Justice Served? Serial Killer Of New Orleans Gay Men Paroled After 45 Years
Known as “The French Quarter Stabber” Warren Harris Jr Walks Free, Leaving Victims’ Families Questioning Justice.
Warren Harris Jr, a convicted serial killer who brutally murdered five gay men in 1977, has been released from prison after serving 45 years, reports Nike DeFellipo in Instinct.
Harris, now 62, was originally sentenced to three consecutive life terms without parole following a month-long trial in 1977. However, his sentence was overturned in 2021 to life in prison with the possibility of parole, due to the fact that he was only 17 years old at the time of the murders.
According to the Instinct article, Harris stalked the strip clubs and jazz halls of New Orleans’ French Quarter, targeting unsuspecting gay men between February and April 1977. His victims, Robert Gary (47), James McClure (32), Jack Savell (38), Alden D. Delano (59), and Ernest Pommier (77), were all found murdered post-intercourse, with Pommier having been stabbed over 50 times.
The brutality of the crimes and Harris’ apparent disgust for gay men raise questions about his motives and his ability to get close to his victims. As DeFellipo writes, “Identifying as a straight and obviously homophobic white male, I find it quite odd that Harris Jr was able to get so close to the men after such a tender moment… unless he was part of the action in the first place.”
A Changed Man?
While Harris may have found religion, received anger management, or undergone therapy during his time in prison, DeFellipo’s question remains: is 45 years enough for the heinous crimes he committed? The victims’ families are left to grapple with the idea that their loved ones’ killer is now walking free.
As the LGBTQIA+ community reflects on this troubling case, it’s essential to remember the lives lost and the impact of such violence on the community as a whole.
