In the late spring of 2022, the life of 43-year-old Lavar Manuel was tragically cut short in his Lafayette, Louisiana home. The African American man was found deceased by police on Saturday, May 28th, after they were called to perform a welfare check at his residence located in the 200 block of Guidry Street. Inside, officers discovered Mr. Manuel had been fatally shot.
Investigators determined that in the early morning hours, a domestic altercation had occurred between Manuel and his
live-in girlfriend, 22-year-old Destiny McAfee. During the course of this dispute, it is alleged that McAfee produced a handgun and shot Manuel. Following the incident, McAfee, a resident of Longview, Texas, reportedly fled the scene. She later turned herself in to authorities in her hometown.
Destiny McAfee, a former student and women's basketball player at the University of Louisiana, was extradited back to Lafayette to face charges for the death of her boyfriend. She was charged with one count of second-degree murder and one count of unauthorized use of an automobile. In August 2022, a grand jury in Lafayette Parish handed down an indictment against McAfee for second-degree murder, formally charging her and setting the stage for future legal proceedings in the case. The family of Lavar Manuel expressed their profound grief, stating that the loss was especially difficult as they were already mourning the recent passing of their grandmother.
