On the evening of October 5, 2020, in the small community of Morrow, Louisiana, a burst of gunfire shattered the night and ended the life of 29-year-old Michael Thomas of Washington. Thomas, a male, was seated in a parked truck on Cook Street with four other young men when the fatal encounter unfolded. The tranquility of the evening was abruptly broken when a man approached the driver's side of the vehicle and, without warning, opened fire with a handgun in each hand.
The hail of bullets
tragically struck multiple occupants of the truck. Michael Thomas was pronounced dead at the scene. Another passenger, 20-year-old Ladarious Keller of Morrow, was gravely wounded and later succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital. A third individual, 19-year-old Emmerick Simon of Bunkie, was also injured in the shooting but survived after undergoing surgery. A fourth passenger, 21-year-old Ladrius LeBlanc of Lebeau, managed to escape the violent assault without any physical injuries.
The investigation into the double homicide led authorities to identify Sanplice Christopher Simien, a 48-year-old man, as the perpetrator. The motive for the shooting was not immediately made public. Following his arrest, Simien faced a legal process that culminated in a jury trial.
On March 20, 2025, a jury found Sanplice Christopher Simien guilty on two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Michael Thomas and Ladarious Keller. He was also convicted on three counts of attempted first-degree murder for his actions against the other individuals in the vehicle. Subsequently, on July 10, 2025, Simien was sentenced for his crimes. For each count of first-degree murder, he received a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence. For each of the three counts of attempted murder, he was sentenced to thirty years in prison. The court ordered that all sentences be served concurrently.
