59: They Filmed Her, She Begged to Be Let Out & Then They Dumped Her on the Road | Madison Brooks

Prosecutors allege a group of men took advantage of LSU student Madison Brooks when she was dangerously intoxicated, and a chilling video may reveal just how far their intentions went. Yet more than three years later, courtroom battles, shocking text messages, and delays have kept the accused from facing a verdict.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Annie Elise?

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• 1:57Speaker 05

  Back in 2023, police believe Brooks was [BLEEP] by Desmond Carter and Kavion Washington.

• 2:05Speaker 05

  She wandered into the road and was hit and killed by an oncoming car.

• 2:13Speaker 06

  This is not a murder trial. This is a [BLEEP] trial.

• 2:18Speaker 06

  Three of them were able to get into the bar, and it sounds like everyone was drinking.

• 2:25Speaker 07

  No matter how you look at it, a life has been tragically lost.

• 2:32Annie Elise?

  Hey, everybody. Welcome back to an all-new episode of 10 to Life with me, your host, Annie Elise. Thank you so much for being here and for watching today's episode or listening. If you're listening to the podcast, please take a quick second, like the video, follow the podcast, subscribe to the YouTube channel, and I just really appreciate all of the support. And if you're a new viewer, welcome. Now, most of the cases that we cover over here come down to two basic questions: who did it and why? But every once in a while, a case comes along where people can't even agree with whether a crime even happened in the first place. And those cases are especially difficult because when the alleged victim

• 3:13Annie Elise?

  isn't here to tell us what happened from their perspective, it gets a little bit confusing. And today's case is one of those cases. It's the case of LSU student Madison Brooks. Now, one side says that Madison had way too much to drink, that she engaged in consensual sex and then died in a tragic accident. However, the other side says that she was a victim of horrific sex crimes and was left for dead. Those two completely different versions of that night have turned this case into a media firestorm. And the hardest part is that Madison isn't here to tell us which version is true. When I first covered Madison's

• 3:54Annie Elise?

  case shortly after it happened in early 2023, we talked about who Madison was, her life at LSU, how she ended up in a car with four strangers that night, and how that night ended with her death. Then we broke down both sides of the story, the accounts from the four men and Madison's family, who have maintained that there was much more that happened than what we were being told. And even back then, one thing was glaringly obvious. This case was about to get very complicated, very quickly. There were four defendants, one of them was a minor, and Madison's family was demanding answers. So it didn't take

• 4:34Annie Elise?

  long for the legal battle to become just as complicated as the case itself. And in the three years since, that really hasn't changed. We've seen legal issues, motions, delays, you name it. And pretty much everything except an actual trial and some kind of resolution for Madison's family. But hopefully, that is finally about to change because the first defendant is expected to go to trial this November. So with the case finally moving forward in court, I knew that it was time to reopen it. Now, if you've watched one of my reopened episodes in the past, you know the drill. We're going to go back through my original deep dive, layer in all of my new thoughts, new updates, and walk

• 5:16Annie Elise?

  through everything that has happened since. And trust me, there is a lot to catch up on. So you'll hear from past Annie, current Annie, there is going to be a few jumps in the audio and video along the way, but the goal is to bring all of the coverage together in one place so that by the time we get to the trial, you are completely caught up on Madison's case. And there's also one important caveat before we get started. When I originally recorded this episode, one of the defendants had not been publicly identified because he was still a minor. However, he has since turned 18 years old, and we now know that his name is Desmond Carter. So throughout the older footage, whenever you hear me refer to "the minor defendant" or "the unidentified 17-year-old," just know

• 6:00Annie Elise?

  that I'm talking about Desmond. So now that I've caught you up to speed, we have a lot to get into today. So buckle up, because this one is messy. Also, really quickly before we get started, wanted to let you know that our fall merch collection is officially on sale. And you guys have been asking, you know that at the start of my episodes, sometimes I say, "I hope you're having a nice day," but I'm about to ruin it. It's officially on merch. Also, lots of seasonal stuff, lots of spooky stuff, our classic "Make It Make Sense" with the eyes, in a hoodie version, lots of stuff. So you can grab all of it while it lasts. It's at annieelise.com. Quantities are limited, though, and the merch shop is going to be closing very soon. So put those orders in

• 6:43Annie Elise?

  now, whether it's for you, a gift, holiday gift, whatever. You can go shop now, annieelise.com. I'm Annie Elise, and today we are reopening the case of Madison Brooks. Let's jump right in.

• 7:06Annie Elise?

