I-TEAM: Trader Joe’s shooter could face less than a year behind bars
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - The WAFB I-TEAM has learned Jace Boyd, the man who shot and killed Danny Buckley outside Trader Joe’s in Baton Rouge, could face even less time behind bars than the 18 months a judge sentenced him to in court Tuesday, June 11, 2024.
Boyd faced up to 40 years in prison after being sentenced back in April. A judge decided Tuesday that he would only serve 18 months, citing the fact that he was not convicted of any prior crimes and the fact that he was cooperative during the investigation into the matter.
Attorney Seth Dornier represents Boyd and says, given the circumstances, this was the most favorable outcome they could have hoped for in the case.
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“When he pronounced the sentence, he [the judge] gave his justifications which appeared to be sound and my client was okay with it. I can’t say he was happy about it but he’s okay with it,” said Dornier.
The attorney says family members of Danny Buckley left the courtroom abruptly after the sentence was announced and he says his heart goes out to them, adding that there are no winners in a case like this.
“My heart goes out to them.. I mean a man died. We heard the victim impact statements today and they were moving and we’re very sorry,” said Dornier. “In a situation like this, coming from that view, there are no winners. Mr. Buckley had a family. He had children and he had grandchildren and he is not here anymore and that is very sad and even the judge and in the beginning said we can’t bring him back.”
The I-TEAM has learned Boyd may face less than a year behind bars. He has been locked up since he was convicted in April. He also spent about a month in jail when he was initially arrested in 2020. With credit for time served and with the possibility of any good behavior credits, he could potentially face less than a year in prison.
The District Attorney released the following statement about the sentencing decision:
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