78-Year-Old Linked To Wife’s Death Arrested Roughly 44 Years Later
A Cut Off man linked to the death of his wife in 1977 has been finally arrested by authorities. The Lafourche Paris Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of Chester Vegas Sr. who is facing second-degree murder in the shooting the killed his wife, Diane Vegas.
The shooting incident happened on Oct. 10, 1977, at The Chicken House located at 1908 N. Bayou Drive in Green Meadow. When police deputies arrived, they found the lifeless body of Diane Vegas with a single gunshot wound at the back, NOLA.com reported.
Since then, the 78-year-old remained a suspect but the case went cold. That was until detectives reopened the case in October 2020 after obtaining new evidence. The actual details of the new evidence remain under wraps. The investigation of the murder of Diane Vegas is currently ongoing.
“We hope this arrest can begin to bring some closure to the Vegas family who have been living with questions about Diane’s death for nearly 44 years,” Sheriff Craig Webre said in an official statement. “New information combined with the initial investigation helped us build probable cause for the arrest.”
Detectives who reopened the case touched base with Vegas on June 11. He was arrested thereafter and booked at the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux. However, the 78-year-old was released Friday after he posted a $50,000 bail.
As of this writing, it could not be verified if Vegas had legal representation or someone who could speak on his behalf, the Associated Press reported. Efforts were made to reach the 78-year-old man but calls were left unanswered.
