In the quiet city of Natchitoches, Louisiana, the life of 35-year-old Hiram Phillips Jr., an African American male, was violently cut short on the night of January 27, 2020. The tragic event unfolded at his residence in the 900 block of Short Seventh Street, a place typically filled with the familiar sounds of friends and family. On this particular evening, however, the home became a scene of a brutal double homicide.
When Natchitoches Police Department officers responded to a
disturbance call, they discovered a grim reality inside. Hiram Phillips Jr. and another man, 41-year-old Larry Batiste, were found deceased, both having succumbed to gunshot wounds. A third victim, who was Phillips' girlfriend, was also found at the scene with life-threatening injuries. She was quickly transported to Ochsner LSU Health in Shreveport for emergency medical care. The shocking violence of the incident sent ripples of fear and grief through the local community.
The subsequent investigation into the double homicide led authorities to identify three suspects: Jessie James Petite Jr., who was 21 at the time; 17-year-old Daereion Latchie; and 22-year-old Jaleel Tousant. Arrest warrants were issued for the trio, charging each with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Phillips and Batiste, and two counts of attempted first-degree murder for the shooting of Phillips' girlfriend. Eventually, all three suspects were apprehended and booked into the Natchitoches Parish Jail, bringing a measure of relief to a community on edge.
In March of 2023, there was a significant development in the legal proceedings. Daereion Latchie, then 20, opted to plead guilty to amended charges rather than face a jury trial. He pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter, one count of attempted second-degree murder, and one count of armed robbery. A judge subsequently sentenced Latchie to 29 years of incarceration at hard labor for each charge, with the sentences to run concurrently.
