In the quiet town of Church Point, Louisiana, the darkness of a widespread power outage on January 28, 2025, concealed a fatal act of violence. That night, 39-year-old Eric St. Julien, a male resident, was shot and killed outside his family's home at the intersection of Kelly and Sunrise Streets. The town was plunged into darkness after a vehicle struck a utility pole, and it was during this blackout, just after midnight, that the sound of gunfire pierced the silence.
A Church Point police officer responding to the reports of gunfire discovered St. Julien's body.
Despite immediate life-saving efforts, the Acadia Parish coroner pronounced him dead at the scene, having been shot five times. The lack of electricity meant that streetlights and security cameras in the vicinity were not operational, complicating the initial stages of the investigation. In the days that followed, law enforcement officials worked to piece together the events of that night, while St. Julien's family grappled with the sudden and violent loss of their loved one. The scene of the crime, his mother's own yard, was a constant and painful reminder of the tragedy.
The investigation into Eric St. Julien's death led the Church Point Police Department to a single suspect. In the early morning hours of March 7, 2025, authorities executed warrants and arrested 23-year-old Joseph Wilridge Jr., also of Church Point. Wilridge was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. It was revealed that Wilridge had an extensive criminal history, including prior charges of attempted murder, and was on probation at the time of the shooting. While an arrest has been made, authorities have indicated that the investigation remains active as they seek to determine if others were involved in the incident that cut short the life of Eric St. Julien.
