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Murder suspect charged with three counts of first degree murder

Published 11:00pm Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Larto, La. — An Avoyelles Parish native suspected of killing three people in Catahoula Parish Monday morning was charged with three counts of first-degree murder after a 24-hour manhunt led deputies back to the scene of the crime.

Lee John Ponthieux Jr., 41, of Mansura, La., evaded authorities all day Monday, prompting state and local SWAT teams to enter an abandoned house, a residence and sheds in the small lake community of Larto, La., in pursuit.

Catahoula Parish Sheriff James Kelly said authorities believe Ponthieux shot and killed three friends with a shotgun when a fight turned deadly.

The shootings reportedly happened on Moody Road in Larto sometime before 3 a.m. Monday.

Kelly said the sheriff’s office received a call at midnight Monday from a Larto resident saying he had spotted Ponthieux near the scene of the crime.

“We had four deputies stationed around the scene of the crime, and my deputies entered into a wooded area and found (Ponthieux) there less than a mile from the house,” Kelly said. “He was armed with the shotgun we think was used in the crime, but he didn’t resist any further after my deputies spotted him.”

At approximately 1 a.m., Ponthieux was transported and booked into the Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Office for three counts of first-degree murder. No bond was set for Ponthieux as of Tuesday night.

Investigators were still conducting interviews with potential witnesses as of Tuesday evening and Kelly said the investigation was ongoing.

The victims are Edris A. Ellard, 51, of Jonesville; John Ellard Jr., 45, of Monterey, and Annie Bell Adams, 73, of Jonesville.

Kelly said Adams is the mother of Edris Ellard. John Ellard is Edris Ellard’s ex-husband.

The murders happened at Adams’ residence.

Kelly said Edris Ellard’s sister Debbie Adams called police shortly before 3 a.m. after leaving the residence during the fight and then hearing gunshots.

Debbie Adams, Kelly said, was booked on an obstruction of justice charge. Kelly declined to give specifics on the charge.

Kelly said Ponthieux has previously been arrested in Catahoula Parish, but Kelly could not recall the exact charges.

“He has a fairly extensive criminal record,” Kelly said.

The Louisiana State Police, U.S. Marshals, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Louisiana Probation and Parole Office and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries all assisted with apprehending Ponthieux.

 

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  • Anonymous

    Good work. Another menace in a cage where he belongs.

  • Anonymous

    Menace….the only menace is his girlfriend who had openly said she hated her family and wished she could kill them.  Who has changed her story 3 times and now is a suspect.  This man has family who know his character and love and support him. 

  • Anonymous

    Why didn’t they shoot him, eye for an eye?  He killed 3 people, they can not be brought back to life, and now we the tax payer have to feed his sorry ass.

  • Anonymous

    His character is obvious, he is a murder, still carrying a shotgun when they caught him.  Yep, he has character alright.

  • Anonymous

    We’ll all see how it washes out in the end.

  • Anonymous

    If he was on the run from law enforcement and still was carrying the shotgun when found…makes one wonder did this big bad shotgun wielding hoodlum suddenly cower when faced with the business end of a gun?

  • Anonymous

    Obviously, you’re defending this shotgun thug who gunned down three people including a 73 year old elderly woman then ran from the scene hiding whereever he could.

  • Anonymous

    I don’t think so, since he has such great character, he probably came back to claim innocent, such as “what happened, who did this awful thing?”  I mean after all LA0034 says he has great character.  I guess now, the family of the man with character, can start their Sunday visits again while they are loving and supporting a murderer.  The family of the ones he murdered will never get to love and support their loved ones again, they will have to visit the graveside.  I still think they should have shot the shotgun toting man with character!  Incidently, the paper said he has an extensive criminal backgroud, not sure how his family can think he is not a menace.  You were right LSUTigers2012, habitual criminal, menace to society!  I say call Swamp People and tell Lizibet to Choot ‘em! Feed him to the gators!

  • Anonymous

    Are you nuts ? This guy is a cold blooded  killer by any standards…What are you on ?

