FRANKLIN, La. (KLFY) — A Morgan City man has been convicted in a 2021 shooting involving his ex-wife’s employer, authorities said.
A St. Mary Parish jury unanimously found Codey Michael Smith guilty Thursday of attempted manslaughter.
The St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting Oct. 1, 2021 at a restaurant in Amelia. The defendant, Smith, had been having problems in his marriage for more than a year. His wife had previously obtained a protective order prohibiting the defendant from having contact with her and prohibiting him from possessing a firearm. Although the couple was attempting to reconcile, the protective order was still active at the time of the offense.
The defendant learned that his wife had a previous relationship with her employer, went to his wife’s place of employment and lured both his wife and her employer out of the building to the parking lot. Once outside, the defendant pulled a gun out of his pocket and pointed it at the employer. The man attempted to escape, but the defendant fired and struck the man in the arm.
Smith’s five-year-old son was in the parking lot with him and witnessed the shooting.
After a two-day jury trial, the defendant was found guilty of attempted manslaughter. The potential penalty for attempted manslaughter is up to twenty years at hard labor. A sentencing hearing is set before Judge Vincent Borne on Nov. 6.
The investigation was handled by the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant District Attorney Heather Hendrix prosecuted the case.
