EUNICE, La. — The Eunice Police Detectives arrested Jerry Ross Vidrine, 33, of Eunice, on a charge of Second Degree Murder in connection with the murder of James “Jim” Langley, 30, of Oberlin.
According to Chief Randy Fontenot, Eunice detectives had been investigating reports of narcotics complaints at Vidrine's residence on Tate Street.
EPD says reports indicated that Vidrine was selling Heroin, Fentanyl, Crystal Meth and other drugs. EPD officers obtained three arrest warrants for Vidrine for distribution of narcotics and a search warrant, and went to Vidrine's residence on April 8.
Vidrine was arrested on these warrants and booked at the St. Landry Parish Jail.
During the course of the investigation, EPD detectives were made aware of the death of Langley.
EPD says it received information received from Langley's family and other witnesses, which led detectives to believe that Vidrine was responsible for the death of Langley through his distribution of narcotics to Langley.
A toxicology report obtained by EPD from the Allen Parish Coroner’s Office indicated that Langley’s body contained four times the lethal dose of Fentanyl.
EPD say that it has evidence that supports that Vidrine supplied the Fentanyl to Langley at the residence on Tate Street on Dec. 6, 2020. Langley was found dead in his home in Oberlin a couple days later.
The coroner’s report indicates that the date of death was Dec. 7, 2020. Vidrine was arrested April 22, 2021 in Jennings with the assistance of the Jennings Police Department and transported to the St. Landry Parish Jail for booking.
Fontenot says that EPD is seeing an increase in overdoses in the area apparently linked to illegal drug consumption. The drugs being sold today are more deadly than past drugs of choice.
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