16th Judicial District Attorney Bo Duhé announced that on March 24, 2019, 82-year-old Riley Buck, Jr. of Patterson went out to take the dog on an evening walk. Buck was found in the yard, unconscious and bleeding. Although he was airlifted to New Orleans, he never regained consciousness and ultimately passed away from his injuries. An autopsy revealed that Buck had multiple, severe blunt force injuries to his head and neck and that he died as a result of an attack.
During law enforcement’s investigation, a cell phone and keys belonging to Jarret Williams were found on the Bucks’ property. When Williams was taken into custody, he was still wearing the bloody shoes that he had worn when he attacked Buck. Subsequent forensic testing confirmed that the blood on Williams’ shoes was the victim’s blood.
A jury unanimously found Williams guilty of second degree murder on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
A sentencing hearing is set before the Honorable Lewis H. Pitman, Jr. on April, 26, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. Second degree murder has a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.
Duhé said, “The right to a trial by jury is one of the most important rights guaranteed by our Constitution. Without jury trials, our criminal justice system does not function. I commend the jury for their hard work in this case and their commitment to rendering a fair and just verdict. Also, I appreciate our law enforcement and first responder partners that participated in this investigation. Particularly Assistant Fire Chief Kevin Kinslow with the Bayou Vista Volunteer Fire Department. I ask everyone to keep the family and friends of Mr. Buck in their prayers.”
Assistant District Attorneys Brady Holtzclaw and Jennifer Reasoner prosecuted the case with assistance from Heather Hendrix and Katie Williams.