Braxton & Camille Hebert
Sydney Hubbard staff
Eric Thibodaux
Eric Thibodaux, left. Contributed Eric Thibodaux, left, with his siblings. Contributed Eric Thibodaux with his sister Emmelyn Mutnansky. Contributed by Emmelyn Mutnansky Eric Thibodaux with his sister Emmelyn Mutnansky. Contributed by Emmelyn Mutnansky Eric Thibodaux with his mom after a basketball game at South Lafourche High School. Contributed by Emmelyn Mutnansky Eric Thibodaux with his […]
Remembering
Rhiannon Callais features editor About 17,000 people were murdered in the United States in 2024, according to the FBI. And each of those murders left behind about seven to 10 close relatives as well as friends, neighbors and coworkers, according to a study published in the National Library of Medicine. Ashley Autin is one of […]
Law Enforcement
Jennifer Marts video/audio editor
The Jury
Sydney Hubbard staff Twelve citizens. Twelve regular citizens making difficult, sometimes life-altering decisions. Louisiana law dictates that murder trial juries consist of 12 citizens who, as of January 1, 2019, must reach a unanimous verdict. Lindsey Guidry Juror in the 2025 murder case against Rondell Dewey in Houma, Louisiana. The jury found the defendant guilty […]
Albert Short
Emily Gramajo staff 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 […]
The Penalties
Kate Clement Design Editor If convicted of murder, these are the penalties in Louisiana. First Degree Murder Death Penalty or Life in Prison Second Degree Murder Life in Prison with no Parole Manslaughter Up to 40 years in prison
Thibodaux Massacre
Cutting sugar cane in Louisiana between 1880-1897. Source: The Library of Congress Jennifer Marts Video/Audio Editor The History John DeSantis journalist & author of “The Thibodaux Massacre” Margie Scoby founder & president, the Finding Our Roots African American Museum The LEgacy Wiletta Ferninand descendant of Jack Conrad who was killed in the Thibodaux Massacre Harambee […]
Curtis Moon
Nicholas Bernard staff writer Curtis Moon owned the Wizard’s Knight Club on Hollywood Boulevard in Houma, Louisiana. Family say he was a kind, loving family man and it was that compassion that led to his murder in 1998 at just 47. “He was the most caring, loving and giving person anyone would ever meet,” says […]
Jori Lirette
Abe Martin staff writer Seven-year-old Jori Lirette’s life was defined not by limitation, but by the people who loved him. Jori, who lived in Thibodaux, Louisiana, with his mother Jesslyn Kylene Lirette and father Jeremiah Lee Wright. He had cerebral palsy and required constant care. To those closest to him, he was more than his […]