Convicted Rapist Who Fled St. Tammany Verdict Gets 56 Years Behind Bars

ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — A New Orleans man who disappeared before a jury delivered its verdict in a St. Tammany Parish rape and domestic abuse case will now spend decades behind bars.

Brandon Justin Lee Williams, 38, received a 56-year prison sentence on October 26 after being convicted of second-degree rape, domestic abuse battery and cruelty to juveniles.

The case began with a Slidell Police Department investigation involving allegations of repeated violence against a mother and her children.

Also Read

Slidell Voter Files Emergency Lawsuit Against Three Rivers PAC, Citing Concerns Voters Are Being Misled

A jury convicted Williams on all four charges September 23, but he failed to appear for the verdict. His disappearance prompted a search that ended October 6, when U.S. Marshals apprehended him in Lake Charles.

Judge Tara Farris Zeller imposed a 40-year sentence for second-degree rape, two additional three-year sentences for domestic abuse offenses, and 10 years for cruelty to juveniles.

All four sentences will run consecutively, bringing his total punishment to 56 years at hard labor. The 40-year rape sentence carries no eligibility for probation, parole or suspension of sentence.

During sentencing, the survivor’s written statement was presented to the court. She described the lasting emotional and physical consequences of the abuse, including its effects on her children.

The 22nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced the sentence Tuesday, October 27.

Assistant District Attorneys Zachary Popovich and Taylor Nicholson prosecuted the case.