Son of Former Opelousas Police Chief Sentenced in Double Homicide

UPDATE: OPELOUSAS, La. (KPEL News) - JaMarcus McClendon has been sentenced to two life sentences for the brutal murders of 19-year-old Shawn Parish and 21-year-old Nakia Ramar Jr. - both of Opelousas. According to the St. Landry Parish District Attorney's Office, the murders happened just hours after Parish celebrated his birthday.

The court ordered that the two sentences be served consecutively without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.

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February 3, 2023, OPELOUSAS, La. (KPEL News) - Nearly six and a half years after two people were found killed ambush-style at a home in Plaisance, the son of former Opelousas Police Chief Martin McClendon has been found guilty in their deaths.

19-year-old Shawn Parish and 21-year-old Nakia Ramar Jr. - both of Opelousas - were the two victims in the double homicide that happened in September of 2016. According to St. Landry Parish District Attorney Chad Pitre's office, JaMarcus McClendon used an AK-47 to shoot his victims multiple times during the early morning hours. He was found guilty of First Degree Murder.

"The challenge in this case was the sheer volume of evidence and the number of witnesses involved," said lead prosecutor Alisa Gothreaux.

"We promised the victims' families that we would bring these older murder cases to trial and that's what our team is doing," said Pitre.

In February of 2019, JaMarcus McClendon was indicted in the double homicide case. After getting out of court that during that time, police say he was attacked by a couple of members of one of the murder victim's family as he was being escorted out of the courthouse. According to our news partners at KATC, the two people received misdemeanor summonses for that altercation. Family members told KATC that the attack happened after McClendon allegedly made a comment to one of them.

For the record, Chief McClendon was not in office when JaMarcus was arrested. The elder McClendon did not get elected to police chief until 2018 after serving with the Opelousas Police Department for 27 years, according to the Advocate. He was then defeated in 2022.