcohol intoxication.
And then, around 2:00 in the morning, they see something that instantly flips this case from a tragic accident into a criminal investigation. Madison walks out of Reggie’s bar, but not alone. She follows four men strangers into the parking lot. She gets into their car, and in less than 1 hour, she will be dead. The autopsy and toxicology results come back, and they paint a devastating picture.
Madison’s blood alcohol level is 0.319%. That’s catastrophically high, almost four times the legal limit to drive. At that level, a person is at risk of alcohol poisoning, losing consciousness, even dying. Her toxicology also shows THC. But there’s something else, something that confirms investigators’ worst fears. Madison’s body shows injuries consistent with sexual assault.
The coroner’s findings are crushing. This wasn’t just a story about a young woman who drank too much and made a bad choice. This was a crime scene. Detectives get to work identifying the four men from surveillance footage. They track Kassan Carver’s car through license plate readers. They build a timeline. They prepare for interviews.
January 23rd, 2023, eight days after Madison’s death, all four suspects voluntarily walk into the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. The news shocks the LSU community and the entire city of Baton Rouge. Suspects arrested in the Madison Brooks case. Four men now facing criminal charges. Kassan Carver agrees to talk to investigators, and what he says is both revealing and deeply disturbing.
Yes, he confirms they met Madison at Reggie’s bar. Yes, she left with them. Yes, she got into his car. He was the one driving. He describes Madison’s condition in his own words. Really unsteady on her feet, couldn’t keep her balance, and couldn’t talk clearly without slurring. He admits that Kassan Washington and Desmond Carter asked Madison to have sex with them.
According to Carver, she said yes. She agreed. But then investigators ask him the key question. Did he think Madison was too drunk to give consent? His answer, I guess. Probably yeah. Carver tells police that what happened made him uncomfortable, that he hated it, but he never did anything to stop it.
Everett Lee, the oldest of the group at 28, confirms he was in the car, but offers almost no details, refusing to answer most questions. Kassan Washington denies everything, denies having sex with Madison, denies seeing his friend have sex with her. When investigators ask for a DNA sample, he asks for a lawyer, and the interview stops.
The 17-year-old suspect’s statement is sealed because he was a minor at the time of the arrest. Based on the evidence, surveillance footage, toxicology, medical findings, and Carver’s statements, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office files charges. Kassan Washington and Desmond Carter are charged with third-degree rape.
Everett Lee and Kassan Carver are charged as principals to third-degree rape, meaning they were present during the alleged assault, but did not directly participate. Under Louisiana law, third-degree rape is defined as a situation where the victim is unable to resist or understand the nature of the act due to a stupor or abnormal mental condition caused by intoxication, and the offender knew or should have known the victim was incapable of consent.
Given Madison’s blood alcohol level 0.319% and Carver’s own admission that she was unsteady and slurring her words, prosecutors believe they have a strong case. The court sets bail for the three adult defendants. Kassan Carver, $50,000. Everett Lee, $75,000. Keon Washington, $150,000. Within a few days, Carver and Lee post bail.
They walk out of jail free while they wait for trial. Washington stays behind bars. And Desmond Carter, being a minor, is held in a juvenile facility. But for Madison’s family, there is no bail, no release, no coming home. Their daughter, their sister, their little sunshine. She’s gone forever. The arrests shake Baton Rouge, and the outrage spreads far beyond the city.
LSU President William Tate issues a statement that echoes the community’s heartbreak and anger. What happened to her is evil, and our legal system will deliver justice. Students hold vigils across campus. Candles flicker in the dark. Flowers pile up around makeshift memorials. Madison’s sorority sisters from Alpha Phi release their own statement, grieving the loss of the girl they loved so much.
But they also share something that captures exactly who Madison was. Even in her final moments, Madison was an organ donor. Her heart and kidneys were donated to save the lives of others. Even in death, Madison gave life. She was a hero, too, her sorority sisters wrote. But while the community mourns, the legal battle is just beginning.
