On what was supposed to be a night of celebration, ushering in the new year, 18-year-old Eric Paul Thibodaux's life was tragically cut short. The young man, a resident of Thibodaux, Louisiana, was attending a New Year's Eve party on December 31, 2020, in the Jolie Oaks subdivision in Schriever. An altercation at the party escalated into violence, forever altering the lives of two families.
The dispute reportedly began between Eric Thibodaux and another young man, Kamron Kajon Jacquot,
over a shared romantic interest. Witnesses stated that the verbal disagreement turned physical, leading to a tragic and fatal conclusion. In the ensuing chaos, both Eric Thibodaux and another individual, Matthew Badeaux, were shot multiple times. While Badeaux survived his injuries, Eric Thibodaux succumbed to his wounds on January 1, 2021.
The investigation into the shooting moved swiftly. On the same day that Eric passed away, detectives from the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office arrested Kamron Kajon Jacquot. During questioning, Jacquot reportedly admitted to being the sole shooter, claiming he acted out of fear. He also informed investigators that he had discarded the firearm by throwing it over the Schriever overpass; however, the weapon was never recovered.
Jacquot was subsequently charged with the first-degree murder of Eric Thibodaux and the attempted first-degree murder of Matthew Badeaux. Following a jury trial, he was found guilty of the lesser charges of second-degree murder and attempted manslaughter. The court sentenced Kamron Kajon Jacquot to life in prison at hard labor for the death of Eric Thibodaux, with a concurrent sentence of twenty years for the attempted manslaughter of Matthew Badeaux, ensuring he would face the consequences of his actions on that fateful New Year's Eve.
