Staff Report
The year of our Lord 2020 will go down in the memory books as one filled of disease, civil unrest, a highly contested and controversial presidential election, and a whole host of other phenomena appearing to come out of the Book of Revelation. Remember the murder hornets?
Here, in Evangeline Parish, the year produced many news stories that will leave their mark on the local psyche. Staff members of the Ville Platte Gazette were recently tasked with ranking the top 10 stories of the past year. The task undertaking to whittle down the entries was a difficult one, and some stories just missed the cut. Among those stories to just miss the cut are a Lafayette plane crash claiming the life of a Mamou native, suspects leading authorities on high speed chase in Pine Prairie, police jurors voting to give themselves a raise for the first time in 20 years, and Ville Platte city council voting to increase pay for officers.
The following are the ones who cracked the list of top stories and are revealed here starting from number 10 to number 1.
No. 10
Violence in City of Ville Platte is discussed.
A rash of criminal activity broke out in Ville Platte over the first six weeks of the year which prompted remarks from Mayor Jennifer Vidrine and Chief of Police Neal Lartigue as well as public outcry.
At the Tuesday, February 18, meeting of the Rotary Club of Ville Platte, Mayor Vidrine stated there was a burglary at another business in the city that morning.
The burglary was at the Thrifty Way Pharmacy on Lincoln Road and occurred three days after an armed robbery of a delivery driver who was kidnapped and had his vehicle stolen.
In regards to a car-jacking which occurred over the same time, Mayor Vidrine said, “These people come from Texas to steal cars in Ville Platte and bring them back to Texas.”
“I am at the point of calling state police,” she stated. “I’m calling GOHSEP (Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management) because I am at the point where we need National Guard on the ground with machine guns. If that’s what it’s going to take, so be it.”
The mayor felt these actions are necessary because she was afraid somebody was going to get killed.
“People are going into other people’s homes and breaking in,” she told the Rotary Club. “People won’t ask how old are you before they shoot them. That’s what I am afraid is going to happen because we’re talking about 12 to 14-year-olds.”
Mayor Vidrine added state police was in the city patrolling. She also added the city is getting eight new street cameras to be installed within the next 14 to 16 days at undisclosed locations in the city.
Chief Lartigue responded to the mayor’s statements to the Rotary Club and said stated, “I used to have between 16 and 18, and, with the budget cut, it went down to 10 plus the administration and the detectives.”
The chief explained he has been in contact with state police to send troopers to the city, but “they’re short as well. They can’t come and be here the whole time.”
He added, “We do plan to get together and talk again.”
No. 9
LSU Tigers knock off Clemson.
A dense fog enveloped the Crescent City Monday which brought about thoughts of things emerging from the poor visibility like the ghost of Marie LeVeau or Jean Lafitte.
What did emerge, however, was a College Football Playoff National Championship for the Fightin’ Tigers of LSU after dethroning the reigning national champion Clemson Tigers, 42-25.
“Well, I want to thank our great fans for being here,” said LSU head coach Ed Orgeron. “We left the hotel today, what a phenomenal group we had. They gave us energy all night, and they’ve been with us all year.”
For one LSU player, this victory was special not only for himself, but his native Mamou in Evangeline Parish.
“Shout out to Mamou,” said offensive lineman Austin Deculus. “This is for Mamou. After every game this season, I told my dad I wanted to represent Mamou and I wanted to represent something bigger than me. That’s why I changed my bio because I just wanted to represent them, and I hope I made them proud.”
No. 8
Zackery Shane Deville is found guilty.
After deliberating Thursday, January 23, an Evangeline Parish Jury found Zackery Shane Deville guilty of attempted first-degree murder for his alleged role in the stabbing incident of former Turkey Creek Police Chief Robert Glenn Leggett.
An emotional Leggett testified at the beginning of the trial and recounted the series of events that occurred on that bloody night. He then sat quietly with his head hung low and eyes closed as the 911 call was played for the jury. Hearing the recorded troubled voices of Kari Holden and Joshua Rollins, Leggett took a couple of hitching breaths, visibly emotional.
No. 7
Butler and Cloud take oaths of office.
After breaking gender and party barriers in the last October’s election, the new state legislative delegation from Evangeline Parish was sworn into office at the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge on Monday, January 13.
Rhonda Butler (R-Turkey Creek) took her oath of office as State Representative to represent District 38 replacing Bernard LeBas.