  • Anonymous

    He was sitting on the fence post across the street watching the cops the when they apprehended him he did not resist.   If the cops would have looked accross the street he was there.  He said he did not do it.  And the 73 yr old elderly woman was parting they all were when they called him over at 2am.  We do not understand what happened.  And he does not know either.  He was being slipped drugs by these so called older people because they knew he would not take them on his own.  And this is from the mouth of 60 yr old Debbie Adams the daughter.  This is a horrible thing that happened.  We are praying the truth will come out.  His character…..he would definitely use his fists…wasn’t a coward.  Killing people no not him. 

  • Anonymous

    More like feaked out because he can’t remember.  Everything was crazy the fighting that everyone was doing…They all were drinking so his family is waiting for answers too…..

  • Anonymous

    His family was on the scene helping to bring him out without him being shot……He wasn’t on the run he was trying to come to and understand what had happened.  If he did this…IF!  The family is really shook up about all of his.   No one ever thinks this will happen to their family….

  • Anonymous

    No just a country boy in the wrong place.   Involved with the wrong people.  We are waiting to find out the truth….

  • Anonymous

    All his family was there to help find him….to prevent just that.   We don’t think he did this!  

  • Anonymous

    Nothing in this world  gives the right to kill three humans with a shotgun…Death penalty— here we come..

  • Anonymous

    OMG…and…er…the shotgun…he still had it….???

  • Anonymous

    …and the shotgun? Did it just materialize out of thin air while he was just innocently sitting on top of a fence post tryng to sober up from drinking and drugging conveniently across the road somehow invisible to law enforcement officers but not to his “family” that was looking for him? Someone call the “X” Files…put Fox Mulder on the case because its obvious that aliens set up this innocent country boy and left him sitting on a fence post stunned out of his mind…yeah right.

  • Anonymous

    Was Elvis out there helping you look for him too???

  • Anonymous

    denial is not just a river in Egypt.

  • Anonymous

    “His character…definitely use his fist…” REALLY, so thats why he went into Annie Bell’s bedroom while she was sleeping and stabbed her to death, then went out and shot Edris’s husband and stabbed her to death.  He was drinking “unaware that he was doing drugs”.  Come on, who do you think your fooling, what an evil man, would you kill somebody just because the girlfriend wanted you too.  She too will get her day.  This is crazy.  Open you eyes, you can defend him all you want too, he is a murdered, plain and simple.  If you want to answers, read the newspaper, he had a bloody knife, he had THE shotgun that he killed a man with.  He admitted to doing it for the girlfriend, which by the way, is also “conspiracy to commit murder” on top of murder.  “Sitting on the fence post watching the cops”, if he was so innocent, why didn’t he turn himself in instead of running, oh wait, he wasn’t running, he was trying to come to.

  • Anonymous

    Please pray for both families……

  • Anonymous

    As with many other tragic incidences reported in the Natchez Democrat, there always seems to be one or two “family members” who enter a post in defense of their family member…despite the evidence, despite their confession, despite how heinous the crime, despite the number of eye witnesses, etc, etc, etc. If people truly think that “small”…where are we heading as a civilized society?

  • Anonymous

    Please pray for both families….

  • Anonymous

    Pray for a family that raised a killer?  Maybe pray that they move a long distance away.

  • Anonymous

    I am not defending the killer, but, you can’t always blame the upbringing for how someone turned out.  Once they are old enough to make their own decisions, the parent is not always the reason the children choose the wrong path.  Keep in mind that the family is probably in shock that he did such a horendous crime and are still in denial.  Doesn’t make it right, but doesn’t make it the families fault that he did what he did either.  Just sayin’

  • Anonymous

    You are right..His family did not commit these horrible crimes…No doubt, they tried to raise a decent man.

    I have a few miscreants in my family as well. For me to condemn this supposed killers family— would make me a real hypocrite.

  • CatTiger

    This summer the Catahoula Parish community has lost eight CHILDREN to tragic. Two adults from wrecks and now three more from brutal murder. Stuff like this has an emotional drain on not only the immediate families… but the community as well.

     I applaud the disclaimer of your initial statement.

  • Anonymous

    Thanks…Always tragic to lose loved ones–and innocent children bare a special tragedy…Unfortunately, these kids are usually the victims of Adults— that are  consumed by alcohol, & drugs..Sad but true.

    Not a Preacher–but my life sure changed when I stopped smoking, chewing, drinking and using the recreational drugs–all in one day…These substances stand for nothing good…They only cause damage to the family…
    elvesselves

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