  Madison Kennedy Brooks is a 19-year-old college student at Louisiana State University who was finishing up her last semester of her sophomore year. She was excelling in school, completing 34 credit hours her freshman year while working and being very involved in her sorority, Alpha Phi. She even stayed in Baton Rouge over the summer to complete summer classes and jump ahead. She was recently accepted into the Manship School of Mass Communication, and before college, Madison graduated from St. Schollectia Academy in 2021, where she was an honor roll student, a cheerleader, a member of Doves for Life, the Spirit Club, and a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She was a go-getter

• 7:48Annie Elise?

  and excelled in all aspects of her life. She enjoyed skydiving, skiing, traveling, and more importantly, just spending time with her friends and family. With such a bright future ahead of her, full of possibilities, her entire life changed in a flash on the evening of January 14, 2023. At around 10:00 PM, Maddie arrived at a local bar called Reggie's in Tigerland, located on Bob Pettit Boulevard. Shortly after her arrival, at 10:18 PM, four other men, 18-year-old Kason Carver, 18-year-old Kavion Washington, Kavion's uncle Everett Lee, who is 28 years old, and an unidentified 17-year-old, were

• 8:31Annie Elise?

  all seen on video footage arriving at Reggie's as well. Now, Reggie's Bar is a favorite among younger adults in the area due to it being widely known for serving alcohol to people without the proper identification. But we're going to get into more of that in a bit. So the four men and Maddie had allegedly not known each other at all before this night. But after some drinks and conversations, their night would soon lead to a horrific string of events that left four lives changed forever and left one dead. Maddie was seen at the bar that evening, having drinks as well as those four men who arrived shortly after her. Initially, the group of men ever denied meeting or speaking to Maddie. However,

• 9:13Annie Elise?

  on footage, Maddie and that 17-year-old boy were seen hugging and dancing with one another. Maddie was having a great time, as many college girls do, but at some point, based on the footage, it appeared that she might have been under the influence, perhaps a bit too much. The 17-year-old boy helped Maddie as she was seen stumbling and was even seen helping her off the floor after she had fallen. As the bar was closing, Maddie ran out after the group of men and asked them for a ride home. 18-year-old Kason agreed because he didn't want to leave her alone with how intoxicated she appeared to be. So Kason asked her where her friends were, but Maddie was confused and said she didn't know where they were. So he agreed to give her that ride home. Now, Maddie was allegedly

• 9:58Annie Elise?

  pretty intoxicated by this point. And according to the footage and some of the court documents, it was stated that Maddie was seen on multiple occasions stumbling, trying to catch her balance, and Kason had even stated that she was also slurring her speech quite a bit, an indication that she had consumed too much and may have been over-served. After Maddie catches up with the group of men and they agree to take her home, the four men and Maddie leave the bar at approximately 1:49 a.m. They then are seen walking toward Kason's parked vehicle at 1:51 a.m.

• 10:29Speaker 07

  This surveillance video was captured at around 1:50 in the morning on Sunday, January 15th. The footage points towards Reggie's bar. If you take a good look at the video, it first shows four people walk across the street towards a parking lot. Sources tell us the next person you see running across the screen there to meet up with the four guys is LSU student Madison Brooks. Investigators say Madison Brooks left Reggie's bar that night with those four guys she had just met at the bar. In the video, Madison Brooks is seen walking with the four men across another parking lot.

• 10:58Annie Elise?

  Now, 18-year-old Kason got in the driver's seat. The 28-year-old Everett took the passenger seat. The 17-year-old boy, and Maddie, and the 18-year-old Caviar Washington, all three sat in the backseat. Now, there is some conflicting information about how much Maddie was able to communicate at this point. Some early reports stated that Maddie was so drunk that she was unable to even give her address, and she was kind of just slumped over, unresponsive. And more recently, a video was released that showed that Maddie was still able to talk, even though she was definitely slurring her words. I'm sorry that I said it to you that bad. Get out, get out. I was Uber on my hand.

• 11:40Annie Elise?

  What we do know is that at some point, Kason pulled the car over near Jennifer Jean Drive and parked. Kason stated that he overheard the 17-year-old boy ask Maddie five different times if she wanted to have sex with him, which Maddie allegedly gave a verbal consent. Now, according to Kason, the 17-year-old boy, plus 18-year-old Caviar Washington, both took turns having intercourse with Maddie in the backseat. This all happening while Kason and the 28-year-old Everett were still both in the front seats of the car. So this went on for a while, then finally, Kason allegedly said, "Okay, we've got to stop this, let's go."

• 12:22Annie Elise?

