Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Makes Arrest in Decades-Old Cold Case

(KPEL News) - Even though it took more than 30 years to solve the case, no one gave up looking for answers in the stabbing death of a 47-year-old man. Officials with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office have now made an arrest in connection with this case.

Lafayette Sheriff's Officials Make Arrest in Cold Case

Thirty-two years ago, on December 2, the victim was stabbed and taken to a local hospital, where he unfortunately succumbed to his injuries. Investigators immediately began looking for suspects in the stabbing death of 47-year-old John Perry Meche.

Lafayette Parish Sheriff Mark Garber says,

I’m proud of the professionalism and persistence of our detectives that led to this outcome and to finally being able to provide closure in this case.

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Lafayette Parish Sheriff Mark Garber Says Detectives Worked the Cold Case

Lafayette Parish Sheriff Mark Garber says that as detectives worked the case, there was zero information about a suspect or suspects, and the case grew cold. Another limiting factor in nabbing the killer was the technology available at the time.

One year drifted into two, then a decade followed by two more decades before information could help officials narrow down on a suspect in the stabbing death.

DNA Cracks 32-Year-Old Cold Case in Lafayette Parish

In 2025, officials with the Sheriff's Office worked with the Acadiana Crime Lab to review the evidence collected. The evidence was retested to determine what the technology of the day could discover about the case. There was a DNA hit.

Garber says,

To make an arrest in this case after decades without answers reflects the value of attention to detail, sustained commitment, and the impact of taking a fresh look at the evidence.

Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office detectives had determined, based on DNA, that Clinton Dronet was a suspect in the case.

READ MORE: ST. MARTIN PARISH CRIME STOPPERS LOOKING FOR HELP TO SOLVE COLD CASE 

Lafayette Parish Cold Case Suspect Already in Jail

They didn't have to go to arrest Dronet on murder charges, as he was already incarcerated in the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center on the following charges:

• Domestic Abuse Battery
• Violation of Protective Orders

Now Dronet has been charged with Second Degree Murder in Meche's stabbing death. The arrest was made on Wednesday, April 15.