Convicted Felon Allegedly Murdered Woman, Her Father After Failed Internet Date

A 36-year-old man in Louisiana shot and killed a woman he met online after a failed date, investigators said Tuesday. He also allegedly killed her father.

Jamal Harris, of New Orleans, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the death of Jessica Troulliet, 35, and her father Robert Templet Jr., 56 on Oct. 3. Their bodies were spotted by a passer-by in an SUV parked on the side of the road. They were shot in the back of the head.

The victims' relatives told the investigators that Troulliet had planned to go on a date with a man named "Jamal," reported local news outlet Nola.com.

Police identified Harris, who was a convicted felon, as a suspect after checking the woman's phone records. He told investigators that he first met Troulliet on a dating app and they later met in person a few times at Troulliet's home in Westwego, which she shared with her father. He said he ended the date early that night after a disagreement with Troulliet.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff's homicide detective, Steven Keller, told the court Tuesday that on the night before her death, Troulliet had texted her friend saying "he did not look like his profile pic" and "he looked like a pumpkin head." She then tried to get him out of her house by telling him that she had another date.

The court also heard that Harris felt insulted when Troulliet started speaking to another person on the phone. He told investigators that he had left Troulliet's home around 9.30 p.m., and walked to his father's house in Marrero, where his cousin, Jamal Gabriel, 34, picked him up.

The phone records, however, contradicted Harris' claim. The text messages and GPS records indicated that Troulliet picked him up in her SUV at 10.12 p.m.

Investigators believe that Troulliet and her father later dropped Harris back at the spot from where they had picked him up. Based on the surveillance videos that recorded her SUV leaving home, police believe the father and daughter were killed after 1.10 a.m.

Harris has a criminal history, which includes convictions for possession of cocaine and illegally carrying weapons. In 2007, he was convicted of armed robbery, reported New York Post.

Harris was arrested on Oct. 21 from Gabriel's residence. Gabriel was also arrested and charged with being an accessory after the fact to first-degree murder.

Defense attorney Richard Bourke said there is no direct evidence linking Harris to the murder. "This is a completely circumstantial case," Bourke told in court. "All of it is based on GPS records … He could have left before the shooting. Someone else could have been the shooter. There’s a lot of things that can happen," Bourke added.

Harris was held in custody without bail.