Current:Home > ScamsLouisiana man pleads guilty to 2021 gas station killing after Hurricane Ida-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Louisiana man pleads guilty to 2021 gas station killing after Hurricane Ida
View Date:2024-12-24 10:14:34
GRETNA, La. (AP) — A Louisiana man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2021 shooting death of another man during a dispute in a line at a suburban New Orleans gas station after Hurricane Ida.
During a break in jury selection for his second murder trial, Walter Sippio, 22, of New Orleans, accepted a plea deal Monday and will serve 25 years in prison after admitting to shooting and killing Dwayne Nosacka, 36, of Metairie, Louisiana, at a gas station in suburban New Orleans on Sept. 3, 2021, WVUE-TV reported.
It happened just five days after Ida hit the area, and electricity, gasoline and other essentials were on short supply. Sippio cut the line of vehicles waiting to get gas. When Nosacka confronted him, Sippio shot him in the chest, the TV station reported.
Sippio initially claimed the shooting was self-defense, but Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto said that didn’t jibe with witness statements or other evidence.
The plea deal allowed Sippio to avert a possible sentence of life in prison had he been found guilty of murder, and the 25-year term is well under the maximum 40 years he could have faced for manslaughter, the TV station reported.
“It was kind of in the air, as far as the 25 years,” Eric Malveaux, Sippio’s defense attorney, said. “We were not sure we were able to get that. When it looked like it was available, I spoke to my client and they made the calls they needed to make and the plea offer came in. I talked to my client and he was willing to take it.”
With credit for time served and good time credits accrued while in custody, Malveaux said his client could be freed in his 30s, early enough so that “he still has an opportunity to have a full life and get a job and work and do everything.”
During her victim impact statement, Nosacka’s mother told Sippio, “I think you made a terrible decision that day and hurt a lot of people. I just hope that you can think of that decision and how many lives you’ve impacted.”
When Judge Donald “Chick” Foret asked Nosacka’s mother if she approved of the plea agreement, she said she wanted to leave it to the experts.
“As the court is aware, this case was tried previously, resulting in a hung jury,” Jefferson Parish prosecutor Rachel Africk told the judge. “The defendant’s plea to manslaughter and 25 years ensures the family closure today, as well as prevents the witnesses to this event from having to testify again.”
After multiple requests from Foret, Sippio eventually spoke to the victim’s family and said he apologized from the bottom of his heart. The judge said he was not satisfied with Sippio’s display of remorse and that he was close to throwing out the plea deal. But he ultimately allowed it to go through.
Upon release, Sippio said he wants to get a job, start a family and stay out of trouble.
veryGood! (656)
Related
- A $1 billion proposal is the latest plan to refurbish and save the iconic Houston Astrodome
- South Carolina man convicted of turtle smuggling charged with turtle abuse in Georgia
- Things to know about Poland’s parliamentary election and what’s at stake
- Breaking Down Influencer Scandals from Lunden Stallings and Olivia Bennett to Colleen Ballinger
- Sam LaPorta injury update: Lions TE injures shoulder, 'might miss' Week 11
- Dropout rate at New College of Florida skyrockets since DeSantis takeover
- Israeli twin babies found hidden and unharmed at kibbutz where Hamas killed their parents
- New Hampshire man admits leaving threatening voicemail for Rep. Matt Gaetz
- Bull doge! Dogecoin soars as Trump announces a government efficiency group nicknamed DOGE
- Sen. Joe Manchin considers independent 2024 run, warns party system could be nation’s ‘downfall’
Ranking
- DWTS' Sasha Farber Claps Back at Diss From Jenn Tran's Ex Devin Strader
- Want a Drastic Hair Change? Follow These Tips From Kristin Cavallari's Hairstylist Justine Marjan
- Tips pour into Vermont State Police following sketch related to trail homicide
- Refrigeration chemicals are a nightmare for the climate. Experts say alternatives must spread fast
- Ex-Marine misused a combat technique in fatal chokehold of NYC subway rider, trainer testifies
- Haley Cavinder enters transfer portal, AP source says. She played at Miami last season
- 2 teen girls die in a UTV rollover crash in a Phoenix desert
- Real relationship aside, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are 100% in a PR relationship
Recommendation
-
Why Josh O'Connor Calls Sex Scenes Least Sexy Thing After Challengers With Zendaya and Mike Faist
-
Fatherhood premium, motherhood penalty? What Nobel Prize economics winner's research shows
-
12-year-old's 'decomposing' body found in Milwaukee home, homicide investigation underway
-
Trump Media's funding partner says it's returning $1 billion to investors, with many asking for money back
-
Will the NBA Cup become a treasured tradition? League hopes so, but it’s too soon to tell
-
Murder suspect on the run after shooting at and injuring Georgia deputy, authorities say
-
Rudolph Isley, founding member of The Isley Brothers, dead at 84
-
Burger King and Jack in the Box's spooky mini-movies seek to scare up Halloween sales