  Now, according to an affidavit, during an interview with Kason, when he was asked if Maddie was too intoxicated to consent to the activities that were taking place in the backseat, he responded by saying, "I guess." So Kason then drove around, trying to find out where Maddie lived, before he ended up just dropping her off in a random subdivision, still so heavily under the influence that she had trouble walking. Which I want to just point out, if you are so concerned about leaving her at the bar because she was not in a safe state of mind, then two of your buddies allegedly took advantage of her in the backseat and had your way with her, but now suddenly, you're okay with leaving that same cloudy-headed person in the streets? Make it make sense.

• 13:07Annie Elise?

  Where is the concern? Where does the concern really lie here? So despite whatever the truth of the reason for the drop-off was, they dropped Maddie off to fend for herself, and that is when tragedy struck Madison Brooks. At around 3 a.m., Maddie was standing in a dark portion of Burbank Drive, near Pelican Lakes Parkway, when she was struck by a rideshare vehicle. Two Good Samaritans reportedly stopped in the pouring rain to perform CPR on Maddie while being guided by first responders who were on the phone. But unfortunately, Maddie later died in the hospital. Medical records from when she was admitted that early morning indicated that her BAC was a .319%.

• 13:50Annie Elise?

  Now, according to the University of Notre Dame Research, the effects of a BAC between .25 and .39 are considered to be poisoning and loss of consciousness. Very, very indicative that she was heavily under the influence. Then on January 18th, 2023, a postmortem examination of Maddie's body was performed by the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner's Office. During the autopsy, a pathologist reported that the victim had injuries consistent with a sexual attack in her back cavity. The coroner confirmed that Maddie's cause of death was multiple traumatic injuries, plus second-degree vehicle collision versus a pedestrian.

• 14:34Annie Elise?

  So upon this revelation and this news, both the 18-year-old Caviar and the 17-year-old boy were arrested and charged with third-degree sex crimes, while the other men were arrested and charged with being accessories to the incident. As for the driver of the rideshare vehicle, he was not charged, as he was not impaired at the time of the accident and contacted emergency services immediately upon the accident taking place.

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• 15:28Annie Elise?

  Kason was being held on a $50,000 bond, 28-year-old Everett on a $75,000 bond, and Caviar on a $150,000 bond. The 17-year-old was booked into a juvenile detention center. All three other men, Caviar, Kason, and Everett, bonded out just two days later. All three of the adult suspects appeared in court via video, and they were ordered to remain under house arrest, to submit to random drug testing for 180 days, and wear ankle monitors. Now, here's where things get a little bit gray and where the division really starts to come in. In court, there was apparently video proof showing Maddie consenting to intercourse with both Caviar and the 17-year-old boy.

• 16:12Annie Elise?

  However, when the judge reviewed the video, he stated that all he saw was a young girl slurring her words while the men laughed, and further stated that it seemed incriminating. The prosecutor said in a hearing that the state would be seeking upgraded charges to first degree instead of third degree, and they planned to convene a grand jury in this case. Now, Louisiana's first-degree statute carries a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole, a very serious sentence. So the four men's defense team put out this statement after court.

• 16:46Speaker 07

  Here are the facts of the case with the latest developments. Ms. Brooks was confirmed on video dancing and talking with the juvenile defendant inside of the bar. Ms. Brooks exited the bar, approached the defendants, and asked them for a ride, which was confirmed on video, which was released last night. The two defendants who engaged in a consensual sexual act with Ms. Brooks did so after obtaining verbal consent. The way this is being reported and taken out of context from the police report is

• 17:29Speaker 07

  factually inaccurate. Ms. Brooks asked to be dropped off at a sorority sister's house in Pelican Lakes. The driver complied. Ms. Brooks left the car on her own volition, saying that she would get an Uber. She is seen on video leaving the car unharmed and in good health. This will be confirmed by video at a later date. Now, this is a very important clarification. The video taken in the car is only a conversation between the parties and do not depict any sexual acts. That was not specified when it was mentioned previously.

• 18:14Speaker 07

  For any fault of ours, we apologize. As the facts of this case continue to come forth, we believe that intent and consent will be very clear. While we understand that the media has a duty to inform the public, we will not release these videos now. We're working with the DA, and will allow the judicial process to take place.

• 18:37Annie Elise?

  Reggie's Bar remains closed since the incident, and the Louisiana ATC has confirmed that they have suspended their liquor license following the seriousness of the allegations and the potential threat to public safety. Which honestly, this should have happened a long time ago, because a quick search on TikTok will show you what kind of hype this place is in this college town. The videos show students falling over the bar top onto the floor, others drinking straight from the bottles while wearing bar uniforms, and even girls being carried to the bathroom.

