Hosanna Church Update - Dec. 19th, 2005

A full index of articles on this case can be found here.

If you've been wondering about the status of the Hosanna Church case, you're in good company. Many individuals have emailed me asking if I had any new information on the case that has virtually disappeared from the news.

Well, thanks to several sources, I have some updates. First, just the news from this weekend, then some commentary:

(The article is, unfortunately, not available on the paper's website.)

From the Sunday Star, Hammond, LA:

DA: Hosanna trial priority

by Sylvia Schon, Daily Staff Writer

AMITE-- One of the highest profile criminal cases to ever hit the 21st Judicial District Court may go to trial in 2006.

Prosecutors are still exploring the evidence in the Hosanna Church sexual abuse case where seven defendants are accused of aggravated rape involving children and abuse of animals at the Ponchatoula church.

"There is just a tremendous amount of material for the office to read and dissect and categorize. We are in the process of doing that. We have an obligation to review everything," District Attorney Scott Perrilloux said Friday.

Prosecutors will not seek the death penalty.

The case drew national attention this summer with local officials and media interviews on national television.

A grand jury indicted seven of the nine in June for various accounts of aggravated rape.

The seven are: Louis Lamonica, the self-professed preacher in the Ponchatoula church; his wife, Robbin Lamonica; former Tangihopa Parish Sheriff's Deputy Chris Labat; Austin Aaron Bernard III, Patricia Pierson, Alan Pierson and Paul Fontenot.

Bernard is the only one of the seven that has not yet bonded out of the Tangihopa Parish Jail.

Two others, Lois Mabry (sic) and Nicole Bernard, face charges related to the allegations.

Several defendants were attacked by other prisoners while in the jail.

Louisiana law requires monitoring of those who bond out of jail on a charge of rape while waiting for trial, Perrilloux said.

At least one defendant is being monitored by a GPS system, but all are subject to some sort of monitoring, Perrilloux said.

The story broke in May after Louis Lamonica confessed to Livingston Parish deputies that he and others had been educating children about sexual relations and sexual misconduct with animals.

Authorities were also alerted by a call from Nicole Bernard in Ohio who related more about the case. She told deputies she fled from Louisiana in fear for her child and that counseling with her child raised allegations of sexual abuse.

Perrilloux said he hopes to get the case to trial in the coming year.

"In my discussion with Don Wall (assistant district attorney), I told him we want to make it a priority," Perrilloux said.

So that's the latest news. Not much there, eh?

But there is much more going on behind the scenes and beneath the surface, according to multiple sources who have contacted me in the past months. I've held back on much of the information because my sources fear for their safety. But every source has said essentially the same thing: the "political machine" in the region is powerful and corrupt to the core, and the climate of fear is oppressive.

My next post will touch on a seemingly unconnected case that may actually shed considerable light on the prosecutorial team. Stay tuned.

And again, anyone with relevant information should feel free to contact me via email. If you have physical documents you'd like to send, I will provide you with my post office box.

All information I receive is being held in strictest confidence, and is duplicated and stored in multiple secure locations. Please feel free to remain anonymous.