Highlights

• Lafourche Parish District Attorney’s April 11, 2025, report found “several inconsistencies” in LSP’s crash investigation of Kyren Lacy
• DA report states evidence does not support that Lacy “should have known his actions were the cause of the crash”
• The report confirms Lacy was back in his correct lane 92.3 yards before the fatal collision occurred
• DA found Lacy would not have been responsible “had it been a stretch of roadway where cars were permitted to pass each other”
• ABC News obtained the full DA report on Thursday, revealing contradictions to LSP’s narrative that led to Lacy’s arrest

Lafourche Parish District Attorney Report Contradicts Louisiana State Police Claims in Kyren Lacy Investigation

Documents obtained by national media show Lafourche Parish prosecutors found major problems with the Louisiana State Police investigation that led to former LSU receiver Kyren Lacy’s arrest on negligent homicide charges

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) — A district attorney’s report obtained by ABC News this week contradicts key claims Louisiana State Police made about former LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy’s role in a December 2024 fatal crash. Prosecutors found “several inconsistencies” in the investigation that led to his arrest.

According to ABC News, the April 11, 2025, review by an investigator in Lafourche Parish District Attorney Kristine Russell’s office stated: “The report provided to this office by Louisiana State Police has several inconsistencies which were used to base their opinion and conclusion of the crash.”

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The DA’s report challenges the foundation of LSP’s case against the 24-year-old who took his own life on April 12, 2025—one day after prosecutors completed their review and two days before a grand jury was scheduled to hear the case.

What the District Attorney’s Investigation Found

The Lafourche Parish DA’s office conducted its own investigation into the December 17, 2024, crash on Louisiana Highway 20 that killed 78-year-old Herman Hall. Their findings tell a different story than what LSP presented to the public and used to get an arrest warrant.

Distance and Lane Position

According to the DA report, Lacy was driving at high speed when he passed four vehicles—including an 18-wheeler—in a no-passing zone. But he was back in his “correct lane” well before the crash occurred.

The report states Lacy was 92.3 yards back in his proper southbound lane before the fatal collision happened. When the crash occurred, Lacy’s vehicle was about 72.6 yards behind it.

The DA’s analysis concluded that if the roadway had permitted passing at that location, “the point at which Lacy returned to his lane would have been three times the required distance and he would not have been responsible for any crash.”

What Actually Caused the Collision

The prosecutor’s report disputes LSP’s claim that the driver of a Kia Cadenza swerved to avoid Lacy’s approaching Charger.

The DA found “the evidence shows the driver of the Kia Cadenza was following too closely behind the gold truck and swerved into the southbound lanes to avoid hitting the truck—not to avoid Lacy’s Charger.”

This matters because the Kia Cadenza crossed into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with the Kia Sorento where Hall was a passenger. The Cadenza driver was initially cited for following too close, though that citation was later changed to driving left of center.

Hit-and-Run Claims Challenged

LSP sought felony hit-and-run charges against Lacy, claiming he fled the scene and failed to render aid.

But the DA’s report concluded: “the evidence submitted in the crash report does not support that Kyren Lacy should have known that his actions were the cause of the crash.”

If Lacy didn’t know his passing caused a crash 72 yards ahead of him, prosecutors reasoned, he couldn’t be guilty of knowingly fleeing an accident scene.

Louisiana State Police Stand By Their Investigation

LSP responded to ABC News, defending their work: “We cannot comment on the District Attorney’s investigation, as we were not part of that process. Louisiana State Police stands by the findings of its crash investigation, which relied on Troopers’ specialized training, eyewitness accounts, video evidence, and physical evidence to determine contributing factors.”

READ MORE: LPS Defends Investigation Video as AG Orders Investigation Review

The agency maintains that surveillance footage from a nearby Go Bears gas station supports their conclusion that Lacy’s reckless passing created the chain of events that led to Hall’s death.

In their Critical Incident Briefing Video released earlier this week, LSP argued that only two seconds passed between Lacy returning to his lane and the fatal crash. They say this short timeframe meant other drivers had no chance to react safely to normal traffic conditions.

The Legal and Scientific Dispute

The disagreement between LSP and the DA’s office is about causation—the legal standard required to prove negligent homicide under Louisiana law.

LSP’s Position: Time-Based Causation

Louisiana State Police argue that the surveillance video shows Lacy’s lime-green Dodge Charger returning to the southbound lane at 12:03:52 PM, with the crash audible on the footage at 12:03:54 PM—just two seconds later.

