Antonio Donde Tyson Arrested Over Gruesome Double Homicide in Covington
A suspect is in police custody accused of kidnap and murder after the grisly discovery of two bodies which were found "burned beyond recognition" in Louisiana on Monday morning.
Antonio Donde Tyson, 49, was arrested later the same day—and although the identity of the victims has not yet been revealed, news of his arrest has sparked fears it was in connection with the disappearance of a priest and his colleague, according to local news channel Fox 8.
Covington Police Department said Tyson was booked on two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree kidnapping, two counts of obstruction of justice, one count of resisting an officer, and one count of illegal possession of stolen things.
The grim discovery of the bodies came after St. Peter Catholic Church's retired priest Otis Young and pastoral associate Ruth Prats had been reported missing.
A statement posted on the church's website shortly before 11:00 a.m. on Monday said: "We are aware of news reports of an apparent double homicide in downtown Covington. There is speculation about the identity of the victims, but until this is confirmed by the coroner's office, we cannot speculate about their identities. Please pray for the victims and their families while we wait for final confirmation." The church held a prayer vigil on Monday night in the wake of the incident.
Officers have not yet released the names of the victims or their cause of death, but confirmed the arrest was connected to the burned bodies that were found in the 500 block of East Gibson Street.
Public Information Officer Sergeant Edwin Masters told Newsweek: "We have not yet positively identified the victims in this homicide. The St Tammany Parish Coroner's Office will release their identities once discovered."
In a statement posted to the police's Facebook page, the department revealed: "On Monday, November 28, 2022, at approximately 7:00 AM, the Covington Police Department responded to the scene of an apparent double homicide where two victims were located burned beyond recognition, in the 500 block of E. Gibson Street, Covington, LA.
"During the course of the investigation, the Covington Police Department developed a suspect, Antonio Donde Tyson (B/M, D.O.B. 08/22/1973) of Covington, LA, who was taken into custody and booked accordingly."
The investigation is still ongoing, the police added, appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
City of Covington Mayor Mark Johnson said: "This is a very sad day for the City of Covington. We lift up our prayers for the victims, their families, and our community. We like to think our city is immune from these tragedies, but we are not. I would like to commend Chief Michael Ferrell and the Covington PD for their swift and professional action."
Police officials were due to hold a press conference on Tuesday morning at St. Tammany Parish Emergency Operations Center, but just 90 minutes before the event was due to begin, they announced that it had been postponed. No reason was given for the delay and officials said a new date and time would be scheduled in due course.
The remains of the unidentified victims were found behind a glass business when the owner arrived early for work and made the shocking discovery, WWL-TV reported.
Father Daniel Brouillette, who also works at St. Peter's, told the station he is "unsettled and staying prayerful" about the situation as the church community faces an anxious wait for news.
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