Last week, a man's body was found on the old Mississippi River bridge in Baton Rouge; since then his girlfriend, her son and other family members have been arrested in the case.
Family members of the man, Gerard Nicholas Richard, 41, tell KATC he's from Church Point. East Baton Rouge Parish law enforcement tell us his last known address was in Baton Rouge, but confirm connections to several other areas - including Acadia Parish - in his records. We've verified his Church Point connections with records here in Acadiana, too; records indicate he was living in that area when he was in his 20s.
Here's some of what WBRZ has reported about the case, to see their whole story click here.
The girlfriend of a man whose body was found "mangled up" on the old bridge Thursday night was arrested in connection to his murder, along with her 18-year-old son and 55-year-old mother.
The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office said 41-year-old Gerard Nicholas Richard's body had a substantial amount of trauma to it when he was found near the center of the Huey P. Long Bridge around 7 p.m. Thursday. Documents say that Richard was wrapped inside a blanket, his wrists tied with rope and tape. His body was run over by multiple vehicles and blood smears along the railing indicated that someone had attempted to throw him off the bridge.
Deputies discovered his girlfriend, 36-year-old Coshelia Conley, her son Da'Sean Conley and her mother Cathy Conley were the last people to see him alive.
Security footage from Conley's apartment in Baker showed her and the others "removing a trash bag believed to contain bloodied clothing items" about 30 minutes before Richard was found. Deputies went to the apartment on Shilo Drive and found a trail of blood and bleach from the parking lot to the apartment. A forensic examination of the apartment showed blood that was not apparent to the naked eye in places that had been heavily cleaned.
In newly released documents, deputies said that Conley's 18-year-old son Da'Sean had been fighting with Richard. That evening, Da'Sean Conley was punching and hitting Richard before the two went to a vehicle in the parking lot and a single gunshot was heard. Deputies said the Conley family destroyed evidence and tried to dispose of the body.
A witness on the bridge told law enforcement they saw two cars stop abruptly ahead of them and then speed away. When the witness got to where the cars stopped, they saw Richard's body wrapped in the blanket.
After his body was found, deputies questioned Conley. She told them that Richard had left her home in her car hours before his body was found. Deputies said that more than an hour after the body was found, her vehicle was spotted heading toward East Feliciana Parish. Law enforcement found the car, which investigators determined had been intentionally set on fire.
To see the whole story, click here.
