Yesterday afternoon, Joseph Fogle of 5593 Hwy 56 Chauvin, LA, age 41, pled guilty to Manslaughter. Fogle was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Blake Sheets and Adam Koenig, Presiding over this matter was the Honorable Judge Cody Martin. This guilty plea was the result of a plea agreement with prosecutors in connection with a 2023 homicide investigation. 

         On June 28, 2023, Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a Gonzales residence in reference to a female subject being found unresponsive and bleeding from her head. The 911 caller, Joseph Fogle, advised that he had left the residence for a short time and traveled to a nearby McDonalds. Fogle advised that once back at the residence, he located his wife lying on the bedroom floor of the residence unresponsive and bleeding. Upon arrival, deputies located 44-year-old Sonia Escalante lying on the bedroom floor. Escalante was unresponsive and displayed signs of extensive trauma to her head and face. Escalante was pronounced deceased on scene. 

         Joseph Fogle was interviewed and continuously denied having any involvement with the death of Escalante. An autopsy confirmed that Escalante died from injuries caused by blunt force trauma to her face and head. While canvassing the scene, detectives observed no signs of forced entry into the residence, and the only two individuals inside the residence prior to the discovery of Escalante’s body were Fogle and Escalante. During a search of Fogle’s vehicle which he used once he left the residence prior to calling 911, detectives located blood stains on the interior of the vehicle which was ultimately determined to be blood from Escalante. 

         Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Fogle who was ultimately arrested and booked into the Ascension Parish Jail. 

     Upon entering a guilty plea to the above-mentioned charge, pursuant to the plea agreement with prosecutors, Joseph Folgle was sentenced to 40 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served.