Albert Short

Albert “Short Dog” Short is remembered by those around him for his easy smile and gentle nature.

At 21, his life was cut short after a meeting in a mall parking lot turned violent. His family chooses to focus on his life rather than his death.

“He was a man with a childlike heart, says Diane Sutton, his mother. “He never talked back. He was a good kid.”

On June 26, 2002, around 8 p.m. in the Southland Mall parking lot, behind JCPenney, Short met with Chad Champagne and Brian Hebert, Champagne’s friend, to buy ecstasy pills.

He got in the backseat of Champagne’s Dodge Neon and, while in the car, Champagne shot Short 14 times.

There is no statement from police on what happened in the car leading up to Short being shot, only testimony from Champagne in court.

“I had my gun sitting on my lap the whole time; and when I seen him pull the pistol and put it to the back of Brian’s head, I just snapped and pulled my pistol,” says Champagne in his court testimony.

After killing Short, Champagne and Hebert drove to the Intracoastal Canal, emptied Short’s pockets, dumped his body, and burned the car on Falgout Canal Road. They drove back to Champagne’s apartment, where they were questioned and arrested.

Two years later, the court found Champagne guilty of manslaughter, obstruction of justice, and possession of a Schedule I drug with intent to distribute. Judge Timothy Ellender sentenced Champagne to 11 years in prison.

Short died at 21 years old. He graduated from Terrebonne High School in 1999, where he played football and participated in the homecoming court.

“My greatest memory of him was his smile. He had a mouth full of golds and liked to flash them.”

Raven Tillman

His classmates remembered him as a fun-loving kind person through Facebook comments.

“He loved sports, especially football, and was always clowning around…always joking with a big ol’ smile,” says Kaina Steward.

Raven Tillman commented, “My greatest memory of him was his smile. He had a mouth full of golds and liked to flash them.”

His mother, Diane Sutton, talked about his hobbies growing up in her testimony to the court.

“He loved to draw and he loved to cut hair. I am going to miss this kind of stuff… I’m going to miss getting Mother’s Day cards. I am going to miss him giving me a lot of love, hugs, and kisses. I am going to miss that.”