James Kenny Hamilton, a 51-year-old white man, was found dead in a recliner in his Lenel Road home near Abita Springs, Louisiana, on Monday, March 7, 2016, after he failed to show up for work. The coroner estimated he had been killed 36 to 48 hours earlier. An autopsy determined he was shot six times in the head with a .22 caliber pistol.

Investigators focused on his 16-year-old stepson, Daniel Tucker Hamilton, amid reports of a strained relationship and disputes over driving restrictions the elder Hamilton had placed on the teenager. Evidence presented at trial showed Daniel shot his stepfather after a meal, then took his truck and debit card, unsuccessfully attempted to use the card at Walmart, spent time at a hunting camp with friends, and tried to sell the murder weapon. While out on bail he allegedly plotted to have his aunt and uncle killed, leading to two solicitation-for-murder counts.

A jury convicted Daniel T. Hamilton of second-degree murder and the two solicitation counts; he received a mandatory life sentence for the murder. Does anyone have information about James Hamilton’s life in the Abita Springs area or about the days before his death?