Also taking her oath of office that Monday was Heather Cloud (R-Turkey Creek) as State Senator for District 28 replacing Eric LaFleur.
No. 6
Chipmunk bandit robs pharmacy and kills police officer.
Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office Investigators continued to search for the person who robbed The Medicine Chest Pharmacy at gunpoint in a Chipmunk outfit.
The robbery occurred just after 12 p.m. Saturday, September 19, at the Medicine Chest located at 409 E. Lincoln Road.
Surveillance video showed an armed suspect, in a Chipmunk outfit running from the store’s parking lot to the rear door of the store, forcing an employee back inside.
Once inside the suspect escorted the employee through the store at gunpoint as she filled his bag with an undisclosed amount of narcotic medication.
After getting the undisclosed amount of medicine from the employee, the suspect walked out of the rear door of the store and ran westbound towards a nearby apartment complex.
The suspect was later apprehended in Franklin Parish after shooting a Mangham police officer.
Franklin Parish Sheriff Kevin Cobb reported at approximately 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 17, a Mangham police officer executed a traffic stop southbound on La. 425 near the Franklin-Richland parish line. The officer was shot by the subject who fled the scene of the stop southbound on US 425 into Franklin Parish. The officer was transported to Franklin Medical Center and later transported to Rapides Hospital via helicopter. He was listed in stable condition as of Tuesday, October 20.
A BOLO was issued for the vehicle by Richland Parish Sheriff’s Office to surrounding agencies, including Franklin Parish Sheriff’s Office. At approximately 2:30 p.m., a call came in to the sheriff’s office reporting a crashed vehicle on La. Highway 562 near Fort Necessity that matched the description of the subject’s vehicle. Units responded and established a perimeter in the area. At approximately 3 p.m. the subject was located armed and placed into custody without further incident. Placed into custody was Hermandus Dashanski Semien, of Ville Platte, DOB August 24, 1993.
Sheriff Cobb is thankful to the many law enforcement agencies and those who reside in the Fort Necessity community that responded and assisted in establishing the perimeter and the ultimate apprehension of this subject.
Sheriff Cobb extended his thoughts and prayers to the Officer involved, Chief Perry Fleming, Sheriff Gary Gilley and the law enforcement community of Richland Parish.
The Mangham police officer died on the morning of Thursday, November 5.
“It’s with great sadness and broken hearts that I, Chief Perry Fleming, and the Mangham Police Department have to inform you of the passing of Officer Marshall Waters PD3 who was shot in the line of duty on October 17, 2020. We ask that you please continue to pray for Marshall Waters family and the Mangham Police Department family during this time. RIP PD3,” the chief said in a statement.
No. 5
State’s longest serving school board member dies.
One of Basile and Evangeline Parish’s greatest leaders has gone on to his eternal reward. On Friday, May 22, Dr. Bobbie Deshotel left town and this earth after living in and serving the Basile community for 58 years.
A 1954 graduate of Vidrine High School and 1960 graduate of the LSU Medical School, Deshotel began his practice in 1962 and was just short of 50 years when he retired in 2011.
At the time of his death, he was still serving as the Basile school district representative on the Evangeline Parish School Board, a position he held for 51 years.
Deshotel also served as mayor of Basile for five years during the 1960s. He was a member of the board of directors of Basile State Bank and a parishioner of St. Augustine Catholic Church and had a special devotion to the Virgin Mary.
No. 4
Group protests the detention of foreign prisoners.
Demonstrators clashed with law enforcement officers Friday, August 14, during a protest over the detention of foreign nationals in the GEO Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center.
The protest was organized by the New Orleans Workers Group, a self-described socialist organization of revolutionary workers fighting back against oppression and exploitation in New Orleans.
The group first arrived in Pine Prairie around 2:30 p.m. and were blocked from going any further by Pine Prairie Police Officers and Evangeline Parish Sheriff Deputies at the intersection of Hampton Dupre Rd and Fourth St.
When the demonstration stalled, one of the organizers, Ashlee Pintos, said the group was there to protest because “48 African migrants have been on a hunger strike inside (the prison) since March.” She added, “We are here to call attention to that, and we are here to stand in solidarity with those people.”
According to Pintos, law enforcement officers “are denying us our Constitutional right to protest. They’re denying us access to a public road, and they are telling us we are not allowed to be here.”
