Murder of Grandmother in Henderson, Louisiana, Uncovers Sinister Story of Alleged Abuse

Henderson, LA (KPEL News) - The arrest of a Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, man on first-degree murder charges on Wednesday, November 1, uncovered a more sinister story that ended in the death of his child's grandmother and the injuring of the mother.

According safelouisiana.org, the statistics for Louisiana are sobering:

• In 2021, Louisiana ranked 5th in the nation for femicide (deliberate killing of a woman) and 2/3 of these murders were committed using guns.
• 81% of female homicides in Louisiana are committed by a partner or ex-partner.
• There has been at least one domestic homicide in every parish in Louisiana.
• Over 5,000 adult women per year living in Louisiana will experience domestic violence.

An investigative report by KATC's Angie Simoneaux and Samantha Loren revealed that 21-year-old Gage Quebedeaux had a years-long abusive relationship with the mother of his daughter that resulted in numerous charges of domestic abuse battery and several protective orders being issued against him.

Womenslaw.org notes that, in the state of Louisiana as per LA R.S. 46:2132(4) and LA R.S. 46:2151 (B), people in the following situations living with abusers are eligible for a protective order:

• a family member, which includes:
  • a spouse or former spouse;
  • a child, step-child, foster child;
  • grandchildren, great-grandchildren (“descendants”);
  • a parent, step-parent, foster parent;
  • grandparents, great-grandparents (“ascendants”);
  • the other parent of the abuser’s child;
  • the other foster parent of the abuser’s foster child;
• a household member, which includes:
  • someone who live(d) with the abuser in the same home and is/was in a sexual or intimate relationship with the abuser;
  • any child who live(d) in the same home as the abuser;
• a dating partner, which is defined as someone who is/was involved in a sexual or intimate relationship with the abuser, regardless of if they ever lived together.

People in physically abusive relationships or situations are often afraid to obtain a protective or restraining order because doing so may further inflame an already volatile person and say are skeptical about the safety "a piece of paper" can offer. An FAQ about protective orders made available by the Louisiana Supreme Court answers many questions victims and their families might have and acknowledges that an order doesn't prevent all abusers from repeating the offense:

According to research, while most abusers do violate protective orders in some way, these orders generally deter repeated incidents of physical abuse. In 40% of the cases surveyed in one study, there were no reported violations in the year after the order was issued. However, in 60% of these cases, violations were reported in that same period. In 29% of the cases in which a violation occurred, the victim indicated that the violation involved one or more acts of severe violence.

The most recent incident that left Kalin Cormier of Cecilia dead started in the parking lot of a Henderson business. Police say Quebedeaux followed the two women to that location and then fired several shots into the windshield of their car. Both women were struck by bullets. Cormier later died from her injuries. Her daughter was transported to the hospital but her condition hasn't been released.

Quebedeaux not only fled the scene in Henderson, he carjacked someone in a Eunice parking lot before fleeing to Hammond. When he returned to St. Martin Parish, deputies arrested him at the Atchafalaya Welcome Center in Butte La Rose.

I spoke with a former coworker of Cormier's who recalls the trouble Quebedeaux caused for her daughter and her family.

KATC Investigates uncovered issues dating back to 2019 when both Quebedeaux and Cormier's daughter were teenagers. The detailed report exposes four years of alleged domestic abuse that led to the serious injury of the daughter inflicted by Quebedeaux while the couple's baby was present in the room.

The most recent protective orders against Quebedeaux was filed by Cormier's daughter in July of 2023 and was in place on the day both women were shot.

Prior to his arrest on first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder charges, Quebedeaux faced trial dates in December for four arrests over a one month period this summer. The list of charges for which he is expected to answer in those cases includes 15 counts of violation of protective order, one count of theft of a firearm, and one count of domestic abuse battery. The victim in all Cormier's daughter.

Quebedeaux remains in jail, denied bond on the first-degree murder charge. His bond is $1-million on the attempted murder charge.

The family has set up a GoFundMe account to assist with funeral and hospital expenses. The fundraising page's creator notes that Cormier was "shielding to protect her oldest daughter" when she was shot. Cormier was the mother of two girls and grandmother of one.