On a Friday evening in Lafayette, Louisiana, a welfare check prompted by concern for a missing man led to a grim discovery. Inside an apartment on South College Road on April 12, 2024, police found the bodies of three individuals, all victims of a shooting. One of the deceased was identified as 45-year-old Brandon Touchet, the very man whose family had reported him missing since the preceding Wednesday.
The other victims were 49-year-old Eric Green and 46-year-old Elizabeth Reames, in whose apartment the three were found.
The investigation quickly zeroed in on a suspect who was known to the victims. Chad Credeur, a 42-year-old from the nearby town of Duson, was identified as the primary suspect. According to Touchet's family, Credeur was the last person seen with him. Credeur already had a history with law enforcement, including a pending attempted murder charge from a 2020 incident where he allegedly shot a man in the stomach. A bench warrant had been issued for his arrest when he failed to appear for his trial on that charge just a month before the homicides.
Credeur's capture came about in another jurisdiction, Jeff Davis Parish, where he was arrested on unrelated drug charges. At the time of this arrest, a crucial link to the Lafayette murders was discovered. Credeur was in possession of a car belonging to one of the victims. A search of the vehicle uncovered a gun, ammunition, and personal items, including IDs, that belonged to Touchet, Green, and Reames. This evidence directly tied him to the triple homicide.
Following his arrest, Chad Credeur was charged with three counts of first-degree murder. After a competency evaluation, he was deemed fit to stand trial for the killings of Brandon Touchet, Eric Green, and Elizabeth Reames. Although the prosecution is not seeking the death penalty, a conviction could result in a life sentence. His trial was scheduled to take place in the fall of 2025. While a motive has not been publicly disclosed by authorities, it was confirmed that Credeur and the victims were acquainted.
