On Thursday, September 28, 2023, a St. Mary Parish jury unanimously found Codey Michael
Smith guilty as charged of attempted manslaughter.
On October 1, 2021, the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting at a
restaurant in Amelia. The defendant, Codey 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.
The defendant 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. Sensing the danger, the man attempted to
escape, but the defendant fired and struck the man in the arm.
The defendant’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 hearing is set before the Honorable Vincent Borne on November 6, 2023. The investigation was handled by the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant District Attorney Heather Hendrix prosecuted the case. Ms. Hendrix says, “How do you mend a broken heart? Not with a 9mm.”