In the small community of Morrow, Louisiana, a tragic event unfolded on October 5, 2020, forever altering the lives of several families. On that day, 20-year-old LaDarius Devon Keller was fatally shot while sitting in a parked truck on Cook Street. The sudden violence of the act sent shockwaves through the quiet town, leaving friends and family to grapple with the senseless loss of a young life.
Another young man, Michael Thomas, also lost his life in the same brutal attack.
The narrative of that fateful day tells a story of a peaceful moment shattered by unexpected gunfire. Keller, Thomas, and three other individuals, Emrick Simon, Ladarious Leblanc, and Vondrick Jimmerson, were together in the vehicle when a man approached and opened fire on them. The brazenness of the assault left the community in fear and searching for answers. The local law enforcement, the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office, immediately launched an intensive investigation into the double homicide and the attempted murders of the three surviving victims.
The investigation into the deaths of LaDarius Keller and Michael Thomas led to the arrest of Sanplice Simien, who was 48 years old at the time of the incident. The subsequent legal proceedings brought the case before a St. Landry Parish jury. After deliberation, the jury found Simien guilty of two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Keller and Thomas. In addition to the murder convictions, Simien was also found guilty of three counts of attempted first-degree murder for his attack on Simon, Leblanc, and Jimmerson.
With the jury's verdict delivered, the judicial process moved towards sentencing. For the convictions of first-degree murder, Louisiana law mandates a life sentence. The court scheduled Sanplice Simien's sentencing for May 8, 2025, bringing a measure of closure to the families who had waited for justice for the violent deaths of their loved ones.
