The brutal death of Madison “Madi” Brooks, a 19-year-old Louisiana State University student, was an absolute worst-case scenario. But with the dangers of our world becoming ever-more apparent, it’s an important case to discuss.
For the millions of young adults who go away to college each year in the U.S., it’s a time like no other. Free from the restricted atmosphere of high school and the watchful eyes of parents, students have the opportunity to delve into classes that pique their interests, and form bonds with like-minded people. With these new friendships experiencing the highs and lows of college life, relationship drama, life changes and self-discovery, many of them evolve into treasured connections that last a lifetime.
Madison was a sophomore pursuing an undergraduate degree in political communication when her life was taken in a devastating way. She’ll never get to see these relationships with her friends flourish to their true potential in the real world. She’ll never have the chance to accept her diploma or go on to make a positive impact on the world. Her family will never see her graduate, start her career, get married or have children.
Instead, she’ll be forever 19, and it wasn’t by choice.
Madison was killed in the early morning hours of Wednesday, January 15, 2023. The night before, she went to Reggie’s Bar in the Tigerland district of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana; a hotspot for LSU students and locals known for underage drinking. Madison was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority and on occasion, she worked behind the bar with her sorority sisters. She also worked as a “door girl” at the beginning of the previous summer but was terminated after an altercation with another female employee.
Madison took a ride-share to the bar. It’s unclear whether she went by herself, but a few of her friends worked there, which included one of the bartenders. When Madison arrived at Reggie’s Bar, she started drinking. The bartenders continued serving Madison, despite her being underage and in an intoxicated state. Surveillance footage from the bar captured Madison stumbling and struggling to stand. It’s believed that she consumed between 15 and 20 drinks in a three-hour timespan.
At Reggie’s Bar, Madison interacted with a group of four men. Three of them were also underage, one of which was a minor. The men were not LSU students, but locals: Kaivon Deondre Washington, 18, of Walker; Everette Lee, 28, of Pine Grove, and Kaivon’s uncle; Casen Carver, 18, of Denham Springs, and Desmond Carter, 17, of Walker. At some point, Madison and Desmond danced together. Later on, Madison, in a drunken state, asked Cason for a ride home. He agreed. Between 1 am and 2 am, they all left the bar together.
*TRIGGER WARNING* On the way home, Cason asked Madison what her address was, but she was too intoxicated to answer. After driving a short distance, he pulled over. In the backseat, Desmond asked Madison five times if she wanted to have sex with him, to which she allegedly replied, “yes”—again, in a highly intoxicated state, which is not grounds for consent. He had sex with Madison in the backseat and Kaivon subsequently did the same. Casen and Everette were still in the vehicle and did nothing to stop the assault.
After the assault, Cason started to drive again, but it wasn’t for long. Once again, he pulled over, but this time it was to drop Madison off—not at home, but at a random subdivision. She was left by herself on Burbank Drive near Pelican Lakes Parkway, a busy, poorly-lit roadway where the speed limit is 55 miles per hour. It was the middle of the night and Madison didn’t know where she was.
She wandered about 0.2 miles down the road. Around 2:50 am, Madison was struck by a ride-share driver. She succumbed to her injuries a few days later at Baton Rouge Hospital.
Madison’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.319% when she arrived at the hospital; enough to render a person unconscious. She also had THC, the major psychoactive component in marijuana, in her system.
How and why did this happen? Let’s look into it.
Who Was Madison Brooks?
At 19, Madison Kennedy Brooks was strikingly beautiful, and she had the world at her fingertips.
The young woman from St. Tammy Parish, otherwise known as Northshore, Louisiana, was born on May 7, 2003, to parents Ashley Baustert and Scott Brooks. She has three younger siblings: Aiden, Brady and Kaelyn Baustert.
Madison was an adventure-seeker. She loved to travel and explore new cities, and she was a fan of both sky-diving and skiing. She had a bubbly, contagious personality, and was ready to take the world by storm.
A Powerhouse with a World of Potential
At the time of her passing, Madison was just beginning the second semester of her sophomore year at LSU, where she excelled as a student.
