todd.elliott@eunicetoday.com
A Eunice man who disappeared after a run-in with strangers Saturday night was found stabbed to death on Monday in downtown Lafayette.
eunicetoday.com has confirmed the identity of the 24-year-old man, the apparent victim of a homicide.
Michael Luke Darby, 24, of Eunice, was found murdered, according to Eunice Police – who assisted in the investigation.
Sources close to Darby, a 2006 graduate of Eunice High and an offshore employee of Omega Natchiq of New Iberia, said that he met up with two friends on Saturday in Eunice, for a night of cards and watching LSU football.
After the game, the trio decided to go out for a night in Lafayette.
Darby left his truck parked in front of the home of one of his friend’s mother’s house in Eunice and rode with his friends.
According to Lafayette sources, after leaving a Jefferson Street bar Darby and his two friends were harassed by “three white guys” – who were apparently drunk.
The three subjects then proceeded with racial slurs towards Darby, questioning why he was hanging out with his two black companions.
Darby, informed sources say, allegedly charged one of the three subjects and a scuffle ensued. Darby’s companions broke up the fight.
Darby was allegedly involved in another altercation with another one of the three subjects, some 30-minutes later, according to one source.
Darby, sources said, then told his friends to go get the pick-up truck they were in and come pick him up at the corner of East Vermillion and Polk Street in front of the Agave restaurant.
When the friends returned, however, Darby was nowhere to be seen.
His friends began to call his phone, only to hear the muffled sounds of a rustling noise on the other end when someone answered. The friends continued to call and continued to ride around to look for Darby, sources said.
The two decided to return home to Eunice.
It was Sunday morning when one of them noticed that Darby’s truck was still parked out in front of his mother’s home.
The friend allegedly contacted Linda Darby of Eunice, and told her that her son “did not come home last night”.
Mrs. Darby allegedly contacted Lafayette Police in regards to her son being missing.
Darby’s two friends allegedly returned to Lafayette to possibly identify some of the suspects in the homicide. They were allegedly shown surveillance camera footage of the altercation.
Cpl. Paul Mouton, Public Information Officer for Lafayette Police Department, said that he could not confirm the video surveillance footage of the fight.
Mouton said that victim appeared to be in a struggle and the victim’s body was found “between Main and Vermillion (Streets) in the 300 block...on that side-street on the side of Agave”.
Question: What type of friend would just leave and return to Eunice without knowing that your friend is alright???, according to the article, the guys that he went to Lafayette knew he was in an altercation with a guy, why would you leave your friend to deal with the situtation and go to your automobile?...That is not a true friend. Then you called his phone and heard sounds, and not his voice...hmmmm,a true friend would have searched all night, all morning, all day for his/her friend. WARNING TO ALL PEOPLE, BE CAREFUL WHO YOU CALL A FRIEND!!!.... Praying for the Darby Family.