Jefferson man found guilty of bank robbery, carjacking, kidnapping

JEFFERSON, La. ( WGNO ) — On Wednesday, Sept. 25, a Jefferson man was found guilty of charges related to a 2022 bank robbery, carjacking and kidnapping investigation.

A report from Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul Connick states that around 1:15 p.m. on Nov. 30, 2022, 47-year-old William Frye, of the Shrewsbury neighborhood in Jefferson, stormed into a bank in the 3600 block of Jefferson Highway while wearing a hooded shirt and waving a white pillowcase in the air.

Frye reportedly threatened deadly violence and, after throwing the pillowcase at bank employees and demanding that they fill it with cash. The tellers complied, and Frye then left the bank on foot, dumping his gloves, the pillowcase and the hoodie in a Sizeler Avenue back yard.

From there, court documents state Frye jumped a resident’s fence and emerged in the 3500 block of Berwick Street, where a woman had left her vehicle running while she went inside a business.

While the woman was inside, the district attorney’s office reported that Frye got in the driver’s seat of her vehicle and prevented a family member of the woman from physically removing him from the car.

Frye then reportedly sped away from the business, carrying an 18-year-old woman along in the back seat. About 25 yards from where he left, the woman reportedly jumped out of a back door, breaking her pelvis as she hit the road.

Court documents state Frye continued down the road for under a mile before abandoning it at Scott Street and Saia Lane. A manhunt to find him was then launched by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and included the agency’s helicopter. Frye was identified as a suspect and tracked to a motel in the 5600 block of Airline Drive, where he had reportedly been renting a room.

After fleeing a short distance, law enforcement officers said they were able to catch Frye. Detectives went on to identify cash in Frye’s pocket that was linked to what was stolen. Additionally, cash was found stuffed under the mattress of his motel room, and one of the white pillowcases was missing.

The motel manager was reportedly told by Frye that he would pay for his room that day, but that he had to go to the bank first. Images from the motel’s security system obtained later by detectives showed Frye leaving the business on the morning of the robbery, wearing the same clothing as the robber.

Court documents state DNA evidence found on the steering wheel of the car he stole, as well as in one of the gloves he wore during the robbery, was confirmed to belong to Frye.

Lastly, the 18-year-old who was kidnapped by Frye read an online news report that included a picture of Frye. She then alerted detectives that Frye was the carjacker.

Frye denied committing the crimes and his attorney argued that they had arrested the wrong person.

The jury heard two days of testimony in the case and deliberated for 49 minutes before returning with unanimous guilty verdicts. Sentencing is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 2.

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