ST. MARTIN PARISH, La. (KLFY) — The St. Martin Parish Council has passed a resolution to honor the memory of former Assistant District Attorney Shentell Brown, who was tragically killed in a murder-suicide in February.

According to Lafayette police, Brown was shot and killed by her husband. Authorities say her husband then turned the gun on himself.

News 10 spoke to St. Martin Parish President, Pete Delcambre, who says her legacy will live on.

“Timing was given by God of course, just all this happening at this time, it was just very instrumental that it both happened on the same night,” said Delcambre.

At Tuesday’s council meeting it was decided that Courtroom Two inside the St. Martin Parish Courthouse will be named after Shentell Brown to commemorate her contributions as an Assistant District Attorney and her impact on the community. Delcambre says judges at the courthouse approached the council with the idea.

“Judge De Mahy approached us with their recommendation that one of the courtrooms that are housed here at the Saint Martin Parish Courthouse be dedicated to Mrs. Shentell,” said Delcambre.

In addition to honoring Brown, the council meeting also recognized the non-profit domestic violence organization Chez Hope, and October was proclaimed Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the parish.

“It went hand and hand with what actually occurred with Mrs. Shentell, just letting people know that there are institutions out there that would help individuals in need,” said Delcambre.

Brown served in the 16th Judicial District Court for over two decades, focusing on the juvenile court system. Her dedication and passion for working with children and juveniles left a lasting impression on those who knew her.

“What she did with the children, what she did with the juveniles, everything she did was with passion and with sincerity and that touched me more than anything,” Delcambre said.

The dedication of a courtroom in Shentell Brown’s name serves as a lasting tribute to her service and commitment to justice, while also highlighting the ongoing efforts to address domestic violence in the community.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KLFY. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KLFY staff before being published.

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