Inset left: Brandon Lindsey (Caddo Parish District Attorney”s Office). Inset right: Heaven Weed (Boone Funeral Home and Crematory). Background: Ochsner LSU Health hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana, where Weed died (Google Maps).
A northern Louisiana man has learned his fate for beating his girlfriend until her brain swelled and then staying with her without seeking help while she lay unconscious.
Brandon Lindsey, 36, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of 23-year-old Heaven Weed, the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office announced. Lindsey will not be eligible for parole or a suspension of his sentence.
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On March 1, 2023, Weed and Lindsey went to a nightclub in Caddo Parish, which is located in the northwestern area of the state and borders Texas. As night turned to morning, the two of them returned to Weed’s home, where Lindsey had been living for about a month.
At some point, Lindsey is believed to have severely beaten Weed, causing “extensive injuries.”
Lindsey went to work that next day — March 2, 2023 — and returned to Weed’s home at about 11:45 a.m. GPS and phone data showed that he stayed there until Weed’s mother arrived at about 8 p.m., according to authorities. When she came in, he left, stating, “she’s messed up.”
According to the district attorney’s office, “the victim was at the residence with Lindsey about 18 hours” before her mother found her “unconscious and unresponsive” and took her to Ochsner LSU Health hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Weed’s injuries included “swelling of the brain, fractured ribs, lacerations and bruising all over her body.” Authorities said “she was so stiff it took several emergency personnel to move her from the car to the treatment area.”
About 10 days after she was admitted to the hospital, Weed died from her “closed-head traumatic brain injury.” Her organs were donated.
Law enforcement investigating what happened arrived at Weed’s home and noted “a strong smell of bleach and other cleansing products, including Clorox wipes and Fabuloso.” Police “documented blood spatter in the living room, kitchen and pantry and noted multiple locations where blood appeared to have been wiped.”
Investigators also grabbed several items from the washer, including a mattress topper, a pillow, and a towel, “all containing the victim’s blood.” According to police, “Lindsey’s clothing worn at the club also contained the victim’s blood.”
After Lindsey was arrested by the Shreveport Police Department, a previous girlfriend of his testified that he abused her for years. She said he gave her “black eyes, fractured ribs and a broken jaw.”
“She recounted instances where he dragged her by her hair, kicked her in the head and struck her with his fist in her face,” the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office said. “Her injuries were so significant she experienced seizures as a result. She testified she had to get dental implants due to damage to her teeth. She also testified about the cycle of abuse and her eventual escape.”
Weed was remembered as having had “an adventurous soul” and being someone who “passionately lived her life to the fullest,” according to her obituary. “Her courage and determination gave her the ability to achieve anything she put her mind to.”
“She is the first in her immediate family to graduate college,” the obituary goes on. “Heaven brought joy with her wherever she went, including to her job and work family at Bally’s Casino in Shreveport. She was a selfless person who shared her love for life and others with everyone she met.”
