Man accused of killing Covington priest, assistant indicted on double murder charges

COVINGTON, La. (WGNO) — A Covington man accused of killing a pastor and his caretaker, then disposing of their bodies was indicted Wednesday on two counts of first-degree murder.

A St. Tammany Parish grand jury has indicted 49-year-old Antonio Tyson for the brutal murder of Father Otis Young and caretaker Ruth Prats that left their bodies burned beyond recognition in late November.

Tyson has previously served a 40-year sentence for forcible rape, a 40-year sentence for armed robbery, and a 30-year sentence for aggravated burglary, all to run concurrently.

Because of Act 138 of 1991, Tyson was eligible for release on February 1, 2012, onto good time parole supervision.

WGNO has reached out to St. Tammany District Attorney, Warren Montgomery, in regards to if they plan to seek the death penalty in Tyson’s sentencing and charges related to his attempted escape in December, but have not received a response yet.

We’re told Tyson’s arraignment is scheduled for March 28 at 9 a.m. His case has been assigned to District Judge A.J. Hand.

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