In the quiet community of Bayou Blue, a dispute that began at a local bar tragically escalated, ending the life of 57-year-old Chad Michael Daigle. On the night of May 12, 2022, what started as a disturbance at a bar spilled over into a fatal confrontation at Daigle's residence.
Earlier that evening, Lafourche Parish Sheriff's deputies had responded to a call about a disturbance at a bar in Bayou Blue.
About 35 minutes after their arrival, a second call came in reporting gunshots near Meadowland Drive and Bayou Blue Road. When authorities arrived at the scene, they discovered that Daigle had been shot in the torso just outside of his home. He had managed to walk back inside before collapsing and was later pronounced dead.
The investigation revealed that 22-year-old Earl Verdin had gone to Daigle's home to confront him about the earlier altercation at the bar. Daigle reportedly told Verdin to leave his property. At some point, Daigle fired a shotgun into the ground as a warning. In response, Verdin, who was armed with a handgun, fired multiple shots at Daigle, striking him. One of the shots hit Daigle in the back.
Early the next morning, Earl Verdin turned himself in to investigators. After questioning, he was arrested and charged with Second Degree Murder and Possession of a Firearm by a Person Convicted of Domestic Abuse Battery. His bail was set at $1.05 million.
Following a four-day trial, a Lafourche Parish jury found Earl Verdin guilty of the second-degree murder of Chad Daigle. The jury deliberated for less than an hour before reaching a unanimous verdict. During the trial, prosecutors argued that Verdin had multiple opportunities to de-escalate the situation but instead chose to arm himself and go to Daigle's property. The defendant testified that he could have potentially left the property without killing Daigle. Verdin now faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.
