In the fall of 2022, a young mother's life was tragically cut short in New Orleans, Louisiana. Sarah Elizabeth Horrigan, a 25-year-old female, was killed on October 8, 2022. Remembered for her vibrant personality and deep love for her family, particularly her young son, Sarah's unexpected death left her loved ones in profound grief. She was a graduate of H. L.
Bourgeois High School and had also served in the United States Marine Corps, graduating in 2017.
The circumstances surrounding her death were initially clouded by a misleading report to authorities. Her boyfriend, Zachary Alexander Cheek, placed a 911 call claiming that Sarah had died by suicide. However, the subsequent police investigation uncovered a different and more sinister version of events. Evidence gathered by law enforcement pointed not to a suicide, but to a homicide.
Following a thorough investigation, Zachary Alexander Cheek was arrested in connection with Sarah Horrigan's death. He was charged with her killing and with attempting to cover up his involvement. In a weeklong trial, prosecutors presented the case against Cheek, detailing the brutality of the crime and his calculated efforts to deceive investigators. The jury ultimately found him responsible for her death.
In August 2025, a New Orleans jury returned guilty verdicts against Zachary Alexander Cheek. He was convicted of Manslaughter, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Obstruction of Justice for the killing of Sarah Horrigan. The conviction brought a measure of legal closure to a case that began with a false report and ended with the revelation of a violent crime committed by someone who claimed to love the vibrant young mother.
