He Was a Dead Man Walking

A case that captured a nation and crippled a community. This is the true story of a double homicide of two teenagers as told by Detective Russell Duplantis. Little did Detective Duplantis know how close to home this case would become. The year was 1977. The location was Iberia Parish Louisiana. The suspects were Elmo Patrick Sonnier and Eddie James Sonnier, two brothers that were serial rapists who one night became murderers. This was the first case to test the new death penalty laws established in the United States. Detective Duplantis has been haunted by this case for over forty years. It is only now that he decided to tell his story. A case that saw Eddie James Sonnier get life in prison and Elmo Patrick Sonnier get the death penalty and ultimately executed in the electric chair in 1984.

Detective Scott Hotard is a detective with the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office located in Iberia Parish, Louisiana. He has been involved in twenty-four homicide investigations. It is his belief that every law enforcement officer has one case that will define their career. During his career, he has worked as a patrolman, narcotics agent, K-9 officer, crime scene investigator, evidence custodian, detective and supervisor of detectives. Detective Hotard met Detective Russell Duplantis while working together. Det. Hotard always had a fascination with this case after watching the movie 'Dead Man Walking' and when he found out Det. Duplantis was the actual case agent, he had to hear the story. Det. Hotard always knew something about the movie 'Dead Man Walking' did not add up. Det. Hotard and Det. Duplantis would become good friends and after forty years, Det. Duplantis agreed to give his story and have Det. Hotard write this book.