Louis Coleman indicted by grand jury for kidnapping of Jassy Correia

BOSTON — A Rhode Island man accused of kidnapping and killing a young woman was indicted on Thursday by a federal grand jury in Boston.

Louis Coleman III, 32, of Providence, R.I., was indicted on one count of kidnapping resulting in death. His arraignment has not been scheduled yet.

Jassy Correia disappeared on Feb. 24, where she was last seen alive leaving Venu, a nightclub in downtown Boston. Authorities reviewed surveillance footage of the area, which showed Correia leaving the area and getting inside a car with a man, later identified as Coleman, at around 2:15 a.m.

Surveillance footage from Coleman's apartment in Providence show him parking at around 4:15 a.m. and leaving his car, only to come back with a blanket in tow. He is then seen walking to the front of the building carrying what officials say was a body with long hair and clothing that match what Correia was last seen wearing. Cameras inside the building also show Coleman dragging the body out of the elevator and into his apartment - the victim was not moving and her body was limp.

On Feb. 26, authorities allege Coleman left the apartment and came back with Walmart shopping bags. The receipt obtained from that purchase shows Coleman bought three Tyvek suits, duct tape, two candles, electrical tape, one mask, surgical gloves, two pairs of safety goggles, an odor respirator and CLN release bleach bath.

The next day, Coleman is seen leaving his apartment alone, but carrying a large suitcase out of the building and placing it inside the trunk of his car.

Additional surveillance footage shows Coleman leaving his apartment with other items including trash bags, cardboard boxes, a bottle of bleach, a laptop case, a computer tower and a small duffle bag.

After authorities searched Coleman's apartment, he was arrested on Feb. 28 in Delaware while driving down I-95 South near Wilmington, Delaware. When officers ordered him out of the car and asked if there was someone else with him, Coleman allegedly said, "She's in the trunk."

Officers found Correia's body in the trunk of Coleman's car, wrapped in a sofa cushion cover, which was inside a black trash bag and inside a large suitcase, which matches the one he was seen carrying out of his apartment.

The victim had significant bruising, a bloodied face, was bound with gray duct tape, and was covered in what is believed to be baking soda.

After his arrest, Coleman was charged by complaint in Massachusetts on March 3 and appeared in federal court in Boston on March 11. He has been held since his arrest.

If convicted, Coleman is looking at life in prison or even a death sentence.

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