By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
HOUMA, La.—Four people were killed and a 6-year-old boy was critically wounded in a series of stabbings that shocked a southern Louisiana community Saturday night.
The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office said deputies responding to the Ashland Drive area discovered the wounded child and multiple victims inside nearby residences. The boy was transported by air ambulance to an out-of-area hospital in critical condition.
Family representative Brandon Thiel identified the victims as Verna Mae Verdin; her daughter, Letha Verrett; her son, Paul Verret; and Paul’s girlfriend, Krissy Lynn Parfait. Authorities had not formally released the victims’ names when initial reports were published.
The injured child was described as Verdin’s grandson, who was spending the night at her home. Reports said he escaped after being wounded and reached a neighbor who summoned help.
Sheriff Tim Soignet identified 47-year-old Houma resident Kaegan Jude Solet as a person of interest. Deputies located and detained Solet on Sunday following an intensive search. Officials urged residents to avoid the investigation area while law-enforcement officers processed the scenes.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed a possible motive or explained what relationship, if any, existed between Solet and the victims. Investigators continued gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses as the community mourned the four deaths and prayed for the child’s recovery.
A fundraising campaign established for funeral expenses and the surviving child had received tens of thousands of dollars by Monday.
As of publication, authorities had not announced formal charges against Solet. He is presumed innocent unless charged and proven guilty in court.