Man accused of killing LSU superfan ‘Big Lee’ Martin dies of illness

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Wayne Higgins, an 82-year-old man accused of killing his next-door neighbor, LSU superfan Lee “Big Lee” Martin, died from illness before his case could go to trial, records show.

Higgins died on April 28, according to his obituary.

Higgins and Martin, a 53-year-old tow truck driver, lived next to each other on Bonnabel Boulevard and were reportedly feuding for years before the May 5, 2018 shooting.

“They fight nonstop over anything and everything,” said Sheriff Joseph Lopinto.

The feud came to a head just before 11 a.m. that fateful day when Martin allegedly sprayed inside Higgins’ vehicle with a water hose.

Higgins then got out of his truck and fired one shot, killing “Big Lee.”

The Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office dismissed Higgins’ second-degree murder charge due to his death, court records indicate.

Records show attorneys asked for several continuances, possibly due to Higgins’ illness and the COVID-19 pandemic.

A formal trial date was never set. Higgins pleaded not guilty in July of 2018.

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