They say Lacy’s reckless passing at high speed disrupted traffic flow so badly that the collision became inevitable, even though his vehicle never made contact with any of the vehicles in the crash.

“As the Green Dodge Charger returns to the southbound lane, aggressive braking and engine deceleration are immediately followed by a crash that can be heard on the surveillance footage,” LSP’s video states.

DA’s Position: Distance-Based Analysis

The Lafourche Parish DA’s investigation focused on distance rather than time.

Their report emphasizes that Lacy was 92.3 yards back in his proper lane before the crash occurred, and when the collision happened, he was 72.6 yards behind it.

The DA’s analysis suggests that at those distances, other factors—the Cadenza driver following too closely and choosing to swerve left into oncoming traffic rather than right onto the shoulder—were the actual causes of the fatal head-on collision.

The Math Connects Both Stories

Here’s what both agencies haven’t fully addressed: If Lacy was 72.6 yards behind the crash when it happened, and only two seconds had passed since he returned to his lane, basic physics shows he was traveling about 74 mph in a 40 mph zone—even after the “aggressive braking and deceleration” LSP documented.

This calculation means both versions could be accurate. Lacy could be “almost a football field away” from the crash while his excessive speed and reckless driving still created conditions that left other drivers with no time to respond safely.

What LSP’s Report Got Wrong, According to Prosecutors

The DA’s investigation identified specific false statements in the LSP crash report.

“Vehicle 1 abruptly slowing to a sudden stop in the northbound lane”

The DA report states this is “an incorrect statement and at no point is Kyren Lacy observed coming to a stop in the northbound lane.”

“After the collision, Driver 1 briefly returned to the southbound lane before re-entering the opposing northbound lane”

Prosecutors say this language “gives the impression that Kyren Lacy was actively passing vehicles when the crash occurred, which is incorrect.” They emphasize Lacy had already completed his passing and was back in the correct lane before the collision.

“[The pickup driver] immediately applied his brakes and swerved to the right to avoid a head-on collision with Vehicle 1”

The DA states “all the evidence for this case contradicts this statement.” Video analysis showed the pickup truck traveling at an average speed of 28.2 mph, which prosecutors say doesn’t support the claim of emergency braking within 102 feet.

Attorney General and Legislative Response

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced this week she is “independently reviewing all the witness statements and evidence in this case.”

Despite the DA’s findings, Murrill issued a statement supporting LSP’s conclusion: “The evidence is not disputed here. The Lafourche Parish District Attorney’s Office was prepared to present the case to a grand jury that showed Kyren Lacy returning to his lane. However, that does not absolve Kyren Lacy of responsibility in this matter.”

The Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus has demanded a formal investigation into LSP’s handling of the case.

“The people of Louisiana deserve confidence that every investigation conducted by our law enforcement agencies is guided by truth, integrity, and justice—not bias, shortcuts, or the need to quickly assign blame,” said Rep. Edmond Jordan, chair of the caucus. “The inconsistencies surrounding the Kyren Lacy case demand an immediate and transparent review.”

State Representative C. Denise Marcelle called for Colonel Robert Hodges to be fired after reviewing body camera footage that appears to show a trooper coaching a witness on what to write in his statement.

What Lacy’s Attorney Says Now

Matthew Ory, Lacy’s attorney, released a statement this week defending DA Russell against social media posts claiming her handling of the case contributed to Lacy’s death.

“The DA did not simply accept the charges presented by the state police,” Ory said. “Instead, she took a step that many would not have: she conducted her own independent investigation. This wasn’t mandatory. It was an extra effort she made to ensure fairness and neutrality in the process.”

READ MORE: New Kyren Lacy Evidence Contradicts Police Investigation

Ory maintains that Russell’s investigation uncovered discrepancies that “could have altered the course of Lacy’s case.”

In his interview with HTV last Friday, Ory stated, “In my opinion, this never survives a grand jury. Never, never, ever survives a grand jury.”

The Case That Never Got to Trial

The Lafourche Parish District Attorney never formally charged Kyren Lacy. LSP got an arrest warrant through the 17th Judicial District Court on January 8, 2025, but prosecutors never filed formal charges.

A grand jury was scheduled to hear the case on April 14, 2025. DA Russell’s investigation report, finding multiple inconsistencies in the LSP case, is dated April 11, 2025.

Kyren Lacy died by suicide on April 12, 2025, in Houston during an unrelated police pursuit. He was 24 years old.

The grand jury never met. Herman Hall’s family never got to see the case prosecuted. And the legal question—whether Louisiana law holds someone criminally responsible for a fatal crash they didn’t directly cause but may have set in motion—remains unanswered.