Last week a St. Tammany jury found 39 YO Joseph Laue of Slidell, guilty of second degree murder, distribution of heroin, possession with the intent to distribute and more. He faces mandatory life imprisonment when he is sentenced Oct. 9th.
In August of 2015, officers in Slidell discovered that 24 YO Albert Morant had died of a heroin overdose. An investigation by the Slidell Police Department determined that Morant had purchased the heroin from Laue. Undercover officers observed two separate hand-to-hand transactions in September 2015 and in November of 2015, during which Laue sold heroin to multiple individuals. The suspect admitted to being a middle man, making trips to New Orleans to provide heroin for his customers in Slidell. During the trial the State offered evidence of Morant’s tragic overdose, as well as the testimony of one of Laue’s former clients, who has successfully completed the Drug Court program in the 22nd Judicial District Court.
