In a quiet Destrehan neighborhood, the life of 25-year-old Weston Keller was cut short on the evening of Thursday, March 16, 2017. A resident of the 3700 block of Tara Drive, Keller was a well-liked figure, described by friends and neighbors as a big brother to local children. Just moments before the fatal incident, he was seen playing outside with kids from the neighborhood.
Later that evening, inside the home he shared with his grandmother and a man named Donald Daughdrill, a verbal
altercation erupted. Daughdrill, 68 years old at the time, had been living in the residence for about a year and a half. The argument between Daughdrill and Keller reportedly centered on accusations of stolen money. The dispute escalated tragically when Daughdrill produced a handgun and fired a single shot, striking Keller in the chest.
Law enforcement and emergency medical personnel arrived at the scene to find Keller on the floor with a gunshot wound. Despite their efforts, he was pronounced deceased at the residence. Deputies immediately detained Daughdrill, who was still at the scene, and recovered the weapon. He was subsequently arrested and charged with manslaughter in connection with Weston Keller's death.
The legal proceedings that followed took an unexpected turn. After being arrested and charged, Donald Daughdrill's case was presented to a grand jury. In May of 2017, the grand jury declined to indict him on the manslaughter charge. Consequently, Daughdrill was released from custody. The decision was met with dismay by Keller's family, who expressed their profound disagreement with the outcome while vowing to remember him for the life he lived.
