OBERLIN — The trial of an Oberlin man who told police he killed his wife and led them to her body began Monday in the 33rd Judicial District Court.

Joseph Eric Vercher, 46, is accused in the June 2013 stabbing death of his estranged wife, Rachel Denise Lambert Vercher, 34, following what he said was a night of drinking and arguing.

Vercher was initially charged with manslaughter and obstruction of justice, but the charge was upgraded to second-degree murder by a grand jury in August 2013.

If convicted of second-degree murder, Vercher faces mandatory life in prison. A manslaughter conviction carries up to 40 years in prison.

The trial resumes at 9 a.m. today.

In opening statements, prosecutor Steven Sumbler said the Verchers had a rocky relationship, “fighting often and making up” which tragically ended with her death.

“This case is about a heartless husband who murders his wife,” Sumbler said, noting that evidence will show the defendant killed Rachel Vercher and removed evidence, including the victim’s body and two knives, from the initial crime scene before turning himself into authorities. “The defendant murdered his wife in such a heinous way to make sure if he wasn’t going to have her no one else would.

Defense attorney Chad Guidry said his client’s actions warrant a manslaughter charge and not second-degree murder because they were committed in the “heat of passion.”

“He did a horrible thing and confessed to it,” Guidry said. “He’s not asking to get off on a technicality. He did something he shouldn’t have done and turned himself in and confessed to manslaughter.”

Over the course of two years together, the couple fought numerous times, separated often and always got back together, he said.

“They had a bad relationship, no secret there,” Guidry said.

Several police officers testified about previous incidents involving verbal and physical fights between the couple.

The couple had recently fought after Rachel Vercher was arrested for possession of pain killers following a disturbance at a nearby casino, Guidry said.

He said they had “somewhat reconciled” on the day of her murder and had attended her son’s baseball game in Mamou, before returning to Oberlin where they spent the evening riding around, drinking and arguing.

Both prosecutors and defense agree the arguing escalated and ended with Rachel Vercher being stabbed numerous times by her husband and left lying dead off a rural country road.

In an hour long audio taped statement played for jurors, Vercher recalled the night of the slaying saying Rachel Vercher was verbally arguing with him about her June 22 arrest at the casino and that the two had been driving around drinking and arguing all night. Rachel Vercher and her mother blamed him for the arrest and had thrown him out of his house, Vercher said.

In confessing to the crime, Vercher said he  “just snapped” and stabbed her with a buck knife and carving knife after she fell out of his truck.

Both weapons were recovered a few feet away from the victim’s body, according to Detective Voorhies Leger. A third smaller pocket knife was found in Vercher’s truck, he said.

“I don’t remember where I stabbed her,” Vercher said during the audio taped confession. “She was on her back.”

He said “may be” he stabbed her in her stomach and chest, before slitting her throat but could not remember how many times he had actually stabbed her.

Allen Parish Sheriff’s Office Chief of Detectives Peggy Kennedy testified that Rachel Vercher had numerous stab wounds and incisions to her upper body, including her neck area.

Vercher said “he could not just leave her like that,” so he moved the body to the side of the road and drove to the Allen Parish Sheriff’s Office where he confessed to the slaying.

Former Oberlin police officer Frederick Steward testified that Vercher told him outside the Sheriff’s Office that he killed his wife during an argument and dumped her body near a deer lease on Carrier Road, just off Ponderosa Road off U.S. 165 north of Oberlin.

“He told me he killed Rachel,” Stewart said, adding that Vercher seemed calm about it. “He told me “I killed her and she’s not coming back.”

He said Vercher led him and Deputy Jimmy Holmes to a field off Carrier Road and “pointed out” where Rachel Vercher’s body was.

Oberlin Police Chief Grady Haynes also testified that Vercher told him in a telephone call that  “something bad had happened.”

When he asked what had happened, he said Vercher told him “She was gone” and when he asked Vercher who he was talking about, he told her Rachael.

Haynes said Vercher told him Rachel Vercher was taking drugs and fooling around on him and he couldn’t take it anymore. He later told him that she was mad at him because she got arrested at the casino at few days earlier.

Homes also testified that Vercher told him he had killed his wife.

“He told me they were riding around drinking and got into an argument and he got tired of arguing with her and pulled the truck over and stabbed her,” Homes said.

He said Vercher later led police to the victim’s body and the area where he had tossed two knives he allegedly used to stab her.

He described Vercher as calm and cooperative.

Vercher raemains in jail in lieu of a $250,000 bond.(MGNonline)