WESTWEGO, La. (WGNO) — A man has been sentenced after being found guilty in a 2023 double murder investigation. The Office of District Attorney Paul Connick Jr. reported that 37-year-old Gerald Barker was sentenced to back-to-back life sentences on Wednesday, Dec. 18. Court documents state that Barker fatally shot 68-year-old Linda Turner and 51-year-old Curtis Thomas inside Turner's Westwego home on Jan. 17, 2023. Slidell man sentenced in Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol breach investigation The district attorney's office reported that deputies responded to a home in the 600 block of Emile Avenue around 9 p.m. after an acquaintance found Turner and Thomas' bodies. Thomas was pronounced dead at the scene, and Turner was taken to a hospital, where she later died. A crime scene reconstruction revealed that Barker reportedly shot Thomas from the home's doorway and stood over him before shooting again. Court documents state that Barker then shot Turner in the living room. Amite man convicted in 2021 Franklinton fatal shooting case Investigators said Barker was identified as a suspect in the case after he was seen running from the home after the shooting on surveillance video. Detectives said Barker ran to the home of Lee Wings on Gwen Street before he was arrested in March by U.S. Marshals. Court documents state Barker told detectives that he "sold crack cocaine from the Turner’s home and occasionally resided there" but was at Wings' home at the time of the shooting. 'ATM saw bandit’ wanted in St. John the Baptist Parish arrested in Texas The district attorney's office reported that Barker later confessed to shooting Thomas and Turner. On Dec. 4, a jury found Barker guilty of the fatal shootings, obstruction of justice, possession of cocaine and convicted felon in possession of a firearm. On Wednesday, Barker was sentenced to two life sentences for the second-degree murder charges, 40 years for the obstruction of justice charge, a fine of $100,000, two years for the possession of cocaine charge and 20 years for the felon in possession of a firearm charge. Additionally, the district attorney's office reported that Wings pled guilty to accessory after the fact to second-degree murder and was sentenced to three years of probation. According to court documents, Wings "drove Barker to the east bank of Jefferson Parish, stopping on the Crescent City Connection along the way so that Barker could toss the murder weapon into the Mississippi River. After returning to the West Bank, Wings left Barker at a motel." Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter. Latest Posts Kansas restaurant worker caught chopping meat on ground, owner explains why Man arrested in connection with mass shooting at St. Roch-area second line Ground squirrels found hunting and killing voles in California, new research says Big Game Bound: Can the Steelers clinch the AFC North? Six suspects sought in French Quarter shooting