She started college after graduating from St. Scholastica Academy, a small Catholic, all-girls prep school in Covington, where she graduated with 80 other students. In high school, Madison was an honor roll student, a cheerleader and a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She was also part of the school’s spirit club and Doves for Life initiative.
Madison was highly driven and she brought that drive to college. She was recently accepted into LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication. The year prior, she chose to stay in Baton Rouge for the summer to complete summer courses so she’d be ahead. In addition to schoolwork, Madison was an active member of her school’s Alpha Phi sorority.
After her death, Madison made a lasting impact by donating her heart valves and kidneys to save the lives of others.
Madison’s Last Night: A Timeline of Events
10:06 pm, 1/14/23
On Tuesday, January 14, 2023, Madison arrives at Reggie’s Bar at 10:06 pm. The bar is located on 1176 Bob Petit Boulevard in the Tigerland section of East Baton Rouge; one mile from LSU campus. She uses a fake ID to enter and is issued a 21-and-over wristband.
10:16 pm
The four suspects—Casen Carver, Kaivon Washington, Everette Lee and Desmond Carter—arrive at the bar.
1 am, 1/15/23
Madison is seen on surveillance sitting on a barstool. She gets up from the barstool to adjust her pants and stumbles backwards. Three of the men help her regain her footing.
1:34 am
Madison is captured on surveillance sitting on a bench near the bar’s entrance. She falls while attempting to stand up.
Desmond approaches Madison. She is wearing a baseball cap, which he removes. Then, she grabs his hand for support while she stands.
1:49 am
Madison leaves Reggie’s Bar with the four men. Two minutes later, they are seen on surveillance walking towards a parked vehicle. Madison attempts to open the door of another vehicle and the men direct her to their vehicle.
1:54 am
The vehicle is seen leaving the parking lot.
2:50 am
Madison walked a distance of roughly 0.17 miles and was then struck by a ride-share driver on Burbank Drive near Pelican Lakes Parkway, a busy highway, 3.5 miles from the bar. The individual who struck Madison is unrelated to the incident and is not intoxicated. Emergency services are called immediately. Two good Samaritans perform CPR on Madison until help arrives.
The road where Madison was struck is a poorly lit, four-to-five-lane highway with a speed limit of 55 miles per hour.
When Madison was examined at the hospital, her BAC was 0.319%. With each drink equating about 0.02%, this meant that she consumed between 15 and 20 alcoholic beverages that night.
January 16, 2023
When investigators look into the accident that killed Madison, they learn from surveillance footage that she left Reggie’s Bar with four men. Officials determine the identities of these men and visit them at home.
Cason, the driver, is questioned first—and he talks. He confirms to police that he and the three suspects went to Reggie’s Bar on Tuesday, January 14, for a few drinks. It was the first time any of them saw Madison.
He says that Madison walked with the group as they were leaving. He describes her as being “very unstable on her feet,” “not able to keep her balance” and “unable to speak clearly without slurring her words,” according to the affidavit. He says Madison walked with Desmond and he witnessed them hugging. (Cason doesn’t tell police, but earlier that night, Desmond and Madison are seen on surveillance dancing.)
Cason tells police that Madison “asked for a ride home.” He asked Madison where her friends were, but she didn’t know. He agreed to drive her home because he did not want to leave her by herself in an intoxicated state, and while the bar was closing.
Cason drove the vehicle and Everette, the 28-year-old and eldest member of the group, sat in the passenger’s seat. Kaivon and Desmond sat in the backseat with Madison. When Cason asked Madison for her address again, he saw she was slumped over and unable to answer him. The four of them drove a short distance before pulling over on a side street.
The assault.
When they pulled over, Cason overheard Desmond ask Madison five times if she wanted to have sex with him. He tells police that Madison, despite being intoxicated and slumped over, verbally gave content. Desmond and Kaivon took turns having sex with Madison. The assault stopped after Cason told them, “We got to stop this. Let’s go.”
Even though Cason and Everette did not participate in the assault, they both remained in the vehicle and did nothing to stop it. Cason admits to police that he felt uncomfortable and “hated” what was happening. When asked if he thought Madison was too impaired to give her consent, he said, “I guess.”
