A jury recommends the death penalty for the gunman in a 2015 shooting death of a state trooper in Calcasieu Parish. Matt Doyle has the story.
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Cleanup and restoration is underway following Hurricane Barry. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
cut 2 (30) I’m Kevin Barnhart”
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A jury recommends the death penalty for 57-year-old Kevin Daigle, convicted in the “cold blooded”2015 ambush shooting death of a State Trooper in Calcasieu Parish.
Calcasieu District Attorney John DeRosier says the murder was so shocking that it’s the first time in his 14 years as DA that he’s stuck with a death penalty request.
Daigle was caught on dashcam footage blasting Trooper Steven Vincent with a sawed-off shotgun after the officer responded to what appeared to be a person in duress.
DeRosier says the jury appeared to be moved by testimony from Vincent’s family about the trooper’s last moments before he headed out to his fatal rendezvous.
It took less than 15 minutes for the jury to agree with the death penalty request.
The state has not executed someone since 2010 because it says it can’t obtain lethal injection chemicals. DeRosier says the death penalty is law, and he intends to pursue it regardless.
A judge will give a final ruling on Daigle’s sentence in October.
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People around Louisiana are surveying the aftermath of Hurricane Barry today. Many are feeling they dodged a bullet. Director of the St. Mary Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness David Naquin says the parish did not receive the copious amounts of rain forecasters expected, but it wasn’t until yesterday afternoon they say most of the rainfall.
Cut 6 (10) “…before that hit.”
Naquin says while many were spared from flooding, there were a few homes that were not so lucky.
The main issue facing homes and businesses is power outages. Entergy has 24,000 customers without power, down from 89,000. Cleco crews are entering their second day of restoration, with about 17,000 still without power. Cleco spokesperson Jennifer Cahill says crews are working feverishly to get power back to 100%.
Cut 8 (11) “…to our customers.”
Cahill says Iberia Parish and St. Mary Parish were among the hardest hit with power outages.
Cut 9 (08) “…St. Mary Parishes.”
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Longtime Ruston Daily Leader sports editor Buddy Davis passed away over the weekend at the age of 72. Lousiana Tech sports information director Malcolm Butler says Davis spent five decades covering sports in Lincoln Parish
Cut 10 (08) “…national standpoint.”
Davis covered icons like Terry Bradshaw and Karl Malone, the great Louisiana Tech women’s basketball teams and Eddie Robinson and his championship Grambling State football teams. Butler says Davis received criticism for writing stories about Coach Rob and Grambling, but Buddy wasn’t afraid to do it
Cut 11 (12) “…Louisiana Tech is”
Davis was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 and enshrined into the Louisiana Tech Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013. The press box at Joe Aillet Stadium is named after him. Butler says David had the ability to make everyone feel like a hall of famer…
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Police are hunting suspects in the murder of Baton Rouge African American History Museum founder Sadie Roberts-Joseph, who was found dead in the trunk of a car from asphyxiation.
The Capital City icon was found dead three days ago, and Baton Rouge Police spokesperson Sgt. L’Jean McKneely says they were tipped off as to her whereabouts earlier Friday.
After arriving on the scene, McKneely says they discovered the body around 3:45 that afternoon, as the rest of the community was preparing for Hurricane Barry.
Roberts-Joseph was 75.
Roberts-Joseph was a celebrated and beloved member of the Baton Rouge community, and McKneely says her death is tragedy…
Police are tracking down leads and asking anyone with additional information to call Crimestoppers at 225-344-7867.