On a tragic Thanksgiving night in 2019, the life of 22-year-old Dakota Chaisson was cut short in his hometown of Jennings, Louisiana. The young man was attending a private party at the Toby Ward Event Hall on South Main Street on November 29th when he was targeted and fatally shot, suffering multiple gunshot wounds. Despite attempts to revive him, Chaisson was pronounced dead at the scene, leaving a community in shock and a family to grieve an unimaginable loss.
The investigation into
the shooting led by the Jennings Police Department moved swiftly as they utilized surveillance footage from the area to identify potential suspects and witnesses. This initial phase of the investigation resulted in the arrests of eight individuals in connection with the homicide. However, as the legal process unfolded, a Jeff Davis Parish grand jury, after reviewing the evidence and hearing testimony, determined there was insufficient evidence to proceed with charges against seven of the co-defendants, and their charges were subsequently dismissed.
The grand jury did, however, return a true bill of indictment against 19-year-old Jayden Grant Theunissen for the second-degree murder of Dakota Chaisson. This indictment positioned Theunissen as the primary suspect responsible for Chaisson's death. The case proceeded through the judicial system, and in a significant development, Theunissen agreed to a plea deal.
In July 2023, Jayden Grant Theunissen pleaded no contest to the amended charge of manslaughter. While a no contest plea does not admit guilt, it is treated as such for sentencing purposes. In exchange for his plea, Theunissen was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The terms of his sentence included the suspension of all but five years, with credit for time already served. Upon his release, he will be subject to three years of supervised probation. The district attorney consulted with Chaisson's family, who were ready for closure in the case that had been ongoing since 2019. The resolution of the case through the plea deal brought a close to the legal chapter of a violent act that ended a young man's life.
