One of the people arrested in connection with the murder of a 78-year-old Norco woman was released last week.
Pauline Deese, 17, was indicted for accessory after the fact to first-degree murder and obstruction of justice in the death of Mary Nancy Arico in November.
Deese is one of four local teenagers being charged in connection with the death.
Police say Deese, who is the older sister of another suspect, knew about the murder and lied to detectives when questioned about the incident. Authorities say she also helped to dispose of evidence linked to the murder.
Deese was released from the custody of the St. Charles Parish Jail on a $300,000 bond on Jan. 25, according to Capt. Pat Yoes of the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Arico, who lived at 115 Mary St. in Norco, was stabbed and beaten to death in her home on Nov. 8. On Nov. 26 her body was found on the kitchen floor by parish deputies.
In a press conference after the murder, Sheriff Greg Champagne said that deputies were called out to Arico’s home after the victim’s sister, who lives in New York, had trouble reaching her on the phone.
When deputies arrived at Arico’s home, they discovered that the back door was open. When they entered, they found Arico lying on the kitchen floor in a severely decomposed state.
Through an autopsy, it was determined that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head along with multiple stab wounds.
Two 16-year-olds, Daniel Deese and Braiden Sumrall, were both indicted for first-degree murder, but it is unclear whether or not they will be tried as adults. A 14-year-old girl has been charged with principle to first degree murder and will be tried as a juvenile.
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