NEWS UPDATE

THIS CASE HAS BEEN SOLVED ARRESTED ON TWO COUNTS OF 1ST DEGREE MURDER ARE WARREN RAY GOTREAUX, AGE  51, EUNICE, LA AND QUENTIN JERMAINE CEASER. AGE 34, FROM EUNICE, LA.

On the morning of January 10, 2006, at approximately 9:30 AM, the bodies of an elderly couple were discovered in their home on 231 Boudreau Street in Eunice, La. The couple was identified as Youric Courville, an eighty-three year old male, and his wife, Mary Courville, age seventy.

The investigation indicated the couple had been brutally stabbed to death sometime within the previous twenty-four hours of discovery of thier bodies. The motive is believed to be Robbery.

       On 8/13/2011 at 1703 hours, the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Department received a report of an armed robbery at 116 Main Street in Lawtell, La. A Postal worker making a delivery was confronted by two males with masks both of which brandished small caliber handguns. The suspects were demanding the victim give them a bag. One of the suspects then grabbed the victim by the neck choking him and the other hit him in the chest. The suspects then grabbed a lock bag the victim had in his possession and fled the scene on foot. According to witnesses, the suspects were then picked up by a white van.

        As the investigation, continued information was received by an anonymous tip regarding the van involved. On 9/1/2011, Willie J. Reynolds a 22 yr. old male of 726 Paris Street, Opelousas., La. was arrested in connection with this incident and charged with armed robbery. An arrest warrant is also being obtained on Patrick Johnson, height is 5’ 8, weight is 160 lbs, black male,  DOB is 12-3-78, and last known address is 739 E. North Street, Opelousas, La. Patrick’s charges are armed robbery, simple battery, and theft.

 If you have any information about this crime, please call St. Landry Crime Stoppers at 948-8477 (TIPS), go to our website; stlandrycrimestoppers.com and leave a WEB TIP, or also become my friend on Face book. You can also send us a tip via text message. Text TIPS625, plus your tip to CRIMES (274637).  Commissioned Law Enforcement officers and members of their immediate families and the victims of this crime are not eligible for crime stoppers rewards.

Willie Reynolds in photo 1 Patrick Johnson in photo 2

                 Special Crime     Prevention Meeting

Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz

and

 Captain Jimmy Darbonne

with

St. Landry Crime Stoppers

 Would appreciate if you would attend.

April 11, 2011

6:30 pm

Delta Grand

Opelousas, La.

The St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office is always seeking ways to protect our citizens by reducing thefts and solving crimes in our parish. If you are tired of having items stolen from your home or business, then this meeting is a must!

Your “spreading the word” about this meeting would let all those interested in our community make plans to attend.

 This is what being part of the community is all about!!

        Pelican State Credit Union supports SLP Crime Stoppers 

 
                   We support Jimmy D too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 
         Kalyn, Dawn, Rachel, Tiffany and Kenyetta


                          

Reed Gas Inc. recently held a Customer Appreciation Day at the Opelousas site. Food and soft drinks were served. KBON DJ. Todd Ortego is pictured above on the left with Jimmy Darbonne, St. Landry Crime Stoppers Coordinator. Also pictured on the right  next to Jimmy Darbonne is John McManus of Reed Gas. Pens, handbags, and other Crime Stopper Merchandise including t-shirts was given to the public in an effort to promote Crime Stoppers in St. Landry Parish.   

http://eunicetoday.com/view/full_story/8820861/article-St--Landry-Crime-Stoppers-reports-having-recovered-over--140K-of-stolen-property?instance=secondary_stories_left_column

http://www.dailyworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20104210308

St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Jimmy Darbonne holds a cold-case deck of cards with pictures of victims involved in cold cases throughout Louisiana. The two cards on the left are St. Landry Parish victims.

Law enforcement officials are hoping a simple deck of playing cards will lead to answers and arrests in some of Louisiana`s top unsolved crimes.

Each card in the deck features a different homicide, missing persons case or other major crime from throughout the state, including two from St. Landry Parish.

The seven of clubs highlights the Jan. 10, 2006, murder of Mary Ann Sittig Courville, 70, and her husband, Youric Courville, 83. Their bodies, which had been stabbed multiple times, were found that morning in their Boudreaux Street home in Eunice.

Police have spend years trying to solve that crime and are hoping the deck will turn up new leads.

The five of spades features a picture and description of Sandra Burris, a then 35-year-old who was last seen leaving her job at an Opelousas restaurant in July 2005.

Inmates have a lot of time on their hands and card games are one of few ways they have to pass that time.

Every time they play a game, the victims and the crimes will stare up at them from the cards. The cases will be discussed.

The hope is that an inmate will know something and be willing to come forward.

"This is the segment of the population that, up until today, we have been unable to reach," said Sid Newman, executive director of Crime Stoppers in Baton Rouge.

