St. Landry District Attorney Chad Pitre has raised the bar for felony trials in his parish. Three trials with three convictions in just three weeks.
Today, October 19, 2022, Robert McPhearson, now a third felony offender, was convicted with the Second-Degree Murder of Alana Michelle Zuccaro. McPhearson, a resident of Florida, will be sentenced to a mandatory life in prison, without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence on November 2, 2022. Prosecuting this case were D.A. Chad Pitre and Chief Felony Prosecutor Alisa Gothreaux.
Pitre said, “When I gave the opening statement, I knew my job was to take a killer off the street. And today a jury agreed by finding him guilty of 2nd degree murder.”
Defendant Robert McPherson, a previously convicted domestic abuser, murdered his girlfriend, Alana Michelle Zuccaro, and concealed her body in a wooded area along the banks of Bayou Waxia, between Port Barre and Washington in the early morning hours of March 20, 2019. McPherson fled the parish and was apprehended a week later by West Baton Rouge Sheriffs Deputies when he was spotted riding a stolen 4-wheeler on La Hwy. 415. Multiple law enforcement agencies throughout Louisiana assisted in resolving this crime. According to Pitre the victim had been reported as a missing person.
On October 18, 2022, Tryon Andrepont, a former Opelousas police officer, was convicted of three counts of Malfeasance in Office. Sentencing date has not been set yet. Prosecutors were ADA Katie Ryan and Glenn Marcantel. “We will always hold our police accountable. They must protect and serve, not harm.” said Ryan. Andrepont was accused of striking and using excessive force against a mentally challenged individual while restrained in a hospital bed.
On Sept 27, 2022, Brandon Smith, now a fourth felony offender, was convicted of Aggravated Assault with a Firearm, Aggravated Second Degree Battery, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Smith was sentenced to 20 years at Hard Labor, without benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence on October 13, 2022. Prosecutors were Chief Felony Prosecutor Alisa Gothreaux and ADA Laura Garcille. According to Gothreaux, “The victim came from Houston, Texas to give impassioned testimony about what happened to her to make sure this didn’t happen to anyone else.” Smith tortured his victim for hours until she finally escaped. “Thank goodness the jury saw the need to protect this community and convict this man,” said Gothreaux.