• 19:10Speaker 03

  It's a wild party scene. Some patrons consuming so much booze, they can barely keep their balance. This girl falls off the bar. It's happening at one of the most popular college bars in America, Reggie's Bar at the Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. The bar has faced allegations in the past of being a notorious haven for underage drinking, and to

• 19:33Annie Elise?

  Today, it's at the center of an investigation after the death of an LSU sophomore, Madison Brooks. The bar owner Darren Adams has also been in hot water before. When Baton Rouge Police raided the bar back in 2017 and suspended its license for 45 days after 37 people were arrested for underage drinking. Also in September of 2015, a 21-year-old was arrested for being under the influence while waving a loaded firearm at people and threatening to shoot. That's not all. Then in January of 2016, Dylan Gordon, who was a star LSU football player, was stabbed multiple times in the bar.

• 20:13Annie Elise?

  And more recently, in May of 2022, 16-year-old Carl Tez Tucker was shot dead outside of Reggie's. So, safe to say, probably not the best or safest place to be or hang around. Now Reggie's released a statement later after this incident with Maddie, saying that even though Maddie entered the bar with false identification, she wasn't served, nor did she consume any drinks in at least the last hour that she was at Reggie's, which, okay, sure buddy, your bar looks like the kind that has, you know, a tight grip on who does and doesn't have access to alcohol. This statement to me feels more like it was a statement to try and cover their own liability in this situation, but that's just my opinion.

• 20:54Annie Elise?

  Now, more recently, news has resurfaced of Caviar on Washington's past sexual allegations. He was arrested and charged with first degree R A P E for attacking a 12-year-old girl when he was 15 years old. The now teen told sources that she and Caviar met at a pool party when he forced his way into the apartment that she lived in. After the 12-year-old said no to him four or five times, he allegedly pushed her onto the bed, pulled her towel off, and attacked her for almost an hour. Then when he was done, he got up, told her, "Go check yourself," and then he left. It was nearly a year before the pre-teen told her mom about the alleged attack.

• 21:36Annie Elise?

  Her mom immediately reported it to police, but the investigation eventually stalled out. It wasn't until hearing that he was accused for the charge related to Maddie that this now teen posted her story on social media, which resulted in investigators reopening her case. But that wasn't all that emerged from Caviar's past. In September of 2020, 16-year-old football player Remy Hildigo collapsed on the football field after suffering heat stroke and died. And sources were able to dig up a recorded diss track by Caviar, where he was calling women horrible names and mocking the rival football player's death. Caviar created a song with vulgar lyrics about him and just mocked his unfortunate passing.

• 22:20Annie Elise?

  Remy's mother, Ashley Robertson, had since branded Caviar as evil and said that it points to his character. Remy and Caviar played football against each other previously, and Caviar had even approached Remy's mom at one point to offer his condolences, but this was before she discovered him laughing on that diss track that he recorded. The community is pretty divided on this case, with many questioning if prosecutors are only charging the four men to have a scapegoat to blame for a blond-haired, blue-eyed Caucasian girl's death. Especially since the video that was shown in court, it allegedly apparently didn't really show that Maddie was being held against her will and showed that she was consenting and having conversations with everybody in the car.

• 23:04Annie Elise?

  Apparently, she didn't seem like she was in any distress by any means. But a lot of other people are saying that she clearly was intoxicated, given her BAC, and she could not have ever consented. People are also questioning if there should be any sort of personal accountability as an adult, since the bar video footage showed Maddie drinking random drinks that were just sitting on the bar top. The attorney of Kason Carver stated that at one point Maddie had even asked Kason to have sex with her as well, but that when Kason turned her down, she allegedly slapped him and then publicly questioned his sexuality in a mocking way.

• 23:39Speaker 07

  Using very vulgar language to the driver of the vehicle, insulting the driver of the vehicle, implying that the driver of the vehicle is not straight based on him not wanting to engage in certain activities with her. Again, it doesn't put anybody in the best light.

• 23:55Annie Elise?

  The defense is also claiming and disputing that the BAC test that was done at the hospital was inaccurate, due to Maddie's ability to walk and talk as clearly as she was via the footage.

