In the quiet town of Thibodaux, Louisiana, the life of 30-year-old Chonsie White was tragically cut short on a Wednesday afternoon, November 15, 2017. A native and resident of the area, White was fatally shot in an incident that unfolded on Ridgefield Road. The events of that day would later be pieced together by investigators, revealing a story of a drug deal that spiraled into a fatal robbery.
On that day, Tremell Batiste, 21, and Dontrell Bryant Jr., 19, arranged to purchase marijuana
from Chonsie White. Bryant drove the two to Ridgefield Road, where they met with White. He entered the back seat of the vehicle to conduct the transaction. It was at this moment that Batiste, seated in the front passenger seat, brandished a handgun and attempted to rob White of the marijuana. In the ensuing struggle, Batiste shot White multiple times. Despite his injuries, White managed to exit the car, but tragically succumbed to his wounds on the scene. Batiste and Bryant immediately fled in the vehicle.
The Thibodaux Police Department launched an investigation that quickly led them to the suspects. Dontrell Bryant Jr. was apprehended later that same night at the Waverly Apartments. The following morning, with the assistance of the Assumption Parish Sheriff's Department, Tremell Batiste was located and, after a brief foot chase, taken into custody. Both men were subsequently charged with second-degree murder.
The legal proceedings that followed brought a measure of justice for Chonsie White's family. Dontrell Bryant Jr., who was the driver, testified against his accomplice. In May 2021, Tremell Batiste stood trial for the murder. Over the course of the three-day trial, the prosecution presented a compelling case. Batiste took the stand in his own defense, claiming that the shooting was an accident and that he only intended to rob White. The jury, however, was not swayed by his testimony. After deliberating for approximately an hour and a half, they returned a unanimous verdict of guilty on the charge of second-degree murder. For his role in the death of Chonsie White, Tremell Batiste received a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.
