Triple murder, suicide, leaves community looking for answers
January 1, 2014
Top 10 in 2013 – News
January 1, 2014
STAFF REPORT
Ben Edward Freeman and Jeanne Gouaux were wed June 7, 1997, but by early December 2010, the couple was seeking a divorce. Lafourche Parish police and court records detail a picture of turmoil as Ben Freeman’s life began to unravel. The information listed below was gleaned from documents obtained through the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafourche Parish courts and the Thibodaux Police Department.
• June 7, 1997: Ben Freeman marries Jeanne Gouaux.
• January 2002 – June 2009: Freeman and Gouaux conceive four children.
• February 3, 2010: Freeman petitions District Court for a divorce from Gouaux.
• Dec. 3, 2010: Divorce proceedings are dismissed after Freeman and Gouaux agree to reconcile.
• Jan. 22, 2011: Ben Freeman erupts at Ochsner St. Anne General Hospital, where he is employed. According to the incident report on file at the sheriff’s office, Freeman punched the walls of the employee restroom and hit the sink with such force that it snapped off the wall and flooded an adjacent hallway. He proceeded to smash a window in a doorway leading into the control room of the psychiatric ward. He was sedated in an isolated room. “Both ER staff and psychiatric ward employees said that at no time did Ben Freeman attempt or threaten to harm them in any was (sic),” Deputy Steven Pitts wrote. “All subjects advised that Ben Freeman was requesting mental help before he does something.” A member of the St. Anne administration said the hospital would not press charges and would admit him for a psychiatric evaluation.
• May 3, 2011:
Gouaux petitions district court for a divorce from Freeman. Gouaux’s attorney notes in the filing that Freeman “has exhibited violent outbursts and tendencies” and that Gouaux fears harassment and stalking will continue throughout proceedings.
• May 27, 2012: Freeman and Gouaux are divorced. Freeman is given unsupervised visitation every other weekend and one afternoon a week, agrees to pay $1,836.23 per month in child support.
• June 28, 2012: Lafourche Parish deputies are dispatched to the home of Phillip and Susan Gouaux, Jeanne’s parents, according to the incident report. They first made contact with Freeman,who reported that Jeanne Gouaux had taken their children from a babysitter during a time when Freeman was supposed to have custody, so he went to the Gouaux residence to see his children before he was scheduled to work. Jeanne Gouaux showed deputies a text message from Freeman giving her permission to retrieve the children from the babysitter within a specific timeframe and said she would return the children at the agreed-upon time. No charges were filed.
• July 2, 2012: Jeanne petitions the 17th Judicial District for a protection order against Freeman. Referring to the events of June 28, she writes: “He arrived at my home soon thereafter in a rage. He was banging on the doors and windows and trying to enter my house in order to take his children.” She also writes that on previous custody exchanges, Freeman had obstructed doors to extend his face-to-face time with her and been otherwise verbally abusive. Jeanne further notes that Freeman did not carry a weapon. Judge Hugh Larose grants a temporary restraining order and orders all future custody exchanges to go through the sheriff ’s office PACT (Parents And Children Together) Place, which keeps parents separate during exchanges.
• July 3, 2012: Freeman petitions the 17th Judicial District for a protection order against Phillip Gouaux, Jeanne’s father. Freeman said that Gouaux shoved him, threatened to shoot him in the head and “inhibited father access to court determined fatherly custody.” Judge Larose rejected the order.
• April 17, 2013: Jeanne and Phillip Gouaux lodge a complaint with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff ’s Office regarding Freeman. Both said they were recipients of harassing text messages written by Freeman. Freeman is advised to only contact the Gouauxes if it pertains to Jeanne and Freeman’s children.
• May 12, 2013: Jeanne and Phillip Gouaux again lodge a complaint with LPSO regarding harassing text messages sent by Freeman. Jeanne and Phillip each pressed charges against Freeman for telephone harassment, and a transcript of text messaging records between Jeanne and Freeman leading up to this date are later entered into the court record.
• May 20, 2013:
Lafourche deputies arrest Freeman on two warrants for telephone harassment.
• June 20, 2013: Jeanne again petitions Larose’s court for a protection order against Freeman, citing telephone harassment. “I just want the mental and verbal torment to stop,” she wrote. “I am afraid of Ben because he has some mental health issues and I just want to protect myself and our children.” Judge Larose issues an injunction against Freeman lasting through Nov. 30, 2013. It strips custody rights from the defendant and permits contact with the Gouauxes only for information related to the children, with whom is contact is restricted to three phone calls a week.
• Oct. 23, 2013:
Freeman pleads guilty to one count of telephone harassment – the second is dismissed – and is placed on supervised probation for one year.
• Nov. 27, 2013:
Freeman is issued a citation for simple battery domestic violence against his current wife, Denise Freeman. A court date is scheduled for Jan. 16, 2014.
