Antonio Tyson has pleaded guilty in St. Tammany Parish to the 2022 killings of Father Otis Young and church worker Ruth Prats, clearing the way for a sentencing hearing set for June 8, 2026. The plea agreement, backed by both victims' families, removes the possibility of a death sentence in a case that began when two badly burned bodies were discovered behind a downtown Covington business in late November 2022. Tyson entered the plea as prosecutors were gearing up for a capital trial that had been scheduled to start on June 1, 2026.
According to District Attorney J. Collin Sims' Office, Tyson pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and one count of obstruction of justice, and the judge set sentencing for 9 a.m. on June 8, 2026. Under the agreement, he will receive two consecutive life sentences at hard labor without the benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, plus a consecutive 40-year term for obstruction. The DA's office stated that Tyson also agreed not to seek any reduction of his sentence now or in the future and that he will be housed under conditions equivalent to death row while serving his time.
Prosecutors Cite Medical Evidence And Atkins Concerns
In its release, the DA's office said medical records and testing supplied by the defense over seven weeks raised "meaningful concerns under Atkins v. Virginia" about Tyson's intellectual impairment and a traumatic brain injury. Those findings created a serious risk that a death sentence would not survive on appeal. "This outcome should not be interpreted as a reflection on whether the death penalty would otherwise be appropriate," Sims wrote in the statement. Prosecutors framed the deal as a way to lock in the harshest punishment legally secureable under the circumstances while avoiding years of capital litigation and uncertainty.
How Investigators Say They Tied Tyson To The Killings
Investigators say a trail of surveillance footage, phone records, and witness statements helped them reconstruct the final hours of Young and Prats. Security video captured Tyson riding a bicycle past Prats' home, speaking with Prats and Young, then later returning in a crouched position with what appeared to be a knife before going into Prats' house, according to WDSU. Detectives later tracked Prats' white SUV to a Walgreens parking lot and obtained footage of the vehicle at a gas station, where Tyson was seen filling a container with fuel. Tyson was arrested the same day officers discovered the burned remains and was initially booked on multiple counts, including murder, kidnapping, and obstruction of justice.
Victims Identified And Coroner's Findings
The St. Tammany Parish coroner identified the victims as Father Otis Young and longtime church worker Ruth Prats, and autopsies determined the cause of death to be a combination of blunt and sharp force trauma, WAFB reported. Their burned bodies were found on Nov. 28, 2022, behind a business in downtown Covington, a discovery that stunned the Northshore community and set off a months-long investigation. Parishioners and local leaders described Young and Prats as devoted servants of the church, and officials said family members were directly involved in the discussions that led to Tyson's plea agreement.
What Happens Next
At the June 8 hearing, the judge is expected to formally impose the agreed-upon consecutive life sentences along with the additional 40-year obstruction term, bringing the halted capital prosecution to an official close. The plea effectively cancels the death penalty trial that had been slated for June 1, 2026. Prosecutors have said the agreement prioritizes finality for the families over an extended death-penalty process, Fox 8 reported. After sentencing, court filings and statements from the DA's office are expected to be the main public windows into any remaining developments in the case.
