“First and foremost, my prayers are with the victim and her family. The brutal sexual assault of a 94-year-old woman is deeply disturbing and represents the kind of violent crime that shocks the conscience of our entire community.
I understand the concerns that have been raised regarding a prior case involving this same defendant. In that previous case, the victim, a member of the defendant’s family, was likewise the victim of a brutal attack. Formal charges were filed against this defendant and eventually set for trial. The defendant waived his right to a jury trial and timely requested a trial by judge. The matter was set for trial and witnesses subpoenaed. Despite my office’s attempts to contact the victim, we could not do so, not by lack of cooperation of the victim, but that our attempts to locate her were unsuccessful. Without the victim’s testimony we could not proceed to trial. The charges were dismissed in a manner that preserved the State’s ability to reinstitute prosecution against this defendant. I personally have since spoken with the victim and her family. She is more than willing to cooperate and come forward at all future court proceedings.
I have also spoken with some family members of the most recent victim and have explained our office’s position on moving forward with the prosecution of these cases.
My office is moving forward aggressively. I will be presenting evidence to a grand jury seeking prosecution for both the recent allegations involving the 94-year-old victim and the previous victim. The seriousness of these crimes and the repeat nature of the conduct exposes the defendant to the most severe penalties available under Louisiana law, including life imprisonment.
Since taking office, we have charged and secured convictions in hundreds of cases involving crimes of violence including rapes, sex offenses, domestic violence, and human trafficking.
Despite the headwinds of limited staffing and resources, we will continue to pursue justice with urgency and integrity so that no family in this parish must endure the pain that has been experienced in these cases."
District Attorney Hillar Moore
www.wafb.com