Four days after the arrests, January 27th, 2023, the defense attorneys hold a press conference. Ron Haley, Joe Long, Ryan Bolou, and Dale Glover step in front of the cameras and make a shocking claim. Madison agreed to everything, they say. She supposedly wasn’t as drunk as the police reports indicate, and they claim to have video evidence that will prove their clients’ innocence.
They didn’t rape her. We believe that based on the evidence that we’re able to view today, that one of our clients had on his cloud, that she was not in a drunken stupor. What they are accused with right now is third-degree rape. Basically, for layman’s terms, third-degree rape means that you cannot consent because you’re in a drunken stupor that prevents you from saying yes or no.
Based on the her body language, based on her words, based on what she was saying, um I can sit here firmly on even ground and say that a rape did not occur that evening. Attorney Ron Haley says, “Listen, this is a tragedy, but it’s definitely not a crime.” Joe Long, who represents Kassan Carver, goes even further.
He questions the blood analysis, suggesting that the surveillance footage from Reggie’s bar doesn’t actually line up with the prosecution’s story. The defense promises that once the video from inside the car is released, it’ll completely clear their clients. But when that video is finally played in court, things do not go the way the defense expected.
I’m sorry that I offended you that bad. Get out. Get out. I will Uber on my own. During the bond hearing, 19th Judicial District Judge Brad Myers reviews the video recorded inside the car by one of the suspects, the video showing Madison. And what he sees deeply disturbs him. The judge describes the suspects as mocking Madison, a drunk 19-year-old girl slurring her words, clearly extremely intoxicated.
He also reviews the surveillance footage from Reggie’s bar, showing Madison falling, struggling to stay on her feet. And the judge’s conclusion is crystal clear. The evidence is obvious to me. A crime occurred that night. The video the defense believed would save them ends up strengthening the prosecution. And soon, the charges will become even more serious.
On February 22nd, 2023, a grand jury reviews the evidence. Their decision, the charge against Desmond Carter is upgraded from third-degree rape to first-degree rape. Carter will be tried as an adult, and if convicted, he faces life in prison without parole. But the case takes an even darker turn when new allegations emerge against Keon Washington.
In late January 2023, another young woman comes forward with a devastating statement. She tells police that Washington forced himself on her at a pool party in Walker, Louisiana, back in May 2020. According to her, he followed her into a room and assaulted her, covering her mouth so she couldn’t scream. She reported the incident to police in 2021, but no charges were filed.
Now, with Madison’s case dominating headlines, investigators reopen it. Washington is charged with first-degree rape in that case as well. And in February 2023, a third victim appears. A third possible rape this time from October 2022 in the same area of Baton Rouge where Madison died. The victim reports the assault on January 25th, 2023, the day after Washington’s arrest in Madison’s case.
Now, Keion Washington faces three separate rape charges. Meanwhile, the defense fights a different battle. They attempt to introduce evidence about Madison’s prior sexual history. They claim she had consensual rough sex with another man the night before she died. The defense argues this could explain her injuries and the lack of DNA from the suspects.
But prosecutors push back hard. Under Louisiana law, a victim’s sexual history is generally inadmissible in rape cases. It’s irrelevant, prejudicial, and considered victim blaming. In March 2024, the judge denies the defense motion. Madison’s sexual history cannot be used. The defense appeals.
The case reaches the Louisiana Supreme Court. October 2025, the Supreme Court unanimously upholds the lower court’s decision. A defendant’s right to a fair trial does not require admitting evidence that is irrelevant to the case. Madison’s past cannot be used against her. But prosecutors face a major problem.
Sources report that no DNA from any of the four suspects was found inside Madison Brooks. How do you prove rape without DNA? District Attorney Hiller Moore acknowledges the challenge. We have the burden of proof. He is presumed innocent. We believe in our case. We believe he committed this crime. That’s why he’s charged.
The case will have to rely on testimony, on Madison’s condition, on the circumstances, and on the video evidence. And then begins the long wait. Months turn into years. Carter’s attorneys file appeals, slowing everything down. Washington’s multiple cases complicate the court schedule. June 2025, more than 2 years after Madison’s death, Kaasin Carver finally enters a plea.