• 24:06Speaker 07

  Well, I will say this, that we plan on hiring expert witnesses. If anyone does any casual research on what a .319 is, that is alcohol poisoning and potential death. Based on her actions that evening leading up to getting to the car with the young man, based on the fact that information from Reggie's have come out to say that she did not have any other alcoholic beverage from around 12:50 to the time that she left, gives us reason to believe that the results of that, those results are inaccurate. And I would just add that if you have a .319, your motor skills shut your body

• 24:50Speaker 07

  down, you can't walk, you can't talk, you're lapsing in and out of blackout, and you risk death. Read it. Read, read the symptoms of a .319 BAC. The evidence that we've seen so far on the video of Ms. Brooks running across the street in front of Reggie's, that undermines the police version of events. And until our experts can look at what happened, we believe that the BAC that they're saying is inaccurate.

• 25:19Annie Elise?

  Now, the family of Madison are blown away by the suspect and the defense's attempts to victim blame here. Carrie Miller, the attorney representing the Brooks family, spoke out to set the record straight so that Maddie is not blamed as a victim. This was after attorneys for the four men stated in a press conference that Maddie wouldn't have been complaining about the alleged attack if she was still alive. So the family attorney Carrie Miller said, "I was blown away by that comment. I mean, these men, these clients gave sworn statements that they had sex with this young girl who was overly intoxicated." He told the media that the goal of Maddie's mom is to never let this happen again and for no family to have to feel the pain that she is feeling. The defendant's attorney stated that they do not intend to try this case in the media,

• 26:03Annie Elise?

  but they do, however, intend to state the pertinent facts in this case while being as sensitive as possible to all parties involved. But just a couple of weeks after that statement from the defense, one of the defense's own lawyers actually leaked major case document to a local news outlet. And those documents not only included Maddie's autopsy report, but also police reports from the very beginning of the investigation. The leaked documents show that within hours of Maddie's death, a state trooper who happened to be friends with her family called the sheriff's office with additional information. Apparently, Maddie's family had gotten their hands on videos from Reggie's. And this is where things start to get really interesting, because the bar owner had actually

• 26:48Annie Elise?

  shown Maddie's family the surveillance footage before he even showed it to the police. The defense argued that this was significant, because from their perspective, it showed that Maddie's own family were the ones who pushed this case toward a sexual assault investigation, not law enforcement. But here's where it gets even more messy. The leaked lab results showed that none of the four men's DNA was found inside Maddie. The only DNA that was found was Caviar, and it was found on the outside of Maddie's pelvic area. The report also allegedly found no vaginal trauma. However, there was a bruise on Maddie's backside that the pathologist called, quote, "highly suspicious for assault."

• 27:31Annie Elise?

  At the same time, a separate lab report said that there wasn't enough male DNA to determine whether intercourse had even occurred. And then, there was Maddie's blood alcohol level. The sheriff's office initially reported it as .319, but the defense questioned that number from the very start, because the coroner's final result was .282, which even though it was lower, I mean, that is still more than three times the legal limit. And that raised very serious questions about whether Maddie could consent to sex at all. Then, a couple of weeks after those documents leaked, we got even more disturbing news about Caviar. Now, remember, he was already accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl.

• 28:13Annie Elise?

  And in February of 2023, he was arrested again, this time in connection with a completely separate sex crime that allegedly occurred in October of 2022. And I cannot stress enough how similar this case sounds to Maddie's case. For one, it happened right there at Reggie's. And once again, the victim was reportedly incredibly drunk. She apparently met Caviar and another man, Carson Jones, and told them that she was too drunk to drive herself home. So Carson and Caviar drove her back to their place instead. According to the arrest warrant, things started out consensually, but then Carson allegedly pinned her down and became aggressive, even as she was repeatedly telling him to stop.

• 28:58Annie Elise?

  When she asked for water, Kavion allegedly brought her more alcohol instead. She said that she didn't want it, but the warrant alleges that Carson held her mouth open while Kavion poured the alcohol down her throat. And then, according to the warrant, Kavion allegedly joined in on the sexual assault. One investigator put it pretty bluntly. There was an obvious pattern here. The same bar, the same massive amounts of alcohol, and the same pattern of multiple men targeting a single vulnerable woman. And here's another wild detail. The October victim didn't report her assault until January 25, 2023, just one day after Kavion was arrested in connection with what happened to Maddie.

• 29:42Annie Elise?

