The slayings took place in rural Baton Rouge Louisiana, has had residents on edge. Authorities are saying Ryan Sharpe, 36, the owner of a plumbing company, is responsible for 3 murders and one attempted murder.
A man accused in Clinton-area fatal shootings told authorities he had plans to continue his killing spree, with 12 more “tags” left to fulfill — part of his disturbing confession where he compared killing humans to hunting deer, according to investigative documents.
Brad DeFranceschi, the latest victim of the killer, was gunned down in his year whole Boy Scout employees trimmed his hedges. Defraceschi’s home the Boy Scouts campground in Clinton, LA. Family and friends say DeFranceschi was a scout leader and park ranger for the facility.
DeFranceschi is the 4th of the men targeted by Ryan and fatally shot. All men have been white middle-aged homeowners who were shot in their own homes or on their property. The motive is still unknown as this story is still being investigated by authorities.
The spree of murders has called to action from three law enforcement agencies. At this time, though it is suspected all four shootings were carried out by Ryan Sharpe, police state Sharpe has not been tied to the other 3 shootings. They are trying to avoid calling Sharpe a serial killer but stated it could be called anything at this point. Also Stating, Ryan Sharpe is the primary suspect the slayings.
According to The Advocate, following his October 2017 arrest, Ryan Sharpe told authorities that he killed the three men to fill hunting tags issued to him by the government, according to documents filed in the East Feliciana Clerk of Court’s office. He said he had already filled five tags by killing the three men and then one deer — which he said was worth two tags — but then further explained that he believed he still had 12 more tags.
“According to Sharpe, he is responsible for filling five tags for the Louisiana State Police and 12 for the FBI,” a report from the East Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Department says. “He told investigators that had he not been caught on that October 2017 day, he would have been able in a couple of days to finish filling his tags and would have turned himself in.”
Reported By Micheal Kunzelman With The Associated Press.
“Our citizens can rest easy tonight knowing that we are confident we have the right person,” the sheriff added.
East Feliciana Parish Sheriff Jeff Travis said Sharpe confessed when investigators questioned him after his arrest, but the sheriff didn’t elaborate.
Detectives found “significant physical evidence” linking Sharpe to the shootings, Travis said. The Louisiana State Police crime lab matched bullets found at two of the shooting scenes, according to a sheriff’s office report.
Tommy Bass, 62, was killed in his carport on July 8 at his East Feliciana Parish home. Buck Hornsby, 47, was wounded while exercising on his property on Sept. 12 in Clinton. Carroll Breeden, 66, was shot to death on Sept. 19 while doing yard work in front of his home in Pride.
One of Sharpe’s neighbors said he stopped by last week — four days before the latest slaying — to borrow her husband’s welding helmet. She said she never felt comfortable around him.
“He always had friends around,” Traci Andes, 46, said. “They would have BBQs, crawfish boils. Just your normal people.”
After the most recent shooting, Andes told her husband she would bring her gun outside the next time he cut their grass and stand watch over the street that runs past their home.
“Everybody was scared. Even me. I didn’t want to check my mailbox,” she said. “Everybody has been on high alert.”