January 23, 2023
Desmond, Cason, Kaivon and Everette are booked into East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office jail.
Cason and Everette are charged with principles to third-degree rape. Being principle to a crime means that an individual’s direct actions, or lack thereof, contributed to a crime’s occurrence.
Kaivon is charged with third-degree rape. In the state of Louisiana, third-degree rape is sexual intercourse “when the victim is incapable of resisting or of understanding the nature of the act by reason of a stupor or an abnormal condition of mind produced by an intoxicating agent or any cause, and the offender knew or should have known of the victim’s incapacity.
January 24, 2023
Caison, Kaivon and Everette appear in court for bond hearings. Judge Brad Myers from the 19th Judicial District orders Kaison to be held on $150,000 bond. Cason and Everette are held on $50,000 and $75,000 bond, respectively.
Cason and Everette post bail and are released that day.
Louisiana State officials issue an emergency suspension on the service or sale of alcoholic beverages.
January 26, 2023
Kaivon posts $150,000 bond and is released.
February 28, 2023
Desmond is booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. He is being charged with first- and third-degree rape and will be tried as an adult.
More Comes To Light About Kaivon Washington
During the investigation, officials learn that Kaivon was previously charged with two other sexual offenses.
Three years prior, he was charged with the first-degree rape of a 12-year-old female. In May 2020, Kaivon raped the victim at a pool party in Walker, Louisiana. Allegedly, he followed the victim into her room at her family’s apartment, pulled off her towel, threw her on the bed, and raped her while covering her mouth. The victim reported the rape to police in 2021 but no charges were filed.
The second sexual offense occurred in August 2022. Coincidentally, it involved a female that Kaivon and another friend, Karson Jones, 18, met at Reggie’s Bar.
Reggie’s Bar and its Bad Reputation
Reggie’s Bar is located in Tigerland, an area where many LSU students live in off-campus housing. Tigerland is home to many bars that are located within walking distance of the apartment complexes where students live.
Reggie’s Bar is no stranger to underage drinking and crime. In fact, it had a long-standing reputation for serving alcohol to minors. When the bar was open, it permitted entry to guests 18+.
Reggie’s Bar was owned by two former employees of Sports, which was the name of the bar in the ’90s. The bar is no stranger to serving underage minors. Folks on Reddit (yes, I looked to Reddit as a source) claimed the bar used predatory tactics, such as allowing free entry to underage females and supplying them with free alcoholic beverages.
In June 2017, a sting operation was conducted at Reggie’s Bar, which found 19 people, 17 years old or younger, inside the bar. The bar was was required to shut down twice for periods of 45 days and issued an $8,000 fine.
As a direct result of Madison’s death, Reggie’s Bar lost its liquor license in January 2023 and was issued a $15,000 fine. Shortly after, it closed permanently. The bar’s owner, Darin Adams, is prohibited from opening a bar in the state of Louisiana.
Reddit Users Share Their Experiences At Reggie’s Bar
“My first week of my freshman year I had [to] shield 4 women that I had just met (one of them is now my wife) from gunfire.. while on molly.. at 18 years old. 2 weeks later: Saw a girl get drugged and had to physically remove the scumbag from her side. A few months after: guy gets a beer bottle smashed over his head and nearly bleeds out in the parking lot.”
“I was sexually assaulted here. So were many many others bc an LSU frat encouraged members to drug and assault people here. I am glad to see it shut down but the fact that someone died to make it happen hurts.”
“When I was 18, I used to go there and drink all the time, but it was still called Sports for another year or two. It was pretty well-known that if you were of age you went to Fred’s and if you were under age (or just some skeezy guy trying to fuck a teenager) you went to Sports/Reggies.
Aftermath
Madison Brooks Foundation
The Madison Brooks Foundation was founded by Ashley Baustert, Madison’s mother, in 2023. The foundation provides financial assistance to persons in need, advocates for the safety of young adults and spreads awareness about organ donation.
On April 12, 2023, MBF hosted one of its first events to discuss sexual harassment, relationships and consent. Katherine Koestner, an activist and advocate against sexual assault, and the director of Take Back The Night Foundation, was invited to speak to LSU students on MBF’s behalf.