Any inmate with information will be allowed to anonymously share those details through Global Tel Link, the DOC`s phone service provider.

"That was an important part of us doing this," said DOC Secretary James LeBlanc. "If it`s going to be successful, it has to be anonymous."

Jimmy Darbonne with St. Landry Crime Stoppers said agencies such as his from throughout the state where asked to submit information on their outstanding cases. He submitted three cases, two of which made it into the deck.

He said other states have successfully used such "cold-case decks"

to gather information from inmates and their families regarding unsolved crimes.

"Hopefully, this will allow us to finally putting these cases to rest," Darbonne said.

"It`s an additional tool for law enforcement," LeBlanc said. "It breathes some life back into the case. It`s about the victims and their families and trying to come to some resolution."

Newman said the first 52 featured cases were selected in an effort to represent a wide cross-section of the state. In addition, officials targeted cases they felt had a stronger possibility of getting "immediate action," he said.

In addition, thanks to assistance from the Louisiana Lottery Corp., 10,000 decks will be available for the public at all Crime Stoppers offices.

Citizens can also review the information from the cards online at crimestoppersbr.com.

mrs jackie jonnson of sunset was the lucky winner... thanks to all who purchased tickets.. your participation is greatly appreciated.

OPELOUSAS — When Jimmy Darbonne ends his weekly St. Landry Crime Stoppers radio and television updates with a message in French, it adds a unique aspect to a parishwide program still in its infancy.

“Using the French is what sets St. Landry Parish apart from the other 16 parishes in the state that have a Crime Stoppers program. St. Landry is the only parish so far that includes speaking in French as part of its program,” said program coordinator Darbonne, who has spoken French all his life.

Using French is also an attempt to make those who might feel excluded in stopping crime become more active participants, he said.
“This area is largely populated with French-speaking citizens and by using the French along with the English, it’s making these people feel they are a part of the parish.

“It was something (St. Landry Sheriff Bobby Guidroz) felt was necessary when we started Crime Stoppers in 2007, since such a large part of our population is still French-speaking,” Darbonne said.

In addition to attracting bi-lingual listeners, Darbonne said there is another significant reason.

Darbonne and Gerald Roberts, president of the St. Landry Crime Stoppers Board, said that elderly residents, many of whom are lifetime French speakers, are sometimes reluctant to report crimes.

“Crime is also affecting the older generation. When we started Crime Stoppers two years ago, they were of the mindset that if they spoke up, it maybe could lead to crimes of retribution against them,” said Roberts.

Darbonne said many of the parish’s older residents are afraid to venture outside their homes, because they might witness a crime outside in addition to becoming victims.

While not everyone understands what Darbonne is saying when he addresses his audiences in French, he says the message is effective.

“People will come up to me in a store or somewhere and say they might not know what we’re talking about when we use French, but they say they like it and don’t stop doing it,” Darbonne said.

In the 26 months that Crime Stoppers has been active, Darbonne said the effort has led to 19 arrests, the disposition of 39 other criminal cases and $128,650 in recovered stolen property.

He said $6,300 in reward money has been released by the Crime Stoppers board to individuals whose tips have led to arrests.
Guidroz said he decided to develop a Crime Stoppers program in St. Landry.

“My phone rang late one night and there was a woman, the victim of a break-in where her credit cards were stolen and she was a victim of assault. This happened the year before I became sheriff and she was begging me to re-open the case.

“I got the case file and went through it and the woman was able to provide a great description of the suspect and the vehicle. We featured the case on Lafayette Crime Stoppers and the next day we got five phone calls with tips.

“Vermilion Parish law enforcement had found the van involved and there were also receipts for the used credit cards that were in the lady’s purse. We were able to track the suspect to the Calcasieu Parish Jail and have him brought back here for arrest.

“It was then that I realized we needed a Crime Stoppers here in St. Landry, and we needed the help of our citizens,” said Guidroz.

Roberts and Darbonne said it has been hard to create an effective program in St. Landry.

The elderly and youths were especially reticent about reporting crime, Roberts said.

“The first year, people were not responding. We were just not getting many calls and tips,” Darbonne said.

Roberts said young people have begun accepting “that crime is a part of life. That made them unwilling to talk about crimes of which they may have had knowledge.”

The Crime Stoppers program is now making progress in convincing the younger residents that crime can be stopped by making them aware of arrests and the effort being made to stop criminals.
One other problem in establishing St. Landry’s program has been funding, Roberts said.

The Sheriff’s Office furnishes Darbonne with a Crime Stoppers office and a vehicle, but the daily operation is dependant upon fundraising and donations, said Roberts.

Occasionally fundraisers are held to provide addition funding for expenses and the rewards.

Darbonne said like in other parishes, St. Landry citizens’ tips are anonymous.

“That means if you call the office there is no caller ID. We won’t know who you are. If there is a reward, the person obtaining it also won’t be identified,” he said.