A quiet evening in the small community of Butte La Rose, Louisiana, ended in violence on March 27, 2025, when 45-year-old Jesse Cormier of Breaux Bridge was shot and killed inside The Butte Bar on the Atchafalaya River Highway. Deputies from the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office were called to a 911 report at about 11:48 p.m. and found Cormier deceased from a gunshot wound.

Authorities arrested 61-year-old Paul Baudoin of Breaux Bridge the afternoon of March 28, 2025; he was booked into the St. Martin Parish Correctional Center on a single count of manslaughter. Initial reports indicate an earlier altercation between the two men, and locals have suggested alcohol may have contributed to the escalation. Cormier is remembered by family as a devoted father who enjoyed hunting and fishing.

Anyone who was at The Butte Bar or nearby that night, or who has information about the events leading up to the shooting, is asked to contact investigators.