Brittany Cormier, a mother from Louisiana, has been hailed a hero after she was shot pretending to be her daughter when two hitmen entered their home.
Brittany Cormier, 34, was found dead in her Montegut home on January 13th, alongside Hope Nettleton, 37, who lived nearby and had been visiting.
Both women had been shot dead after Andrew Eskine and Dalvin Wilson came into the house asking for Cormier’s daughter — their intended target.
Eskine, 25, and Wilson, 22, had been hired by Brittany Cormier’s 35-year-old brother, Beaux Cormier, who was facing mounting evidence in a case where it was alleged he had raped his niece — Brittany’s daughter.
Brittany Cormier is thought to have given her daughter’s name when asked who she was, resulting in her own death as her daughter and stepdaughter were hidden in a closet.
Hope Nettleton lost her life after being shot while bravely fighting back against the hitmen. The two men have admitted they were hired to murder Cormier’s niece and have been charged with first-degree murder.
Along with Beaux Cormier, the group of three conducted surveillance of the mother and daughter last year between July and November.
According to officials, there was a “pretty solid rape case” against Cormier, who is already a convicted sex offender. He was originally arrested in March 2020 for the rape of his niece.
The District Attorney working on the case said in a press conference on Monday that the death penalty is “definitely” a possibility for Andrew Eskine and Dalvin Wilson following the double homicide.
Cormier has also been charged with the murders and still faces charges of third-degree rape against his niece.
Speaking about Brittany Cormier, her friend, Samantha LeMaire, said she was “like a sister” to her and would have done anything for her children — but added that she never imagined something like this would have happened.
The friend stated: “But to this extent? I would have never thought it would ever have come down to this. I like to think she locked them in the closet to protect them.”
Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Timothy Soignet issued the following statement on the matter: “Brittany Cormier was murdered as a result of telling the shooter she was, in fact, the rape victim, likely saving the life of the actual rape victim. Nettleton was killed while trying to fight off the gunmen.”
Beaux Cormier never faced serious jail time for his previous crimes. Authorities revealed that the suspects did try to kill the alleged rape victim before the January 13 incident.