  Sometimes it takes seeing someone else's story to realize that you're not alone in yours. And speaking of Reggie's, the bar itself, it didn't survive all of this. In April 2023, it was shut down for good. The owner's license was fully revoked. He was hit with a $15,000 fine, and he agreed to never own or operate a bar in Louisiana again. Then, in early May, a grand jury handed down indictments. Desmond, the minor at the time, was indicted for first and third degree rape. Kavion was indicted on first degree rape and video voyeurism, which video voyeurism means recording sexual activity without the person's consent. Third degree rape refers to having sex with someone who is too impaired

• 30:27Annie Elise?

  to resist or to understand what is happening, and it carries a sentence of up to 25 years in prison. Now, first degree rape is even more serious, and it requires a severe aggravating factor, which in this case, it's based on the allegation that two or more offenders participated in a gang rape. And as I mentioned, if any of the men are convicted of first degree, they face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. But what shocked a lot of people was that Kason, who, remember, was the driver, was indicted on all three charges: third degree, first degree, and video voyeurism, even though prosecutors agreed that he never had sex with Maddie. However, that's because, under Louisiana law,

• 31:11Annie Elise?

  someone who helps commit an assault is just as guilty as the assaulter. So the prosecutor's theory is that Kason was helping facilitate what happened by driving the car and recording the attack from the front seat. And what's even more surprising is how the grand jury ruled in the case of Everett Lee, the fourth guy who was riding in the passenger front seat, because he didn't get indicted at all. The grand jury pre-termitted his charges, which is basically a fancy legal way of saying, they just didn't decide. They didn't clear him, they didn't indict him, they just kind of kicked the can down the road, leaving the door open for prosecutors to bring it back later if new evidence turns up. A couple of months after the indictments, in September of 2023,

• 31:54Annie Elise?

  Maddie's dad, John Brooks, filed a massive lawsuit, and I mean massive.

• 31:59Speaker 01

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• 32:29Annie Elise?

  He went after the Reggie's bar owner, the co-owner, all four bartenders, and four different managers. He also sued all four men from the car: the Lyft driver who hit Maddie, the Lyft itself, and several insurance companies. So he was basically arguing that everyone who played a role in that night should be held responsible for what happened to his daughter. Now, let's fast forward to the courtroom, because this is where things get genuinely disturbing. At a bond hearing for Desmond, the one who was only 17 years old at the time, prosecutors played a cellphone video for the judge. And in one clip, before Maddie even got in the car, one of the guys looked into his own camera and said, quote, "They're gonna rape her."

• 33:12Annie Elise?

  Which let that just sink in for a second. That means they knew what they were about to do, and they practically bragged about it. The prosecutor also played videos that showed a man and a woman having sex in the backseat. Their faces weren't visible, but a detective testified that it was Desmond and Maddie. And in one clip, you can hear a woman yelling for the person to get off of her while the other guys in the car are cheering. In another, Desmond is seen holding a gun and dancing, which was allegedly recorded right after Maddie was finally let out of the car. Yet, despite all of this, the judge actually set Desmond's bond pretty low at 100 grand. Which now, let's jump to January 2024, because that is when a huge fight over evidence broke out in court.

• 33:56Annie Elise?

  Prosecutors didn't want to hand over a batch of videos to the defense, arguing that they contained obscene material and should essentially be treated as contraband that no one was allowed to possess. However, Judge Gail Horn Ray, whose name you're going to hear a lot more about in a minute, ordered the state to turn over 19 of those videos. And the videos weren't the only issue up for debate either. Pretty soon, the defense had something that a lot of people found pretty gross. Attorneys for Kason and Desmond wanted to argue that Maddie had consensual but rough sex with a different LSU student the day before she died, basically trying to explain away the injuries to her genitals and paint the encounter with them as consensual.

• 34:41Annie Elise?

  Now, shockingly, Judge Ray actually granted the defense's motion and said that the defense was free to talk about Maddie's sexual history with no restrictions. But Louisiana actually has a law specifically to stop exactly this kind of thing, meaning a victim's sexual history is almost always forbidden from being mentioned in trial. So the prosecution appealed. And in March of 2025, the appeals court shut the defense down and Judge Ray down, ruling that this evidence was irrelevant, and it was way too prejudicial to allow in this case at all. Now, the defense wasn't happy, and they appealed the decision all the way to the Louisiana Supreme Court.

• 35:21Annie Elise?

  And in October of 2025, the justices unanimously rejected the appeal, upholding the ban. The appeals court reasoning was basically, "You're right to defend yourself, but it doesn't mean that you get to introduce evidence that barely matters and mostly just smears the victim." That said, the courts left open the door for the defense to explore other possible sources of Maddie's injuries, not just her sex life with someone unrelated to the case. As Desmond's team was fighting that battle, Kason was making his own moves in court. In September of 2025, he actually waived his right to a jury trial entirely, which that means, instead of 12 random people deciding his fate, it's going to be one single judge.

• 36:05Annie Elise?

