Chackbay man convicted of manslaughter in neighbor's shooting death
A 64-year-old Chackbay man facing murder charges in the shooting death of his neighbor was convicted Thursday of a lesser crime.
Following about four hours of deliberation, a 12-member jury found Keith Trosclair guilty of manslaughter.
He was originally charged with second-degree murder in the death of 46-year-old Christopher Saunders.
Unlike the mandatory life sentence carried by a murder conviction, a conviction for manslaughter carries up to 40 years in prison. Trosclair is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 8.
Related: 'This is not a case of whodunit': New trial begins for Chackbay man accused of murder
Trosclair had been convicted of second-degree murder in the shooting in 2018, but an appeals court threw out the conviction because it resulted from a split jury verdict.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that all juries must be unanimous to convict defendants in criminal trials.
State law defines manslaughter as an offense committed in “sudden passion or heat of blood immediately caused by provocation sufficient to deprive an average person of his self-control and cool reflection.”
After the jury’s verdict was announced Thursday night, Trosclair’s attorney, Kirk Piccione of Lafayette, requested bail for his client until he is sentenced. However, District Judge Steven Miller of Thibodaux denied the request.
The shooting killed Saunders occurred the afternoon of Dec. 5, 2017.
When deputies were called to the scene, they found Saunders lying lifeless on the ground and Trosclair kneeling with his hands in the air. Investigators said they found the rifle believed to have been used by Trosclair lying between him and Saunders.
More: Chackbay man convicted of killing neighbor in property dispute files appeal
Trosclair testified during his four-day trial that he and Saunders had an ongoing dispute over the property line between their homes in the 1200 block of La. 20 in Chackbay.
Saunders was believed to have been walking in his driveway to check the mail. The two men encountered each other and “exchanged words,” authorities said. Trosclair retrieved a Winchester hunting rifle from his truck and shot Saunders three times.
Saunders suffered gunshot wounds to his chest, arm and back. A forensic examiner who performed Saunders’ autopsy said Thursday that all three shots had the potential to be fatal.
After two trials, prosecutors said they hope Thursday’s verdict will allow Saunders’ family to get some much-needed closure.
“People have a right to defend themselves, but a person cannot aggressively manipulate a situation and then call it self-defense, and we are happy the jury saw it that way too,” said Lafourche Parish Assistant District Attorney Allie Fournet, who prosecuted the case along with Assistant District Attorney Jason Chatagnier. “Although the guilty verdict is not on the charge brought forward, we respect the jury’s decision and thank them for their attentiveness throughout the trial. After two long trials, we hope the loved ones of the victim can finally rest knowing the justice system did its job.”
Piccione said there were no real winners or losers in the end.
“It was a very, very sad and unfortunate situation,” he said. “A man lost his life. But my client has never been in trouble before in his life and has never been convicted of anything before. To say this was a crime committed in the heat of passion is probably exactly that. He is 64 years old. Any significant sentence is almost going to be a life sentence. It’s in the hands of the judge.”
— Staff Writer Dan Copp can be reached at 448-7639 or at dan.copp@houmatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanVCopp.
This article originally appeared on The Courier: Chackbay man convicted of manslaughter in neighbor's shooting death