Katherine spoke publicly for the first time in 1990 at the age of 18, after she was sexually assaulted on William & Mary campus in Williamsburg, Virginia.
LSU Girls Ride
In the aftermath of Madison’s death, two LSU freshman, Alisha Ortolano and Caitlynn Bakewell, created LSU Girls Ride. LSU Girls Ride is a free service through a GroupMe, a ride-share app, to connects female users with female-only drivers. The effort is to provide female LSU students with a way out of an uncomfortable or potentially dangerous situation.
Women attending LSU can request a ride through GroupMe, no matter the time.
CARD ‘Em
Following the tragedy, Sen. Beth Mizell of proposed a bill known as “CARD Em.” It stands for Create Alcohol Responsibility and Deterrence. CARD ‘Em would raise the minimum age for those who can work in or enter a bar, including performers, from 18 to 21.
Beth Mizell told WDSU News, “You cannot say, ‘Oh, we’re following the law and we care about our young people—who come into our bar and be totally irresponsible with the way that you serve.”
Unfortunately, the bill did not pass.
Where The Case Stands Now
Defense attorneys have a job to do, and that’s obviously to defend the accused parties. However, one of the more infuriating parts of this case is the claim they are using: that the sexual assault of Madison wasn’t a crime and that she did, indeed, consent.
The defense is claiming that despite Madison’s BAC being 0.319%, she was capable of providing consent, which she did, and the sexual assault was actually conventional. There is a leaked video (which I was unable to find) of Madison apologizing to the driver for offending him before exiting the vehicle. Other surveillance footage captured outside of Reggie’s Bar shows Madison running after the group of men to catch up with them. The defense is claiming that if Madison were able to run and talk (despite stumbling, having slurred speech and being unable to recall her own address), she was able provided them with legal consent.
My Two Cents Corner 💥
Wow….just, wow.
When I think about this case, I can’t help but imagine what Madison might have experienced that night. While in a severely intoxicated state, she was taken advantage of by men she trusted to bring her home. Even though they were strangers, most of them were around her age. In her intoxicated state, she probably didn’t see them as threatening partly for this reason.
The driver of the vehicle, Cason Carver, told police that he agreed to drive Madison home because he didn’t want to leave her at the bar, alone, in such a drunken state. Unfortunately, she might still be with us today if he’d told her no.
All four men are equally culpable, in my opinion. You are the company you keep, as they say, and Cason Carver’s choice in friends is despicable. Also, the fact that Kaivon’s 28-year-old uncle was in the car as his nephew committed a rape and didn’t do anything to intervene, speaks volumes to his own character. Why is a 28-year-old man going to bars with men who are underage anyway—a college bar, at that? Isn’t that out of place for him? By that age, most people tend to grow out of the sloppy college-type bars.
On the internet, this case stands divided. Some people believe this was a tragedy that occurred by happenstance; that the responsibility lies with Madison and her decision to drink excessively, and that her rape and death were separate incidents. However, I don’t see it that way. If her and the suspects were never permitted to enter the bar in the first place, they never would have met, and this wouldn’t have happened.
And I’m not pointing fingers here, but look out for your friends, ladies. Madison had a large friend group and she was even previously employed by Reggie’s Bar, but no one stopped to intervene or help her. Use the buddy system. Always go out together and never leave a friend behind; your life, or hers, could depend on it.
What do you think?
Resources
- Madison Brooks LSU Student Taken Advantage of By 4 Men & Then Killed? What Is The Truth?! – Annie Elise x 10 to LIFE
- Madison Brooks Obituary (2023)
- Madison Brooks case: Timeline of LSU student’s alleged rape, death near Baton Rouge campus – Fox News
- Cason Carver affidavit
- LSU student raped, killed after night out will be honored by family with new foundation – WDSU News
- Teen Arrested In Madison Brooks Case Will Be Charged As An Adult – Nancy Grace
- Reggie’s loses license, owner banned from running bars after Madison Brooks’ death – The Advocate
- ‘NOT A CRIME?!’ Madison Brooks R*ped Before Getting Hit By Car; Lawyer Claims Video Shows Different – The Pascal Show