Press Release:
Saturday July 30, 2022
From: St. Landry Parish District Attorney Chad P. Pitre
Working Overtime: St. Landry Courthouse conducting 2 murder trials simultaneously.
On Friday two separate murder trials were underway in the St. Landry Parish Courthouse. Downstairs a jury was hearing evidence in the case of State v. Miller. The defendant is charged with the death of an 18 month-old child. This case will resume Monday morning in Judge Ledricka Thierry’s courtroom.
Upstairs in the courthouse on Friday, after several days of testimony in front of Eunice City Judge, Terry Hoychick, a juvenile shooter was found guilty of 2nd degree murder for the killing of 31 year-old Donavon Reed of Eunice. The defendant was also found guilty of attempted 2nd degree murder and the Illegal Carrying of a firearm by a juvenile. The defendant, 14 years old at the time of the shooting in downtown Eunice on June 6, 2021 was arrested by Eunice Police Department for murdering Reed and wounding another adult person, Troy Godfrey. The juvenile was sentenced to juvenile life by Judge Hoychick immediately after the verdict was read.
“The State presented sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant intentionally killed the victim, Donavon Reed.” District Attorney Chad Pitre said. “My heart goes out to the family of Mr. Reed and hopefully this verdict will bring some amount of closure to them,” said Pitre.
Pitre thanked his lead prosecutor in this case, Ms. Alisa Gotreaux for delivering justice to the victim’s family.
