A Lafourche Parish grand jury has handed up indictments in two high-profile cases, said District Attorney Kristine Russell.
First, the grand jury has indicted the driver in a drunk driving crash that left three Nichols University students dead.
Joey Paul Clement, 39, Chackbay, was charged with three counts of vehicular homicide and one count of fourth offense driving while intoxicated. Clement is accused of killing Lily Dufrene, Hali Coss, and Michaila Bowling in a vehicle crash which occurred on November 20, 2021 on Louisiana Highway 20 in northern Lafourche Parish. Clement is accused of being impaired at the time of the accident.
Clement entered a plea of not guilty at his arraignment and his next appearance is scheduled for April 12, 2022. Vehicular homicide carries a potential punishment of between five and thirty years in prison. Fourth offense driving while intoxicated provides a potential term of incarceration of not less than ten nor more than thirty years.
Also indicted by the grand jury this month were a couple accused in the death of their 11-month-old child.
Jake Guidry and Kageionna Butler were charged with second degree murder in the death of their eleven-month old child on or about September 28, 2021.
In that case, law enforcement was called to a residence on Brule Guillot road in Thibodaux to perform a welfare check on the child, who was determined to be already deceased.
The subsequent investigation determined that the child died from blunt force trauma while in the parents’ custody, police say. Guidry and Butler are set for arraignment on January 25, 2022 in Division B.
