Lafayette detectives say deaths of couple murder-suicide

LAFAYETTE – Sheriff’s Office detectives investigating the deaths of a north Lafayette Parish couple said Thursday they have concluded that Joseph Babineaux shot his wife Judith Babineaux then turned the handgun on himself

The bodies of the Babineauxs, both 52, were found by a family member on Wednesday in a front room of their home at 126 Lebesque Road, Lafayette, Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kip Judice said in a news release.

“Investigators have sufficient preliminary forensic evidence to indicate that Mrs. Babineaux was shot and killed first and that Mr. Babineaux had a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Judice said.

Judice said the handgun, which detectives believe belonged to Joseph Babineaux, was found close to the bodies.

The daughter who discovered her parents’ bodies called the Sheriff’s Office at 4:09 p.m. Wednesday, the release states.

It also states that the daughter lived at the home with her parents and another sibling.

Sheriff’s officials on Thursday held off issuing details of the incident while they notified other family members of the Babineauxs.

On Wednesday, Judice said a witness had seen the couple alive at noon, and that investigators worked into the night processing the scene.