Pine Prairie Police Chief L.C. Deshotel was on scene at the intersection and said he told the group they needed a permit from the village in order to protest. “They are not going to bombard us and go in just because they want to,” he said.
The chief added the group was turned away because the warden of the prison “didn’t want them to be on his grounds. He wants it to be the right way if they do it, and this is not the right way.”
As the demonstrators were driving away, Chief Deshotel thanked his officers and expressed, “I just hope they don’t come back.”
But come back they did. The group circled around Jeanus Rd and came down La. Hwy 13 where they parked on the shoulder of the road across from the prison.
With traffic passing on both sides of the highway and law enforcement from Pine Prairie Police Department and Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office on the ready, chants of “a people united will never be defeated” and “un pueblo unido nunca será derrotado” broke out in perfect rhythm to drum beats and tambourine bangs.
Pintos then exclaimed over a bull horn, “We came from New Orleans today to stand in solidarity with all of those detained in these ICE concentration camps.”
As she continued making her remarks, protestors and law enforcement officers began pepper spraying each other. One of the officers could be heard telling the demonstrators to “get off the side of the road.”
Unphased by the pepper spray, the chanting continued, and other demonstrators spewed their comments on the bull horn. One of the speakers spoke out against what he called U.S. imperialism, U.S. intervention, and United States failed foreign policy. Another spoke out against for profit concentration camps owned by GEO.
The demonstration lasted roughly an hour and began to fizzle out shortly after State Police arrived on scene. Other law enforcement officers there consisted of Turkey Creek Police, Eunice SWAT, St. Landry Parish SWAT, and others.
No. 3
Coronavirus hits parish.
Dr. Tina Stefanski, regional medical director for the Office of Public Health in Acadiana, has confirmed on Friday, March 20 the first positive case of COVID-19 in Evangeline Parish. The virus went on to shut down schools and businesses. “We knew eventually we would get a positive test and have been preparing and encouraging everyone to be prepared as well,” said Police Jury President Ryan “Leday” Williams. “This is no cause for panic. We must stay vigilant in social distancing and sanitizing. Stay home and away from others unless it is absolutely necessary. Stay six feet away from the person next to you. Cough in your sleeve or a tissue. If you have a fever or respiratory symptoms, difficulty breathing, call your health care provider. Evangeline Parish will get through this, but we must follow the guidelines set forth by the CDC and DHH.”
No. 2
The body of a missing Ville Platte woman is found.
Joyce Thomas’ body has been found along I-49, between Opelousas and Sunset, according to State Police. Thomas, a 72-year-old Ville Platte senior who was deaf and mute, had been missing since Wednesday of last week. It is believed she was kidnapped and murdered by 53-year-old Phillip DeWoody, who has a long criminal record dating back to 1984.
Thomas went missing from her apartment on Chataignier Street in Ville Platte on Wednesday, and a surveillance photo showed DeWoody at her apartment. Police confirmed DeWoody is the man in the photo, and he has admitted it was him, however he did not confess to kidnapping Thomas or causing her death.
No. 1
John Isaac Foret is found not guilty.
The accused stood silently in the courtroom of the Honorable Judge Gary Ortego as the foreperson of the jury uttered two words which determined his fate in a second degree murder trial ... “not guilty.”
The accused was John Isaac Foret for allegedly committing the murder of Wesley Snoddy on May 18, 2018, the verdict of the jury was unanimous.
“We are excited with the jury’s decision,” said defense attorney Jacob Fusilier. Fusilier was part of the defense team with Alexandria lead attorney Mike Small.
“We think it was the right decision,” Fusilier continued.“The Foret family and my client feel vindicated by the decision, and they want to thank the jury for its efforts. We feel the evidence supported the verdict, and we want to complement the professionalism of our opponents in the DA’s (district attorney’s) office.”
In a statement to the Ville Platte Gazette, Evangeline Parish District Attorney Trent Brignac said, “With regard to the verdict in the trial of State versus Isaac Foret, I want to thank the jury for its time and patience throughout the trial. We completely respect the jury’s verdict. They had a tough decision to make. You had two men with guns late at night, and one of them ended up dead. There were no witnesses to the shooting and limited physical evidence. There was no question as to whether Foret shot and killed Wesley Snoddy. The only question was whether the jury found the shooting was justified.”