Today, July 22nd, Judge Michael Canaday sentenced Vernell A. Chatman, Jr., 35, Lake Charles, to 32 years in prison on one (1) count Manslaughter; and 8 years in prison on one (1) count Second Degree Feticide. The sentences total 40 years in prison and are to be ran consecutively.
In 2019, Chatman choked and brutally beat an 8 months pregnant woman and left her body in the freezing cold. The victim and unborn baby died as a result of their injuries.
Assistant District Attorneys Charles Robinson and Taylor Alexander prosecuted the case for the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s Office.