In the quiet community of Moss Bluff, a late-night altercation on March 22, 2016, tragically cut short the life of 32-year-old Donald D. Trahan Jr. of Lake Charles, Louisiana. The events leading to his death began to unfold at a residence on Eastern Meadows Drive, where Trahan was involved in a dispute with his girlfriend. The argument escalated, drawing the attention of an acquaintance, Michael A.
Domingue.
Domingue, who owned the trailer where Trahan and his girlfriend were living, attempted to intervene in the heated exchange. Witnesses reported that as the confrontation between the two men intensified, Domingue produced a handgun and shot Trahan. Following the shooting, Trahan managed to leave the residence in a vehicle with several other people. One of the passengers in the vehicle quickly called 911 for help and was instructed to meet an ambulance at a nearby intersection. Trahan was then rushed to a local hospital, but he ultimately succumbed to the gunshot wound he had sustained.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office launched an investigation. Michael Adam Domingue, who was 30 years old at the time, was arrested and initially charged with manslaughter. He was subsequently booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center. The legal process moved forward, and on May 19, 2016, a Calcasieu Parish grand jury indicted Domingue on the charge of manslaughter.
The case went to trial in November 2016. After hearing the evidence presented, a jury returned a responsive verdict on November 16, 2016, finding Michael A. Domingue guilty of negligent homicide. In February of the following year, he was sentenced to five years in prison. An appeal of the conviction was later filed. While the conviction for negligent homicide was affirmed, the initial sentence was vacated and the case was sent back to the district court for the imposition of a determinate sentence.
