In the early morning hours of New Year's Day 2024, a tragedy unfolded in Lake Charles, Louisiana, that cut short the life of 26-year-old Eric Bosley. Bosley, a Black male, was fatally shot while heroically trying to protect his mother from a violent domestic assault. The incident began when deputies from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office were alerted to a woman with severe injuries at a local hospital. The woman informed them that her boyfriend, Derik K.
Rayborn, 47, had attacked her at their residence on Highway 90 E. and had also killed her son and their dog.
Upon arriving at the home, deputies discovered a grim scene. Eric Bosley and the family dog were found deceased inside, both having sustained apparent gunshot wounds. Investigators determined that Bosley had intervened in an attempt to defend his mother during the brutal assault, a courageous act that ultimately cost him his life. The mother was able to escape the residence and seek medical attention for her injuries, which were described as being so severe her face was 'beyond recognition.'
The suspect, Derik K. Rayborn, was located at the very hospital where his girlfriend was being treated, seemingly in an attempt to find her. He was taken into custody and subsequently arrested. Rayborn, who had a history of five prior felony convictions, was charged with a litany of offenses, including second-degree murder for the death of Eric Bosley, attempted second-degree murder, domestic abuse causing serious bodily injury, aggravated cruelty to animals, and illegal possession and use of a firearm. A judge set his bond at $2,375,000.
In August 2025, Derik Kendall Rayborn was convicted for his crimes. For the second-degree murder of Eric Bosley, he received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. He was also sentenced to 40 years for second-degree kidnapping, 10 years for aggravated cruelty to animals, and 20 years for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, with all sentences to run consecutively, except for the weapons charge which will run concurrently.
