District Attorney Collin Sims reports that on April 29, 2026, Joshua Michael Delaughter, age 32 and of Pearl River, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The mandatory life sentence was handed down by the Honorable Richard A. Swartz following Delaughter's adjudication as a multiple felony offender, as his prior criminal history involved violent crimes. The sentencing follows a January 2026 jury conviction of Attempted Second Degree Murder.
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The charges stemmed from a violent incident on August 13, 2023, at North Beach on Carr Drive in Slidell, Louisiana. The victim was stabbed eight times in the head, neck, and torso after a minor verbal dispute regarding a near-vehicular collision. Evidence presented at trial showed that the victim had merely tapped on Delaughter’s vehicle to alert him of a potential accident before Delaughter exited his car and initiated the life-threatening attack.
Under Louisiana’s Habitual Offender Statute, the state established Delaughter’s status as a triple offender, which necessitated the mandatory life sentence.
DA Sims praised the finality of the sentence, emphasizing the office's stance on recidivism and violent crime. “Today’s sentence ensures that a dangerous, repeat offender will never again have the opportunity to victimize our community,” DA Sims said. “The victim in this case nearly lost his life over a trivial parking lot disagreement. This type of senseless violence, especially from someone with a documented history of felony behavior, warrants the maximum penalty allowed by law. We remain steadfast in our mission to hold violent criminals fully accountable.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Christina Fisher and Shelby Stoop. At trial, ADA Fisher successfully argued that the sheer number and location of the stab wounds - eight in total—demonstrated a clear intent to kill that far exceeded any claim of self-defense.
Delaughter was remanded to the custody of the Louisiana Department of Corrections to begin serving his life term immediately.
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