A Lake Charles man has been convicted of murder in connection with the 2018 overdose death of a 24-year-old woman found dead at the Coushatta Casino Resort in Kinder.

Attorney General Jeff Landry’s office announced Wednesday that it had secured an historic conviction after Deon Bartie, 39, was found guilty of murder.

“This case should be a loud and clear message to the drug dealers destroying our state,” Landry said Wednesday in a press release. “As long as they wreak havoc on our communities by poisoning our people, we will fight back with every tool in the arsenal.”

In a landmark indictment by Landry’s office, Bartie was charged with second degree murder for distributing narcotics to Brittany Nicole Lapeyrouse, who died from an overdose on the drugs that Bartie sold and profited from. Bartie was also charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute alprazolam, and illegal carrying of firearms with controlled dangerous substances.

After an eight-day trial and five hours of deliberations, twelve jurors of Barite’s peers unanimously determined that he was guilty as charged on all counts. Bartie’s sentencing is set for Aug. 31. He faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment on the second degree murder charge, along with a sentencing range of up to 10 years for the possession with intent to distribute charges and 5-10 years for illegal carrying of firearms.

“While Brittany’s family knows her place on Earth has passed, we hope this verdict grants them some closure and appreciation that justice has been served,” Landry added. “I salute my Assistant Attorneys General Joseph LeBeau and Winston White for their exceptional prosecution, and I commend Special Agent George Higgins and Victim Coordinator Kristen Martin for their efforts in this case.”

“I also want to recognize the dedicated and thorough investigation performed by the Coushatta Tribal Police Department’s Detective Scott Leblanc. Without his front-end efforts, this result would not have been possible. Additionally, I want to thank Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Office’s Detective Jared Abshire, whose work uncovering crucial digital forensic evidence helped ensure one more drug dealer is off of our streets.”