Six people, including the victim’s own son, were indicted on Friday for the second-degree murder of Joseph Vallian.
At the time of his death, Vallian was 66 years-old and was the brother of local Dr. John Vallian, both from Lawtell.
Vallian was found brutally beaten while tied up in his home in an apparent robbery homicide on the night of Sept. 15, 2020.
The case remained unsolved for several years.
The indictment was handed down one day after what would have been the victim’s 70th birthday.
The victim’s son, Leeland Valliere (last name spelled differently) along with Lester Johnson, Jr.; Dennis Patrick Guillory, Jr.; Dylan Young; Desmond Richard; and Rasheed Zachary were all indicted for this murder.
The case remained unsolved until this year when the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s
Office, led by Detective Samuel Tidwell, arrested Lester Johnson Jr. for Vallian’s murder.
District Attorney Chad Pitre said, “Today we made progress in bringing justice to
the family of this beloved gentleman while getting dangerous criminals off the street.”
