IBERIA PARISH, La. (KLFY) — In Dec. 2022, accused murderer Travis Layne, Jr., was released from the St. Mary Parish Jail on bond while warrants for his arrest were still active in Iberia Parish for second-degree murder.
Layne has a long rap sheet with Acadiana law enforcement as he was accused and later pled guilty to assaulting an Iberia Parish bus driver in February of 2021.
Layne is also accused and indicted of the murder of a 17-year-old New Iberia teen, Garon Lewis, who was shot and killed in a vehicle in 2019.
As Layne is still awaiting trial on this second-degree murder charge, News 10 wanted to know why Layne was able to walk out of the St. Mary Parish Jail when he had an outstanding detainer in Iberia Parish.
News 10 reached out to the Department of Corrections (DOC) and the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office (SMPSO) for answers.
According to the DOC, Layne finished his hard labor sentence with the DOC on Dec. 9 for a second-degree battery charge of a school teacher in Catahoula Parish Jail.
DOC officials told News 10 that they instructed Catahoula to send Layne to Iberia Parish Jail for the second-degree murder charge.
Catahoula instead sent Layne to the St. Mary Parish Jail pursuant to his theft charges.
Layne then bonded out on Dec. 16. The DOC said that Layne should have been transported to Iberia Parish Jail. Instead, he was set free after paying off his bond.
The DOC also said that Layne reported for his probation and parole on Dec. 19 to begin his community supervision, and that is when the Iberia Parish District Attorney’s Office got involved.
The D.A.’s Office learned of Layne’s good-time parole and issued a warrant for his arrest earlier this week.
Layne was arrested on Wednesday and now sits in the Iberia Parish Jail on his second-degree murder charge.
After News 10 started asking questions to the different law enforcement agencies they informed us that there was a miscommunication between departments on where Layne should have been transferred to.
News 10 is still waiting to hear from St. Mary Parish about their involvement in allowing this suspect to walk out of their jail.
Disclaimer: All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
