In the early evening of January 4, 2019, a dispute in the 4200 block of L. Theriot Road in New Iberia, Louisiana, turned fatal, claiming the life of 38-year-old Richard Joseph Southern. A resident of New Iberia since 2005, Southern was born in Lake Charles and worked in the oilfield. He was a father to a son and three daughters.
That Friday, shortly after 8:00 p.m., an argument broke out between Southern and another man, identified as Kristian Broussard.
The verbal altercation escalated tragically when Broussard allegedly produced a handgun and shot Southern multiple times. Following the shooting, friends attempted to rush Southern to a local hospital for medical attention. Despite their efforts, he succumbed to his injuries shortly after his arrival.
In the wake of the shooting, Kristian Broussard fled the scene. Authorities reported that he was seen leaving the area in a green 2000 Chevrolet Impala, accompanied by two unidentified females. The Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office launched an investigation and quickly identified Broussard as the suspect. A warrant was issued for his arrest on the charge of second-degree murder. The search for Broussard extended beyond Louisiana, and he was eventually located and apprehended in Middletown, New York.
