Arrest made in murder of man shot to death in Chalmette the night of March 16 and left on a street north of Paris Road, near New Orleans line

Murder victim Herman Jones Jr., known as “Peanut,” who is wearing the tie.

Jason “Fatt” Madison, booked with murder in St. Bernard Parish

After an investigation which eventually led to Memphis, Tenn., St. Bernard Parish sheriff’s detectives have arrested a man for the March 16 murder of a man brought to Chalmette, shot to death and found on a street the next morning, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Jason “Fatt’’ Madison, 31, who is from the New Orleans area but has a residence in Memphis, was booked with second-degree murder in the death of Herman Jones Jr. 33, known as “Peanut,’’ who had lived in Gretna but had no home address when murdered.

Jones was shot several times at the scene where his body was found the morning of March 17 by a passer-by, in the 4000 block of Lavosier Street in Chalmette, in an industrial area north of Paris Road, near the New Orleans line. A number of casings were recovered there.

It is believed Jones was killed before midnight the night of March 16.

Madison, who knew the victim and had been arrested recently in Memphis on a probation violation warrant from New Orleans, is now being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison, the sheriff said. He is being held on a $1 million bond after a judge signed a warrant for his arrest on the murder charge.

Sheriff Pohlmann said, “This arrest comes after an extensive investigation by our Criminal Investigations Bureau – headed by Maj. Robert McNab – who along with Det. Sgt. Paul Miller followed the evidence to Memphis and interviewed Madison there prior to him even being booked there with the probation violation.”

In the interview in Memphis, Madison acknowledged knowing the victim and being with him in New Orleans the night of March 16, less than an hour before Jones was murdered, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

“We have identified a motive for the killing of Mr. Jones but aren’t going to reveal it at this time,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said, indicating the investigation is continuing and it is possible other arrests will be made.

“I’m proud of our detectives. We devoted a tremendous amount of manpower to solving this murder,’’ the sheriff said. “We conducted an investigation that took us to New Orleans, Jefferson Parish and eventually to Memphis and we were aided by New Orleans Police, Kenner Police, Louisiana State Police, the Shelby County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Office, Memphis Police and the U.S. Marshal’s Service.’’

Sheriff Pohlmann said, “The victim wasn’t from St. Bernard but that made no difference to us. We went as far as we had to go to solve a murder.’’

Sheriff’s detectives developed information identifying Madison and others as possible suspects, the sheriff said.

It was found the victim and Madison knew each other and had been arrested together in 2008.

“We obtained video footage from the area of the murder scene,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said, “and was able to identify a vehicle used to bring Mr. Jones to the spot where he was killed.” That vehicle was recovered in Kenner in late March, brought to St. Bernard and has been processed for forensic evidence that was given to the State Police crime lab, the sheriff said.

The sheriff also said detectives acquired video surveillance from French Quarter businesses from the night of the killing which has assisted in the investigation.