Nicholas Bernard staff writer
To those who knew him best, Eric Thibodaux, 18, wasn’t defined by a single night, he was defined by the laughter he left behind.
“He was the biggest, kindest goofball I’ve ever met,” says his sister, Emmelyn Mutnansky. “Even when he was being an annoying little brother, I just couldn’t help but laugh.”
A Nicholls State University health sciences major, Thibodaux was murdered in a New Year’s Day shooting in 2021.
Kamron Jacquot was identified as the shooter. According to court records, Jacquot was involved in an altercation with Thibodaux over a dispute involving the same woman. He then left the scene, returned with a firearm, and allegedly shot Thibodaux, killing him, and injuring another individual. Jacquot was sentenced to life in prison.
The people closest to Thibodaux remember something much bigger than the circumstances of his death. They remember how he lived.
A “gentle giant,” as multiple family members described him, Thibodaux had a quiet presence but an undeniable impact. “Tall (six feet, four inches), real, helpful,” his brother Zac Vega says. “He would always lend a helping hand.”
“No matter what they were doing… he just loved being around his friends and family.”
For Vega, that bond was never complicated. The two even called themselves stepbrothers. But the label didn’t last long. Vega says they quickly were simply brothers.
That mix of calm and humor made Eric someone people gravitated toward. He didn’t need much to be happy.
“Honestly, just being around people he cared about and being able to joke around,” Vega says. “He didn’t need anything outstanding, just good company and something to laugh about.”
For his sister Mutnansky, those everyday moments meant everything.
“Being around the people he loved made him the happiest,” she says. “No matter what they were doing… he just loved being around his friends and family.”
Eric’s humor wasn’t about attention, it was about comfort.
“He was probably known as a ‘class clown,’” Mutnansky says, “but in reality… most of what he did was to make other people more comfortable.”
Jacob Vega, Thibodaux’s stepbrother, remembers that same spirit stretching back to childhood.
“He was really goofy… and genuine,” he says. “He seemed to love life.”
He was also “extremely athletic,” someone who loved to compete with his brothers and friends, whether in sports or games.
Thibodaux was an All-District football and basketball player at South Lafourche High School.
But beyond that, Thibodaux left a deeper impact. Without even realizing it, Jacob says Thibodaux helped shape him.
Through long practices and time spent training together, “he taught me discipline… and patience,” Jacob says, noting that Thibodaux accepted criticism and kept working to improve.
Whether it was competing, playing video games, or simply being surrounded by family, Thibodaux’s joy was rooted in connection.
“He liked everything to be cool and chill,” Jacob says. “He was… a gentle giant.”
Even now, his presence lingers in the people he shaped. “He taught me a lot just by being himself,” Zac says.
And, for his sister, his joy continues to inspire her.
Mutnansky says, “Eric made me realize I want to make a difference in the world like he did.”
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