ABBEVILLE, LA. — “I want to thank my department for never giving up”, said Vermilion Parish Sheriff Mike Couvillon.

For more than five years, his department has investigated Tyler Domingue’s disappearance.

Sheriff Couvillon says it’s a terrible time, “This young lady died way before her time, and died not by her own choice”.

Domingue was last seen driving away from her mother’s house after dropping off her son. The investigation has had its ups and downs. Couvillon office interviewed over 100 people, but hard work turned up results in June of 20-16 when authorities found her car in Bayou Tigre south of Delcambre.

“Overturn every stone possible”, Couvillon explained.

Thursday marked the three year anniversary of Dereck Viator being arrested for Tyler Domingue’s murder.

  • Dereck Viator
  • Johnny Primeaux
  • Brady Derouen
  • Ernest Ray

He was already in jail for the murders of Cody Fell and Abigail Clark, who were found dead in a burned-out SUV in April of 2014.

After Viator, Johnny Primeaux was arrested for solicitation for murder. Brady Derouen and Ernest Ray were arrested as accessories for murder.
Brady and Derouen bonded out of jail, but according to the Vermillion Parish Court everyone’s court dates are pending, and all but Ray have a court date set later this year.

This week, the investigation had a major development.

Couvillon said, “She’s (Domingue’s) not coming back, but we brought her home”.

The St. Landry Parish woman’s body was recovered near Coulee Kinney Drive after detectives and the District Attorney’s Office developed information into her last known location.

“When they found the body to see the reaction on their faces was unbelievable”, Couvillon remembered about his men. “You swear they were related to this lady”.

Even though it’s a time of closure, the sheriff says Domingue’s death may be related to other crimes and others arrests are expected, the Sheriff has this message for those who are still trying to avoid justice five years after the murder, “I hope that they pray to God and decide to come forward and give us any information that they may have and they feel the sorrow that this family has felt for over five years”.

Sheriff Couvillon told me when they gave Tyler Domingue’s family the news they were relieved but sorrowful.
I reached out the family who said they thank all the team who have been working on the case for the last five years, but they are not ready to make any other comment since the case is still under investigation.