LRN PM Newscall January 26

Drug distribution charges against a Larose man have been upgraded to second-degree murder. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 1 (31)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

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A federal judge sentences 21-year-old Chance Seneca of Lafayette for attempting to kill a gay man he groomed on the dating app, Grindr. Jeff Palermo has the story…

Cut 2 (32)  “….I’m Jeff Palermo” 

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Charges against 19-year-old Blayne Terrebonne of Larose have been upgraded after authorities say he sold 15-year-old female drugs in October that led to her death. Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office Captain Brennan Matherne says the victim thought she was taking Percocet, but toxicology proved otherwise.

Cut 3 (11) “…second-degree murder.” 

On October 27th, deputies first responded to a 16-year-male in Galliano that showed signs of an overdose, and the very same day Matherne says they received a call about the 15-year-old female.

Cut  4 (10)  “…suspected overdose.” 

Investigators quickly determined the two incidents were related.

Matherne says detectives identified Terrebonne as the suspect and originally charged him with drug distribution.

Cut 5 (09) “…our office.”

Terrebonne was taken into custody Wednesday and his bail was set at $500,000.

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A Lafayette man has been sentenced to 45 years in federal prison for kidnapping and attempting to murder a gay man as part of a hate crime scheme. U-S Attorney Brandon Brown says Chance Seneca used the dating app, Grindr, to groom his victim and in 2020, he handcuffed his victim inside a Lafayette home and tried to dismember him…

Cut 6 (07)  “…changed his mind” 

The victim is 21-year-old Holden White who says the attack has left him with no feeling in his hands, a limited voice and permanent scars.

Brown says Seneca became fixated with the idea of killing gay men and he was fascinated with serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer who murdered over a dozen gay men…

Cut 7 (07)  “…quite some time” 

Brown says hate crimes are a top priority for the D-O-J and they take these kind of cases very seriously…

Cut 8 (11)  “…ever gets out.” 

The 21-year-old Seneca has already served 2 1/2 years of his 45-year sentence.

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Many elected officials from Louisiana are in the nation’s capital for Washington Mardi Gras, but House Speaker Clay Schexnayder says it’s not all fun and games. Schexnayder says there are economic development meetings with the goal of bringing more manufacturing jobs to the state

Cut 9 (08) “…get it done” 

Over the next three days, Schexnayder says there will be several different dinners featuring Louisiana cuisine and also plenty of social events at night

Cut 10 (11) “…hazardously” 

The Advocate newspaper’s D-C news correspondent Mark Ballard says a big topic of discussion is whether Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves will run for governor.

Cut 11 (11)  “…Garret Graves”

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has reportedly selected Graves as the chairman of the Republican leadership.

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New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell responded to allegations she had a sexual relationship with a New Orleans Police Officer assigned to be her body guard. Those claims were made in divorce papers by the estranged wife of NOPD officer Jeffrey Vappie. Cantrell says this is a personal matter for the Vappie family

Cut 12 (03) “…of yours.”

A Fox 8 TV investigation has produced video of Vappie spending hours together during the day and some late nights at the city-owned apartment near Jackson Square. Cantrell has said the allegation of an affair involving a member of security team is false and she expects more accusations

Cut 13 (08) “…all pronouns.”