Man gets 60 years in Bayou Vista shooting

Staff Report
A Lafayette man convicted of shooting his former girlfriend after learning she was going with someone else has been sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Sixteenth Judicial District Judge Lewis Pitman Jr. sentenced Derrick Lee Williams Jr. on Feb. 5 after his conviction on charges of attempted second-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping in the case, which originated in Bayou Vista.
The victim testified at the sentencing hearing.
“This victim experienced horror and trauma that is unimaginable, yet she miraculously survived and is thriving,” Assistant DA Heather Hendrix said in a press release. “She, her daughter and her family are amazing people who are warriors for victims of domestic violence.”
According to the 16th JDC District Attorney’s Office, St. Mary deputies answered the shots-fired call to a home in Bayou Vista on Nov. 21, 2021. They found the victim, who had been shot in the head.
As emergency medical personnel worked to save the victim, the deputies learned that the victim’s 18-month-old daughter had been taken from the home.
An Amber Alert was issued, and Williams was identified as a suspect, the DA’s Office said. A relative of Williams returned the child to law enforcement within 24 hours, but a multi-agency effort was required to find Williams.
Investigators learned that the victim had custody of the child, in part because of past incidents of domestic violence.
The DA’s Office said the victim had just told Williams that she was in a new relationship. Williams armed himself with a rifle and had another girlfriend drive him to Bayou Vista.
He then went to the victim’s apartment, where he made her call her new boyfriend and tell him that she could not see him anymore. Williams then forced the victim onto her knees, shot her in the head and left with their child, the DA’s Office said.
After his arrest, Williams pleaded guilty to those charges Nov. 9, 2023.
The sentencing range for attempted second-degree murder is not less than 10 years nor more than 50 years at hard labor without benefit of probation parole, or suspension of sentence.
The sentencing range for second-degree kidnapping is not less than five nor more than 40 years at hard labor, with at least two years of the sentence without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence.
The District Attorney’s Office also invoked Louisiana’s firearms sentencing enhancement provisions, which increases the minimum penalty to 20 years at hard labor.
Pitman sentenced Williams to 40 years on the attempted-murder charge and 20 on the kidnapping charges. The sentences will run consecutively.
Hendrix, who prosecuted the case, encouraged victims of domestic violence or people who know of domestic violence incidents to call law enforcement or a family violence crisis center.
In St. Mary, Assumption, Iberia and St. Martin parishes, Chez Hope assists victims of domestic violence, Their crisis hot line number is 1-888-411-1333, and the website is www.chezhope.org.
Investigators included the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Lafayette Police Department, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Louisiana State Police, the United States Marshal’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Acadian Ambulance and the Acadiana Criminalistics Laboratory.Staff Report
A Lafayette man convicted of shooting his former girlfriend after learning she was going with someone else has been sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Sixteenth Judicial District Judge Lewis Pitman Jr. sentenced Derrick Lee Williams Jr. on Feb. 5 after his conviction on charges of attempted second-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping in the case, which originated in Bayou Vista.
The victim testified at the sentencing hearing.
“This victim experienced horror and trauma that is unimaginable, yet she miraculously survived and is thriving,” Assistant DA Heather Hendrix said in a press release. “She, her daughter and her family are amazing people who are warriors for victims of domestic violence.”
According to the 16th JDC District Attorney’s Office, St. Mary deputies answered the shots-fired call to a home in Bayou Vista on Nov. 21, 2021. They found the victim, who had been shot in the head.
As emergency medical personnel worked to save the victim, the deputies learned that the victim’s 18-month-old daughter had been taken from the home.
An Amber Alert was issued, and Williams was identified as a suspect, the DA’s Office said. A relative of Williams returned the child to law enforcement within 24 hours, but a multi-agency effort was required to find Williams.
Investigators learned that the victim had custody of the child, in part because of past incidents of domestic violence.
The DA’s Office said the victim had just told Williams that she was in a new relationship. Williams armed himself with a rifle and had another girlfriend drive him to Bayou Vista.
He then went to the victim’s apartment, where he made her call her new boyfriend and tell him that she could not see him anymore. Williams then forced the victim onto her knees, shot her in the head and left with their child, the DA’s Office said.
After his arrest, Williams pleaded guilty to those charges Nov. 9, 2023.
The sentencing range for attempted second-degree murder is not less than 10 years nor more than 50 years at hard labor without benefit of probation parole, or suspension of sentence.
The sentencing range for second-degree kidnapping is not less than five nor more than 40 years at hard labor, with at least two years of the sentence without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence.
The District Attorney’s Office also invoked Louisiana’s firearms sentencing enhancement provisions, which increases the minimum penalty to 20 years at hard labor.
Pitman sentenced Williams to 40 years on the attempted-murder charge and 20 on the kidnapping charges. The sentences will run consecutively.
Hendrix, who prosecuted the case, encouraged victims of domestic violence or people who know of domestic violence incidents to call law enforcement or a family violence crisis center.
In St. Mary, Assumption, Iberia and St. Martin parishes, Chez Hope assists victims of domestic violence, Their crisis hot line number is 1-888-411-1333, and the website is www.chezhope.org.
Investigators included the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Lafayette Police Department, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Louisiana State Police, the United States Marshal’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Acadian Ambulance and the Acadiana Criminalistics Laboratory.