Bayou Blue Man Found Guilty in Murder of Chad Daigle

Lafourche Parish District Attorney Kristine Russell announced that a Bayou Blue man was found guilty as charged of 2^nd Degree Murder by a Lafourche Parish Jury after a four-day trial.

Earl Verdin went onto Chad Daigle’s property and fatally shot him multiple times. The investigation revealed that Verdin and Daigle had an altercation at a nearby bar. After Daigle left the bar, Verdin armed himself and went to Daigle’s property. When Daigle fired a warning shot to deter Verdin, Verdin responded by shooting Daigle multiple times, including a shot in the back.

“This was never about determining ‘who did it’, as the evidence clearly identified Earl Verdin as the perpetrator of Chad Daigle’s murder,” said Chief of Violent Crimes Shaun George, who prosecuted the case. “We believed going into the trial that the evidence would thwart any self-defense claim, and the jury agreed.”

At the trial, the defendant testified that he potentially could have left the property without killing the victim.

George continued, “The defendant had many opportunities to make better decisions that night, instead he chose to arm himself and trespass on another man’s property while armed. This was a very just verdict.”

The jury deliberated for less than an hour before returning a unanimous guilty verdict. Verdin now faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.

The Honorable F. Hugh Larose, who presided over the trial, ordered that Verdin be remanded into law enforcement custody pending his formal sentencing date.

George noted, “This case was one of the final investigations led by Detective Sergeant Nick Pepper before he was tragically killed in the line of duty. The victim’s family expressed their gratitude to Sergeant Pepper’s family, acknowledging his dedication and efforts to ensure justice was served.”