OPELOUSAS, L.a. — Family members are grieving the death of 26-year-old Corey "CJ" Rosette Jr after Opelousas police found and identified his body Monday afternoon, prompting further investigation.
Rosette's family says they called the police after not hearing from him over the weekend.
"He would give you the shirt off his back, the socks off his feet if it was cold outside if it's hot outside and the sun's shining too bright, he's gonna be the umbrella to shade ya," said Rosette's cousin, Raekelli Aggison. Seriously, it's crazy man, it's hurtful to me [...] and it's hurtful to his mother and his family, his sisters, his nephews, his cousins, his aunties, his uncles, his friends, his family, everybody — it's hurtful to us."
Opelousas Police Chief Martin McClendon said his department made a wellness check for the concerned family Friday afternoon, just before 12:30, only to find Rosette's body is when they pronounced him dead and transported his body for an autopsy.
"We want to find out who entered that home, and who is the person that left that home, and was he alive at that time," Chief McClendon said, calling on the community to speak up when they see or hear something like this happen. "They have to be brave enough and bold enough to say what happened because somebody heard something in this neighborhood and so the people that live back here are the stakeholders, they live here, they need to take and reclaim their streets, their homes, and say exactly what they witnessed so we can get to the bottom of this."
As family and neighbors gathered at the scene Monday, I spoke with Minister Kirk Frank, who was also called to the scene to console Rosette's loved ones.
"Life is like a vapor — psst — you hear it, you don't know where it's coming from, and when you look around it's gone, but then it whispers again, that's how our life is, it's like a vapor," Frank told us. "You don't know when it's gonna be your last breath, you know, that last breath that you take, you could get ready to meet your maker, so we just have got to come together and let people know that God loves them."
Autopsy results are expected to be in as soon as Tuesday morning, but until then, OPD is asking anyone with information to contact their department. Rosette's family is begging anyone with information to come forward as well.
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