Winnsboro man sentenced for attempted murder, kidnapping

A Winnsboro man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the April 2014 kidnapping and attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend and their four-year-old daughter.

District Attorney John M. “Mack” Lancaster announced Derrick L. Rose of Winnsboro was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Nov. 18.

Lancaster said on April 4, 2014, Rose confronted the two victims at an apartment complex in Monroe as they were leaving to go to school.  Rose blocked the victims’ vehicle as she attempted to leave the parking lot.  He produced a gun and demanded the keys to her car.  He got into the vehicle with Zeno and their minor child.  At that time, Rose told his ex-girlfriend that he was taking their child to his mother’s house in Winnsboro and then he was going to kill her.

Law enforcement was notified after Rose forced her to call into work to tell her supervisor that she was not coming in that day.  Monroe Police Department, Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police and Richland Parish Sheriff’s Office were put on alert.  Rose, his ex-girlfriend and their minor child were found on a dirt road off of McMillian Road in Richland Parish, Rose had parked the car in that location once he learned that law enforcement was looking for him. 

As Lt. John Flowers of the Richland Parish Sheriff’s Office and Agent John Miller of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries approached the vehicle, Rose attempted to shoot his ex-girlfriend in the head.  She ducked her head at the last second and he missed.  She grabbed the barrel of the gun and was shot through the hand as they wrestled for control of the gun.  She managed to take the gun from Rose and throw it out the window of the car.  Rose was taken into custody at that time. 

A Richland Parish jury found Rose guilty of attempted second degree murder and two counts of second degree kidnapping on Aug. 19.  Assistant District Attorney Doug Wheeler prosecuted the case and Judge James M. Stephens presided.