Patterson, Louisiana Man Found Guilty in Brutal Beating Death of Elderly Man

NEW IBERIA, La. (KPEL News) - On March 24, 2019, 82-year-old Riley Buck, Jr. prepared to take his dog out for an evening walk. Unfortunately, he didn't make it out of the yard.

16th Judicial District Attorney Bo Duhe says Buck was found in the yard unconscious and bleeding. He was airlifted to a New Orleans hospital but never regained consciousness. An autopsy report showed Buck suffered multiple, severe blunt force injuries to his head and neck and died after being attacked.

Finding Buck's attacker wasn't as hard as you may think. First, investigators found a cell phone and keys belonging to the suspect. Then, when the suspect was taken into custody, he was still wearing the bloody shoes that he wore when he attacked Buck. Duhe says forensic testing confirmed that the blood did belong to Buck.

On Saturday, March 4th, a St. Mary Parish Grand Jury unanimously found Jarret Williams of Patterson guilty of Second Degree Murder. Williams will be sentenced on April 26, 2023. He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.

The right to a trial by jury is one of the most important rights guaranteed by our Constitution," said Duhe. "Without jury trials, our criminal justice system does not function. I commend the jury for their hard work in this case and their commitment to rendering a fair and just verdict. Also, I appreciate our law enforcement and first responder partners that participated in this investigation. Particularly Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Kinslow with the Bayou Vista Volunteer Fire Department. I ask everyone to keep the family and friends of Mr. Buck in their prayers.”