More than two years after the death of her son, Catina Celestine’s pain is real.
The worst part, she says, is that it has nowhere to go.
Celestine remains without closure and her son, she believes, is without justice. On July 24 of 2022, Davin Labranch Jr. was shot and killed while traveling on LA 3127 in Hahnville. He was 25 years old, and the homicide case remains unsolved.
Celestine said that on the night of his death, Labranch received a phone call asking he pick up someone from a party. He and a friend travelled to a gathering that was happening at the Killona Volunteer Fire Department.
But as Labranch and his two passengers traveled away from the party, shots were fired.
According to the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, evidence from the shooting scene indicates that shots were exchanged between someone in Labranch’s car and an unidentified second vehicle. Detectives believe Labranch was killed in the crossfire. Two other occupants of his vehicle were also shot and injured.
Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Sgt. Jenni Barrette said the investigation remains open and added the Sheriff’s Office is requesting community assistance to bring justice to the victim and his family. Anyone with information that could further the investigation is asked to contact Barrette at 1-985-331-1556 or by email at jbarrette@stcharlessheriff.org.
Police have maintained communication with Labranch’s family to update about the investigation, Barrette said.
But the lack of concrete answers to this point has left Celestine sad, frustrated and hurting. While completely moving on may be impossible for a mother who loved her son as she did, she also can’t turn the page on the idea that whoever did this to her son is still out there.
“It just feels like it’s not getting anywhere at all,” she said. “I can’t let this just be forgotten about. Someone took his life.”
Celestine and Labranch lived in Waggaman, but are originally from Hahnville.
Among the most frustrating parts of it all, she says, is that she knows there are people who do know what happened but aren’t speaking up.
“The people in the car with him, they can talk … they know what happened,” Celestine said. “They know what happened, know exactly what took place. My son was doing a good thing, going to pick someone up at a party. If he wanted to be at that party, he would have gone, but he was home working on his bike. And this takes place? It’s not right.”
She remembers her son as a happy person “who loved to crack jokes,” and a loving father of three. Labranch had two daughters and a son.
“The kids miss him every day. They’re always talking about him,” Celestine said. “They’re so young and they have a lot of growing to do, and they have to do it without their dad. I don’t think it’s fair.
“God is in control and I do believe in God. But I just want to know what happened … he deserves justice.”