  His lawyer argued that with all of the publicity that this case has gotten, there's basically no way to find an impartial jury anymore. And that's huge, because that means that the case is going to come down to one person, Judge Gail Ray. And people really worry about this, because that judge has a long history of being way too lenient with sexual predators. Just weeks before she made her controversial ruling on Maddie's sexual history, the Louisiana Supreme Court actually publicly called her out for randomly releasing a convicted rapist and vacating his conviction. And I say randomly, because the man's legal team didn't even ask for this charge to be vacated. Judge Ray just decided it on her own. In another incident, she released a man

• 36:50Annie Elise?

  who was accused of sexually assaulting a pre-teen girl without even telling the victim or the prosecutors what was happening. Then, in November of 2025, shit really hit the fan with Judge Ray, because it was revealed that Kason had sent text messages to his father that basically bragged about having a friendly relationship with her. In one message, Kason suggested that his family was, quote, "friends with Judge Ray", and claimed, quote, "She knows us and will help us." Quote, "Judge is on our side, she will rule in our favor." And Kason had good reason to believe that the judge would side with him because it turns out that Judge Ray's own son was prosecuted as a teenager in 1997 for multiple rapes and burglaries.

• 37:35Annie Elise?

  And the judge was her son's attorney. Now thankfully, after Kason's text messages became public, another judge, Brad Myers, stepped in and ordered Judge Ray be removed from the case. And that wasn't necessarily because he found proof of actual bias, but because he believed the situation had become unethical. Judge Myers also didn't buy the idea that Kason was just a nervous kid hoping for good news. He said that the language in those messages sounded much more like inside information than simple optimism. And it makes sense why the timing mattered so much because remember, Kason had just waived his jury trial two months earlier. So suddenly, whether or not this specific judge was biased, it wasn't some abstract

• 38:19Annie Elise?

  question anymore since she would have been the only person deciding Kason's guilt. However, unfortunately, this story doesn't end with Judge Ray getting the boot. Because in April of 2026, Kason's legal team went right back to court trying to get Judge Ray reinstated. Their argument was basically that the recusal request came in too late and that nobody had actually proven bias in the first place. And somehow, it worked. In May of 2026, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors had not sufficiently proven why Judge Ray should be kept off of the case, and she was reinstated, which in my opinion, is absolutely appalling, especially given her long history of siding with perpetrators

• 39:02Annie Elise?

  even after they've been found guilty. Plus, the text messages from Kason, I mean, all of that is enough to make anyone worried that she can't be impartial. Which, as you can imagine, Madison's family was absolutely furious about that decision. Her mom, Ashley, even met with the state's attorney general directly and pushed for more accountability. The attorney general's office posted about the meeting, saying that they're standing behind the family and that they want to see justice done. But as of right now, people are worried if justice really will be carried out. Judge Ray is still officially set to not only be the judge for Kason's bench trial, but Desmond's jury trial. This past August, right as Desmond's trial was gearing up too, we got a genuinely wild

• 39:47Annie Elise?

  pre-trial fight over the color pink. See, Desmond's defense actually asked the judge to ban spectators from wearing pink in the courtroom after learning that Maddie's supporters were planning to wear it in her honor. They argued that it could potentially create bias or intimidate the jury. But Maddie's mom pushed back hard, saying they weren't trying to disrupt anything. Pink was simply her daughter's favorite color, and wearing it is how they chose to honor her. Now Judge Ray ended up granting half of the defense's request, ruling that people could keep wearing pink, but no one could wear anything with text or actual images of Maddie, which in her opinion would cross the line into using pity to stir up prejudice against the defendant.

• 40:31Annie Elise?

  Then, just three days before Desmond's trial was set to begin, attorneys spent an entire hearing arguing over toxicology evidence, specifically over whether Desmond could use voluntary intoxication as part of his defense. Prosecutors argued that it wasn't a legitimate defense. They also clashed over which toxicologist would testify and how much access the defense should have to the physical evidence before trial. And just when we thought Desmond's case would finally go to trial, it was postponed after his defense filed a wave of motions before the start date. Part of that delay involved video evidence again. This time, it was footage that allegedly showed the aftermath of the crime, including

• 41:14Annie Elise?

  Kavion, and Desmond's team wanted that footage excluded from his trial, arguing that Kavion isn't part of the case against Desmond. But prosecutors argued that the footage was still relevant because it showed just how intoxicated Maddie was, which is obviously a major issue in Desmond's case. Prosecutors also said they simply couldn't fairly respond to the sheer volume of last-minute filings from the defense, and basically accused the defense of trying to win through last-minute maneuvering rather than the actual evidence. Desmond's team disagreed completely and reportedly plans to appeal the delay itself, arguing that there's no good reason that the state shouldn't be ready. But over the course of the next couple of months, there are a lot of hearings and trials scheduled.

