Stafford convicted of manslaughter, attempted manslaughter

After three hours of deliberation Friday evening, an Avoyelles Parish jury voted 10-2 to convict Derrick Stafford for manslaughter and attempted manslaughter in connection with the Nov. 3, 2015 shooting of a 6-year-old boy and his father. Stafford was handcuffed and placed in custody upon the reading of the verdict. Defense attorney Jonathan Goins said he will file a motion for post-conviction bond and will file an appeal of the conviction.

Stafford and co-defendant Norris Greenhouse Jr. were working as part-time Ward 2/Marksville City Marshal deputies that night when they pursued Few to the deadend of Martin Luther King Drive and fired 18 bullets into Few's Kia Sport. Few was critically wounded and his son, Jeremy Mardis, was killed.

Sentencing will be at 11 a.m. on March 31.

"We were one vote away from Derrick walking away a free man," Goins said, noting that it takes 10 votes of a 12-member jury to convict. It was not stated whether one or both of the "no" votes were in favor conviction of a less or a more serious charges or for acquittal.

The courtroom that had been virtually vacant for most of the time since the jury began deliberations at 5:50 p.m. was suddenly packed at 8:30 p.m. as people had apparently been tipped that the wait was almost over. There was a flood of law enforcement officers shortly at 8:35 p.m. with news that the jury was coming back with a verdict. About 10 minutes later, the jury filed in.

The jury foreman read the verdict, which was to the lesser charges of attempted manslaughter and manslaughter. Stafford had been charged with 2nd degree murder and attempted 2nd degree murder. The murder charge carries mandatory life sentence without parole. The sentence for manslaughter with a firearm is 20 to 40 years. The sentence for attempted manslaughter with a firearm is 10 to 20 years.

Jeremy's aunt Candace Few and grandmother Cathy Mardis smiled weakly after the verdicts were read. Both women said it has been a hard two weeks -- and hard almost 18 months -- but they were pleased with the effort the Attorney General's Office prosecutors had made in presenting their case.

The reaction of Stafford's family was much different.

Some family members left the courtroom yelling loudly that the verdict was unfair.

Stafford was allowed a moment to hug his wife before he was put in shackles. They both said , "I love you" and she walked away sobbing. Outside the courthouse, they met again. "I love you. I am not going to leave you. I love you."

Stafford's mother, Dianne Stafford of Alexandria, said that everybody around the world had heard of the shooting, but "Marksville is a small town. He would've stood a chance if the trial was held somewhere else. In Marksville, he never had a chance."

Earlita Stafford of Alexandria said the verdict was unfair and her brother should have been found not guilty.

"My brother is not the monster they made him out to be," she said. "The trial was unfair, Judge Bennett was unfair. I do not agree with it at all. My brother put his life on the line as a police officer for Marksville and other municipalities to protect and to serve."