In a tragic turn of events on a Sunday evening in Gonzales, Louisiana, 41-year-old Christina Lynn Artus and her one-year-old daughter, Kaylee Forcell, were found dead in their home at the Oak Village Mobile Home Park. The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office responded to a call around 5:30 p.m. on January 14, 2024, where they discovered the mother and child, both having suffered fatal gunshot wounds to the head at close range.
The incident was quickly investigated as a domestic violence situation.
The immediate focus of the investigation turned to Christina's 39-year-old boyfriend and Kaylee's father, Kalvin Forcell. Witnesses reported seeing Forcell fleeing the scene of the crime. His attempt to escape was short-lived. After abandoning his own vehicle at a nearby store, he tried to steal another car. The owner of that vehicle managed to subdue him, holding him until deputies from the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office arrived and took him into custody.
Following his capture, Kalvin Forcell was arrested and faced a litany of charges. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Christina Artus and his infant daughter. In addition to the murder charges, he was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, illegal use of a weapon, theft of a motor vehicle, unauthorized entry into an inhabited dwelling, and simple burglary. At the time of this incident, Forcell was already scheduled to appear in court for an unrelated arrest in 2023, where he was accused of shooting into an unoccupied vehicle. He is currently being held at the Ascension Parish Jail.
