In the early morning hours of November 9, 2020, a violent intrusion shattered the peace of a Breaux Bridge, Louisiana home. Nathan Simon forced his way into the residence of his in-laws, where his estranged wife, Jennifer Simon, was staying. Armed with a firearm, he confronted Jennifer and shot her in the leg.
The sound of the gunshot and Jennifer's screams roused her mother, 53-year-old Roxanne Hawthorne.
As she entered the room to investigate the commotion, Nathan Simon turned the weapon on her, shooting her multiple times. Roxanne's stepfather, Charles Young, was also shot when he tried to intervene and aid his family. In the aftermath of the brutal attack, Roxanne Hawthorne succumbed to her injuries. Jennifer Simon and Charles Young were both hospitalized but ultimately survived the ordeal.
Following the incident, Nathan Simon turned himself in to the authorities. The Breaux Bridge Police Department, with assistance from the Acadiana Criminalistics Laboratory and the St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office, conducted a thorough investigation into the deadly home invasion. Their efforts led to the prosecution of Nathan Simon.
On October 17, 2024, a St. Martin Parish jury unanimously convicted Nathan Simon of the first-degree murder of Roxanne Hawthorne. He was also found guilty on two counts of attempted first-degree murder for the shootings of Jennifer Simon and Charles Young. On January 6, 2025, Nathan Simon was sentenced to serve life in prison without the possibility of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence for the murder of his mother-in-law. Additionally, he received consecutive sentences of forty years at hard labor for each count of attempted first-degree murder, ensuring he would spend the remainder of his life behind bars.
