Man shot to death, partner arrested in Madisonville homicide

MADISONVILLE, La. (WVUE) - The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office says one man is dead and another is in jail after a homicide in the Madisonville area Christmas night.

Deputies responded to a shooting call in the 700 block of Highway 1085 around 7:45 p.m.

When deputies arrived at the scene, they found a man shot multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The suspect, 57-year-old Harry Cleland, was detained at the scene and taken into custody.

Cleland told police he and the victim were involved in a romantic relationship and had begun fighting. At one point during the altercation, Cleland claims the victim pulled out a machete. Cleland then shot the victim multiple times before calling 911.

Cleland has been booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail on one count of manslaughter.

The St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office later identified the victim as 21-year-old Christopher Taylor. He would have turned 22 on December 28.

Neighbor Richard Mitchell says he heard a gunshot but never would have imagined anyone had been killed near his quiet neighborhood.

"I was surprised around here a lot of people just shoot stuff in the air it’s kind of rural, pretty rural,” Mitchell said.

"Certainly that’s upsetting it’s sad to know anybody goes through that but during the holidays it’s an unusual situation for our side of the lake and our area here in St. Tammany,” Madisonville Mayor Jean Peloat said.

"The biggest thing we deal with is vehicular traffic you know the traffic problems when it comes to the major crime we have very little,” Peloat said.

STPSO says the investigation into the incident is still ongoing.

Copyright 2019 WVUE. All rights reserved.