Beloved priest among 2 found ‘burned beyond recognition’ in Louisiana, officials say

A priest has been identified as one of the two people found “burned beyond recognition” in Louisiana, officials say.

The Tammany Parish coroner confirmed Tuesday, Nov. 29 that Otis Young was among two people found early Monday, a public information officer told McClatchy News. The office is working to determine the identity of the second body but disclosed that the second victim was a woman.

Young was a priest at St. Peter Parish, a Catholic church in Covington, according to the church’s website.

“The St. Peter Parish community is devastated at the announcement that one of the victims in yesterday’s double homicide in downtown Covington is confirmed to be that of Fr. Otis Young, Jr.,” the parish said in a Nov. 29 post on its website. “We are deeply saddened.”

Covington police officers found the two bodies in the 500 block of East Gibson Street in Covington, the department said in a Nov. 28 Facebook post. The same day Antonio Donde Tyson, 49, was charged in connection with the murders.

Tyson is facing two counts of first degree murder, two counts of second degree kidnapping, two counts of obstruction of justice, one count of resisting an officer and one count of illegal possession of stolen things, police said.

The parish said Tyson has no affiliation with the church.

“This is a very sad day for the City of Covington,” the city’s mayor, Mark Johnson, said in a statement. “We like to think our city is immune from these tragedies, but we are not.”

Young was remembered as a “sweet gentle man,” one user wrote in a Facebook comment.

“His heart and joy he had was always so visible! You will be forever missed Fr. Otis,” another person wrote.

Covington is about 70 miles east of Baton Rouge.

This story was originally published November 30, 2022 at 11:56 AM with the headline "Beloved priest among 2 found ‘burned beyond recognition’ in Louisiana, officials say."

Moira Ritter

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Moira Ritter covers real-time news for McClatchy. She is a graduate of Georgetown University where she studied government, journalism and German. Previously, she reported for CNN Business.