In the early morning hours of June 29, 2016, a string of violence unfolded in Houma, Louisiana, that tragically cut short the life of 29-year-old Troy Anthony Deroche. Deroche, a native and resident of Houma, was a married father of three daughters who was known for his love of life, family, fishing, and music. His life was abruptly ended by multiple gunshot wounds in a senseless act that also claimed the life of another man and injured others.
The events leading to Deroche's death began
when he was a passenger in a car driven by Roderick Smith. An 18-year-old man named Michael Diggs was in the back seat. As they drove to an apartment complex on Thomas Drive, Diggs opened fire on a group of men in the parking lot, killing 23-year-old John Darjean. Smith, who later testified he was unaware of Diggs' intentions, sped away from the scene in an attempt to get Diggs out of his vehicle. When Diggs exited the car, he turned his weapon on both Smith and Deroche, fatally wounding Deroche and injuring Smith.
The investigation into the double homicide quickly led authorities to Michael Diggs. He was arrested in Calcasieu Parish by the Lake Charles Police Department. Diggs faced two counts of second-degree murder and four counts of attempted second-degree murder for his role in the shootings. While a motive for the violent outburst was not immediately clear to investigators, the case against him moved forward.
In September 2018, a jury found Michael Diggs, then 20, guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and four counts of attempted first-degree murder after about an hour of deliberation. The conviction carried a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. While the verdict brought a sense of relief to Troy Deroche's family that his killer would be off the streets, his mother expressed that there could be no true justice as she could no longer speak to her son, and noted that Diggs showed no remorse for his actions.
