A beleaguered New Orleans widower is filing a lawsuit against the parents of four teenagers who killed his wife in a horror carjacking.
Linda Frickey, 73, was the victim of a frightening fatal carjacking on March 21, 2022, in which her arm was torn off by a seatbelt as her vehicle sped away.
After the latest perpetrator, John Honore, 18, was convicted of murder this week, Linda’s husband Rickey Frickey is suing Honore’s parents and those of three others involved.
Honore’s accomplices, Briniyah Baker, 17, Lenyra Theophile, 16, and Mar’Qel Curtis, all took plea deals last month that resulted in them being sentenced to 20 years in prison for manslaughter.
Frickey’s lawsuit has been put on hold pending the outcome of Honore’s trial, and he is now seeking over $50,000 for wrongful death, loss of income and emotional distress.
Linda Frickey, 73, was killed in a fatal carjacking in March 2022 when she was attacked by four teenagers
18-year-old John Honore was convicted of second-degree murder this week. The conclusion of his trial prompted Frickey’s widower to file a lawsuit against the perpetrator’s parents
Briniyah Baker, 17, Lenyra Theophile, 16, and Mar’Qel Curtis (pictured) pleaded guilty to attempted murder before Honore’s sentencing
When Linda Frickey was attacked last year, shocking surveillance footage captured the moment the four teens attacked her car, ripping open the door and dragging her from the vehicle.
They sped away with the 73-year-old grandmother still in the car, caught in her seatbelt until her arm was severed by the force.
The crime shocked New Orleans and was one of the most brutal carjackings the city has ever seen.
After police shared surveillance footage from the day of the attack in search of information, one of the girls’ mothers recognized her and marched her to the police station.
Attorneys for Hodges, who was denied a plea deal by prosecutors, argued that he was an idiotic teenager unable to understand the weight of the consequences of his actions.
But the teenager was convicted Tuesday after a jury took less than four hours to reach a decision, and he now faces life in prison for second-degree murder.
At a vigil for his grandmother last year, Rickey paid a heartbreaking tribute to his late wife after her life ended so abruptly.
“I love her and miss her very much,” he told WDSU. “It’s just hard to carry on without her, she did everything.”
Standing next to her headstone, he continued: “I come here every Sunday morning to see her…sometimes I don’t believe it.”
The grandmother screamed at her attackers to let her go before her arm was severed and her clothes were torn off
After the four teens involved were convicted, Frickey’s attorney, Donald Hodges, said he could move forward with the lawsuit.
“This case is about proving that parents are responsible and liable for such actions,” Hodges said.
He added that Frickey is exploring the possibility of expanding the lawsuit.
“We are considering options that could potentially include the city of New Orleans, the Office of Juvenile Justice, the state of Louisiana and various stakeholders that we believe the individuals involved here have had an ongoing problem that has contributed to this culture that led to this.” “Death and murder of Mrs. Frickey,” he said.
In a letter to Frickey’s family before his trial, Hodges pleaded for mercy.
“To the family of Ms. Linda Frickey, I am John and I am so sorry, I apologize for having to go through what you are going through.” “No one’s family should have to suffer such hurt,” he wrote.
Honore wrote a letter to Frickey’s family asking for mercy
“I made the biggest mistake of my life that day.” I think about what you and your family will go through every day. I pray the “Our Father” prayer every day and night.
“I ask for forgiveness every day.” I’ve wanted to write a letter to all of you for a long time, but I didn’t know what to say, and I still don’t know what to say.
“I just want you to sincerely know that I’m sorry.”
“I know words can change how you feel, but I want you to know that I understand how serious this is and that I believe I’m doing the right thing.”
After his sentencing, members of Frickey’s family celebrated.
“I hope he feels the fear she had in her heart that day.” “I hope he feels the pain and hears him screaming for mercy and he doesn’t come,” a relative said.