EVANGELINE PARISH, La. — A Chataignier man has been arrested on charges of second-degree murder almost two years after the death of his wife.
On April 13, 2023, Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office (EPSO) Deputies were dispatched to L'anse Aux Pailles Road in Chataignier about a shooting. Ray Charles Fontenot Jr. told deputies that his wife, Brittney Fontenot, had killed herself by shooting herself three times in the head, according to an EPSO release.
Ray Fontonot Jr. told investigators he was getting ready for work when he could hear a popping noise in the living room. He said he went to see what caused the noise and saw his wife having one gunshot wound under her chin. He said his wife grabbed another gun inside the safe and shot herself a second time in the head. The suspect said he and Brittney were involved in a struggle inside and outside the home. Once they entered the residence again, the victim pointed the gun to her head once more and fired another shot, causing her the fatal wound.
During this suspicious death investigation, there was reason to believe that the death was not a suicide, according to investigators. Due to these circumstances, the Criminal Investigation Division requested the assistance of the Louisiana State Police and the FBI. After almost a two-year investigation, investigators were able to establish enough evidence to obtain an arrest warrant for Ray Fontenot Jr. with one count of second-degree murder.
Fontenot was booked into the Evangeline Parish Jail. The bond is set at $2 million.
