Acadiana's News Leader Juveniles Indicted in Murder

Three teens are behind bars and are facing a life sentence behind the fatal beating and robbery of a Vietnamese man in Abbeville last Wednesday.

A special grand jury in the 15th Judicial Court returned a True Bill of First Degree Murder and Robbery for the suspects in this case, Thursday. The three males accused of beating Tam Nihn Thai to his death at the corner of Lyman and Felicity Street will now face up to a life sentence in prison.

15 year old Reco Antonio Davis and two sixteen year olds, Kiwane Narcisse and Tevin Johnson.

On the evening of Wednesday, January 11, 2012 the Abbeville Police Department along with the Abbeville Fire Department and Acadian Ambulance responded to an 911 call of a medical emergency at the intersection of South Lyman Street at Felicity Street in Abbeville.  Upon arrival, officers and firemen learned that a Vietnamese male was lying on the street corner and he appeared to have been beaten up and robbed.  The officers located a wallet and its contents spread out in the intersection.

The Vietnamese male was transported to Abbeville General Hospital where he was treated for his injuries and then transported to a Lafayette hospital.  On the morning of January 12, 2012, the Abbeville Police were notified that the Vietnamese male died.  The initial robbery investigation now had become a homicide.

The detectives obtained a copy of the 911 call and learned the identity of the caller who was a juvenile.  The officers made contact with the mother of the juvenile and had the juvenile brought to the police department.  The juvenile and his mother soon arrived at the police department also bringing another juvenile and his mother. 

The detectives began interviewing the first juvenile who was the 911 caller.  During his interview, the officers learned that there were three juveniles who were together.  All three juveniles were interviewed by the detectives and each admitted to a portion of the robbery of the Vietnamese victim. 

The three juveniles were all arrested and booked on the charge of First Degree Murder and placed into a juvenile facility until their 72 hour hearing. 

The names of the arrested suspects are being withheld due to them all being juveniles.  The victim's identity is being withheld until officers can make contact with family members.

On the morning of January 13, 2012, an autopsy was performed on the Vietnamese male.  The police department is still awaiting the results of the autopsy.

The Abbeville Police Department would like to thank the District Attorney's Office for their assistance in this investigation.

Chief Tony J. Hardy