Louisiana murder-for-hire plot botched by hitmen who misidentified rape victim, killed 2 other women: sheriff

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Two hitmen in Louisiana – allegedly hired by a rape suspect in a murder-for-hire plot to kill his victim, preventing her from testifying – botched the job, killing the suspect's sister and a different woman instead, authorities announced Monday. 

The two women were shot to death trying to protect the alleged rape victim from those paid to kill her, Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Timothy Soginet explained at a news conference. The rape victim, who has not been named, is still alive, Soginet confirmed.

Beaux Cormier – already a convicted sex offender – was arrested in March 2020 in Vermillion Parish, La., and was charged with the third-degree rape of his niece. Cormier, 35, allegedly then hired 25-year-old Andrew Eskine and 22-year-old Dalvin Wilson "to murder the rape victim so she could not testify," Soginet said.

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The three men are now being held on $2 million bonds each and have each been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection to the deaths of 34-year-old Brittany Cormier and her neighbor, 37-year-old Hope Nettleton.

"As far as the death penalty, it is absolutely on the table," Terrebonne Parish District Attorney Joe Waitz Jr. said. 

Hope Nettleton (left) tried to fight off two hitmen who arrived at her neighbor, Brittany Cormier's home looking for a rape victim they were paid to kill. Cormier was also shot dead, after lying to the hitmen that she was the victim they sought, authorities said. 
(Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office)

Soginet had declined to go into detail about how Beaux and Brittany were related at the news conference, but a statement released by the sheriff’s office afterward confirmed that the two were brother and sister.

Investigators said Beaux Cormier, Eskine and Wilson traveled to Montegut, a small town located about 70 miles southwest of New Orleans, to conduct surveillance on a house months before the murder. Eskine and Wilson then returned in November 2020 alone to commit the homicide but "it was a failed attempt," Soginet said. 

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The pair returned to the home again on Jan. 13 and confronted Brittany Cormier once inside. 

"The shooter asked for the rape victim by name, and Brittany Cormier tells the shooter she is the rape victim, accepting her fate to save the life of an actual victim," Soginet said. Nettleton "actually struggled with the shooter and was shot fighting him off," he added. 

Deputies responded to 103 Montegut St., where they found two deceased females suffering from fatal gunshot wounds. Local surveillance video helped track the direction of the vehicle that fled, and authorities eventually located three men and made arrests. 

Both Eskine and Wilson "confessed to their involvement in this incident," Soginet said.

(Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office)

"Once again, I’d like to commend all the officers involved in this investigation. This situation has rocked our community, and it will not be tolerated," Waitz said at the news conference. "These guys worked tirelessly around the clock solving this case. They started off with just a smidgen on evidence and took it from there and ultimately ended up with three arrests with confessions."

It was unclear whether the rape victim was present at the home when the hitmen were there. The sheriff confirmed that five people were inside the home at the time they had arrived.

The Acadiana Advocate reported that Brittany Cormier’s children were hiding in a closet when she was killed. According to the newspaper, Brittany Cormier’s daughter was the rape victim. An online obituary said she is survived by a daughter and two sons.

Soginet explained that Montegut is a small town and "people are very close over there."

"There were good people who ended up dying as a result," he continued. "This really hit the community hard, so we worked real hard so we can bring peace to the families and community down in Montegut."

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"We have homicides, but to have a double homicide in this nature is very unusual," the sheriff said. "This is probably one of the first cases where we had a murder-for-hire to investigate to that level."