INDReporter

$700,000 bail set for Seth Fontenot

by Patrick Flanagan

The 18-year-old UL student will soon see daylight following a decision Thursday by 15th Judicial District Judge Kristian Earles to set bail.

Seth Fontenot will soon see daylight following a decision Thursday by 15th Judicial District Judge Kristian Earles to set bail for the 18-year-old UL Lafayette student at $700,000.

Seth Fontenot

Fontenot's 60-plus supporters, most donning a red ribbon with a picture of him and his dog on their shirts, packed the fourth floor of the courthouse to watch as he was escorted into the courtroom Thursday wearing an orange parish jail jumpsuit. Fontenot has been held at the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center since Feb. 10, when he was arrested and booked for the shooting death of Austin Rivault - a 15-year-old freshman at St. Thomas More.

Fontenot was indicted Feb. 18 by a local grand jury on one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted first-degree murder for shooting two of Rivault's friends, Cole Kelley of Teurlings Catholic and William Bellamy of STM. Kelley and Bellamy are still recovering from their injuries.

Fontenot, who told police the three gunshots were fired only in an attempt to scare the teens, will not face the death penalty. Judge Earles, during Thursday's hearing, set Fontenot's bail at $500,000 for the first-degree murder charge, and $200,000 for the two attempted first-degree murder charges.

Tommy Guilbeau, Fontenot's attorney, told KATC his client will have to post an $84,000 bond to get out of jail. Guilbeau does not expect that to happen today, the station reported.