Busted In Acadiana

DA’s office offering plea deal to mother in child’s murder

Plea deals in the 15^th Judicial under the leadership of District Attorney Mike Harson are not uncommon. In fact, most people who get arrested, whether guilty or innocent seem to immediately hop in the ‘good-ole-boy’ plea bargain line to save the hassle and headache of dealing with court proceedings.

According to KATC, the 15^th Judicial has offered a plea bargain to Stefani A. Morgan who was charged in June 2011 with principal to first degree murder in connection with her 9-year-old son, Dylan Royer’s death.

If you recall, Morgan’s boyfriend, Ronjoerox Damiso Hamilton brought Royer to Women and Children’s Hospital’s emergency room in Lafayette, Louisiana in mid June 2011.

The 9-year-old boy was non responsive and not breathing upon arrival. Emergency room personnel worked frantically to save the boy’s life, however, he succumbed to injuries allegedly inflicted by his mother’s boyfriend a day later.

Hamilton was charged with First Degree murder and later indicted by a Lafayette Parish Grand Jury. A few weeks later, Morgan was booked on principal to First Degree murder.

According to KATC, Assistant District Attorney James Prather told 15th Judicial District Court Judge Marilyn Castle that his office had offered Morgan an opportunity to plead guilty “straight up” with the condition that the District Attorney’ Office would take both the death penalty and life imprisonment off the table for Stefani A. Morgan in exchange for her testimony against Ronjoerox Damiso Hamilton.

Prather went on to say, “we would offer a sentence of years, not life” and said the deal has not been accepted.

The good news, Judge Castle denied the defenses motion to bar the death penalty against Hamilton.

Morgan may be out on bond considering she does not appear on LPCC’s roster.