• 41:58Annie Elise?

  But remember, the fourth man Everett was never even indicted. So all in all, three and a half years later, we still don't have a verdict. We haven't even had a single trial. And honestly, people are starting to question whether a fair trial is even possible with this judge. And that is such a scary thing to even have to consider, because after all this time, Maddie's family still doesn't have the justice that they've been waiting for. My heart absolutely aches for Maddie's family and friends as they mourn this giant loss because she just had so much going for her, and I know that she would have done great things. She had such a history of excelling at all aspects in her life. The family of Maddie has since vowed that her life and legacy will never be forgotten.

• 42:41Annie Elise?

  Maddie's mom even posted her obituary on social media, and here's what she had to share. "My beautiful angel, one and only daughter and best friend, she was taken way too soon. I promise to honor you, your legacy, and will do everything in my power to ensure no other family has to endure the pain that we have faced. My peace comes from God. You are leading his army in heaven. Until we meet again, you will forever be in our hearts and your life and legacy will never be forgotten. I love you forever. I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby, you will be." The Madison Brooks Foundation was also created in her honor, and it was formed with goals to provide financial help to those in need, to advocate for the safety of young girls,

• 43:24Annie Elise?

  and to spread awareness for the gift of organ donation, because Maddie was able to donate her heart and her kidneys. And within the Taurus constellation, a star was recorded as the Maddie Brooks star, and it was in the International Star and Space Registry. Quoted, "As only Maddie would have it, the star is located at the tip of the bull's upper horn as a reminder to be brave, strong, and fearless." After Maddie's death, two LSU students decided to do something to make young women feel safer after a night out. They did this by creating a group where girls can ask for rides, and one of the group's female drivers will pick them up and make sure that they get home safely.

• 44:02Speaker 01

  We spoke with two young students who are now working on a way for women to ask for help in these uncomfortable situations. A lot of girls on this campus feel alone. I want them to feel like they have girls there for them. Alicia Ordolono and Kaitlin Bakewell started the group LSU Girls Ride after Madison Brooks's death. A girl can send a message asking for a ride, and one of the group's female drivers will pick her up and take her where she needs to go for free. Well, I've also been personally abandoned and put in a vulnerable, scary situation, and I had to walk home. In just one week, the group has grown to over 800 members.

• 44:44Speaker 03

  Hoping more girls will take advantage of this and be like, "Hey, I need a ride," instead of just walking home or getting a ride from a total stranger.

• 44:52Annie Elise?

  Between the program at LSU and Maddie's family starting a foundation in her name, I'm honestly just in awe of everything that her loved ones have done to keep her spirit alive. And I can only hope that remembering her and honoring her helps heal every tiny piece of what they've lost. This is just such a devastating and heartbreaking situation all around, and obviously, an incredibly controversial one too. So I definitely want to hear what you guys think in the comments. Do you believe that this was a case of Maddie drinking too much and then becoming the victim of a tragic car accident? Or do you believe that she was the victim of sex crimes and then left for dead? For me, no matter what her blood alcohol level actually was, I think it's pretty clear

• 45:37Annie Elise?

  that Maddie was far too intoxicated to consent to anything that night. One of the men even acknowledged that during his interview. And then there's the video of one of the defendants literally talking about his plans to assault Maddie. So personally, I do believe that an assault occurred. I don't think anyone intended for Maddie to die, but leaving someone who was that intoxicated on the side of the road? That is awful, period. I'm really interested to see how all of this plays out in court. Kason is expected to go to trial in November, and hopefully, the remaining defendants will face justice soon too. I will definitely keep you guys updated over here and on my Instagram as we get more updates. All right, now really quickly before you go, just a reminder, all of our fall merch

• 46:21Annie Elise?

  is officially on sale, but it will not last, and the merch shop will be closing soon. AnnieElise.com, get all of your merch while you can. The make it make sense, the I hope you're having a good day, I'm about to ruin it, stay spooky. It's true crime documentaries or Christmas movies, there is no in-between. So many different pieces of merch, so go grab it, AnnieElise.com. But warning, some of it is already starting to sell out, so grab it quickly. Thank you for tuning in to Hear Madison's Story. Before you go, don't forget to subscribe on YouTube, follow the show wherever you listen to your podcasts, and thank you for being here. I will be back with you with another episode very soon, and until then, stay safe. Bye.

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