He pleads not guilty to first-degree rape, third-degree rape, and video voyeurism. His trial is set for December 1st, 2025. Washington and Carter still no trial dates. Madison’s family continues to wait for justice. After Madison’s death, LSU and Louisiana officials take action against the place where it all began, Reggie’s bar.
The Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control issues an emergency suspension of Reggie’s alcohol license, citing a threat to public safety. LSU President Tate speaks firmly. Nearly all of the suspects in this horrific case were underage, yet still able to drink at a local bar. He vows to hold establishments accountable. Enough is enough.
Reggie’s bar has a troubling history. Previous violent incidents, including a stabbing in 2016, a possible rape in the parking lot, and a man who pointed a loaded gun at patrons. A pattern of dangerous behavior finally catches up with the bar. From tragedy, Madison’s family works to create something meaningful. The Madison Brooks Scholarship Fund is established to support students in LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication, the very program Madison had just been accepted into.
Her dreams of storytelling, of making an impact, now live on through students who will benefit from the scholarship. Her Alpha Phi sisters keep her memory alive. Along the section of Burbank Drive where she died, a roadside memorial grows. Flowers, candles, handwritten notes. We love you, Maddy.
Her grandfather, Kurt LeBlanc, speaks on behalf of the family. She was pure joy and light. We’re going to miss her so much. Madison’s mother, Ashley, carries a kind of pain that words just can’t hold. The family’s attorney, Kerry Miller, becomes their voice calling out what she describes as absolutely shameful tactics from the defense.
Attempts to drag in Madison’s sexual history, question her blood alcohol level, and shift the blame onto the victim herself. The family’s mission is clear. They want to make sure this never happens to another family again. Madison’s case sparks a national conversation uncomfortable, but necessary.
How do we protect young women on college campuses? What does consent really mean when someone is blackout drunk? Where is the line between legal responsibility and moral responsibility? New safety programs launch. Bystander intervention trainings roll out. Universities across the country start reevaluating their policies.
But for Madison’s family, all these changes come far too late. Here’s where the case stands right now. Kaasin Carver’s trial is scheduled for December 1st, 2025. He will be the first to face a jury on charges of first-degree rape, third-degree rape, and video voyeurism. Keion Washington is awaiting trial in Madison’s case, as well as in two additional rape cases from separate victims.
Desmond Carter is awaiting trial for first-degree rape. If convicted, he faces life in prison with no possibility of parole. Everly’s status remains unclear as court proceedings continue. As for the ride-share driver who struck Madison that night, he was never charged. He wasn’t drunk. He stayed at the scene.
He cooperated fully. He wasn’t at fault. But he’ll have to live with what happened for the rest of his life. And still, the unanswered questions hang in the air. Will there ever be full accountability? Can prosecutors prove rape beyond a reasonable doubt without DNA? Will a jury believe Madison was incapable of giving consent? Will the defense’s version of events prevail? More than 2 years have passed since Madison’s death, and still no verdict, no justice. Just waiting.
Madison Brooks would be 22 years old today. She should have been graduating from the Manship School of Mass Communication. She should have been starting her career, telling meaningful stories, changing the world the way she always dreamed. Instead, her family visits her grave. This case forces us to face some hard truths about consent, about bystander responsibility, about our duty to protect the vulnerable.
Four men crossed paths with Madison Brooks on January 14th, 2023. She was a stranger to them, and less than 6 hours later, she was dead. Whether justice will come, time will tell. But one thing is absolutely undeniable. Madison deserved better. She deserved to go home. She deserved to live. Her legacy isn’t just a scholarship or policy changes.
It’s a reminder that behind every true crime story is a real person, a daughter, a sister, a friend. A person whose life mattered. Madison Kennedy Brooks mattered. And her story must be told. If you appreciated this content, make sure to subscribe and turn on notifications. Every single subscriber helps us keep creating the stories we genuinely care about sharing with you.
