SERVING ASCENSION, ASSUMPTION & ST. JAMES PARISHES

Ascension Parish Man Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter Following 2011 Homicide

          On April 13, 2017, Dominique Brown of Gonzales, LA., age 25, pled guilty to the charge of Manslaughter in connection with the 2011 shooting death of 28 year old Todd “Duke” Hall of St. Gabriel, LA. Brown was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Robin C. O’Bannon and Kenneth Dupaty. Presiding over this matter was the Honorable Judge Jessie LeBlanc. This guilty plea was the result of a plea agreement with prosecutors.  

          On February 17, 2011 shortly after 9:30 am, deputies with the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to Jackie Robinson Park on Coco Rd. in Geismar, LA. after receiving a report of a male subject found deceased in a parked car. Through the course of an extensive investigation, investigators identified Dominique Brown as a suspect. Dominique Brown shot Hall before fleeing the area. Brown was subsequently arrested and booked into the Ascension Parish Detention Center. 

          As a condition of the plea, Brown took the stand to explain to the family what took place on the night of the killing and why he did what he did. The defendant admitted to the killing, apologized to the family of Hall, and asked for their forgiveness. During victim impact statements, the victim’s sister, Nicky Foster, and cousin, Kerisha Brown, spoke of their love for Duke and the impact that this crime has had on their family and friends. Duke was a local hairdresser who would do anything for anyone. Both Nikki Foster and Kerisha Brown expressed that they do forgive Brown and hope that this closure will help them to move forward. 

          Upon entering a guilty plea to the above mentioned charge, as per the plea agreement with prosecutors, Judge LeBlanc ordered that Dominique Brown be committed to the Louisiana Department of Corrections for a period of 35 years at hard labor with credit for time served.