Baton Rouge Deputies Arrive in Lafayette to Escort Funeral Procession

(Lafayette, Louisiana) - It was a sad day last Saturday in Lafayette as 17-year-old Martha Odom was laid to rest.

Martha is the young lady from Lafayette Parish who was shot and killed while sitting in the food court in the Mall of Louisiana. Well, this past weekend, Martha was laid to rest as her family and friends gathered to say their final goodbyes.

A lot of people on social media who may not have been aware of the funeral procession in Lafayette were asking why there was such a large police presence around UL this weekend, and it was because so many people turned out to pay their respects to the Ascension Episcopal School senior.

Included in that huge police presence were deputies from the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Department. In the midst of strong thunderstorms, deputies from Baton Rouge rode their motorcycles to Lafayette just to escort Martha and her family to her final resting place.

Why Baton Rouge Sheriff's Deputies Were in Lafayette

Remember, Martha was unfortunately shot and killed in their jurisdiction, and it was like the agency felt that they had to be there for her as she was laid to rest. What a sign of respect and what dedication it is for an outside agency to travel through storms to be there for the family one last time.

In a social media post, the EBR Parish Sheriff's Office posted photos of their deputies riding alongside the hearse that transported Martha to her final resting place in Lafayette. In addition to escorting Martha to her final resting place, deputies stood shoulder to shoulder during the burial ceremony

Martha was described as an outgoing young lady who planned to attend the University of Tennessee to pursue her passion for writing and dance.

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Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Martha Odom, and once again, we salute those deputies from Baton Rouge who traveled to Lafayette to pay their respects to the young lady who died while in their jurisdiction. They were there for her one final time.

Here are photos shared by the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Dept.