Hope Nettleton, 37, and Brittany Cormier, 34, both lied to a hitman so that the intended target, a rape victim, would be saved: cops
Two brave Louisiana women sacrificed their own lives when a pair of hitmen entered one of their homes in early January and pointed a gun at them, according to police. Andrew Eskine, 25, and Dalvin Wilson, 22, were allegedly hired by their friend, accused of raping his relative –– but when one of the men showed up at the house, two unintended targets were inside, according to the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office.
At the end of the accused hitman's barrel were neighbors Hope Nettleton, 37, and Brittany Cormier, 34.
The hitman called out a name, trying to identify the woman he was hired to kill. Brittany Cormier lied to the man proclaiming that she was the right woman. Wilson then allegedly shot her. Nettleton, who was only a neighbor stopping by for a visit, attempted to fight him off but was also shot, cops said.
"The shooter asking for the rape victim by name and Brittany Cormier tells the shooter she's the rape victim, accepting her fate to save the life of an actual victim," Sheriff Tim Soignet told reporters at a press conference.
"To have a homicide of this nature is very unusual," Soignet said.
Brittany was actually the sister of the accused rapist, according to reports.
Beaux Cormier, the accused rapist, was previously arrested in Vermilion Parish on third-degree rape charges. Cormier had allegedly hired his friends in the murder-for-hire plot to kill his relative, who made allegations against him last year. He is already a convicted sex offender and was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting the relative in March 2020, Buzzfeed News reported.
Cormier was released on a $55,000 bond last year on March 6, according to the clerk's office. He hasn't entered a plea yet.
Cormier and his two friends had allegedly conducted surveillance of the house leading up to the murder, and even attempted to execute their plan at an earlier date, but failed, the Sheriff's office said.
Eskine, one of the alleged hired hitmen, was reportedly away at work during the actual shooting –– but he allegedly facilitated getting the car and creating the plan, cops said.
The women lived in Terrebonne Parish, a small southern community that considers itself more like "family," a neighbor, who knew both of the victims, told WWL.
"It was so unnecessary and so tragic," a neighbor told WWL-TV.
District Attorney Joe Waitz Jr. told reporters that the death penalty "is on the table."
A $2 million bond was set for all three men, according to the clerk's office. They are set to be arraigned on March 11.
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