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Elmo Patrick Sonnier | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 21, 1950 |
| Died | April 5, 1984 (aged 34) |
| Cause of death | Execution by electrocution |
| Resting place | Roselawn Memorial Park |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Conviction(s) | First degree murder (2 counts) |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Accomplice(s) | Eddie James Sonnier |
| Details | |
| Victims | Loretta Ann Bourque, 18 David LeBlanc, 17 |
| Date | November 5, 1977 |
| Location(s) | Iberia Parish, Louisiana |
| Weapons | 22-caliber rifle |
Date apprehended | December 5, 1977 |
Elmo Patrick "Pat" Sonnier (February 21, 1950 – April 5, 1984) was a convicted American murderer and rapist in Louisiana who was executed by electrocution at Louisiana State Penitentiary in Louisiana on April 5, 1984. Sonnier was sentenced to death on April 25, 1978, for the November 5, 1977, rape and murder of Loretta Ann Bourque, 18, and the murder of David LeBlanc, 17. Sonnier's younger brother, Eddie, was sentenced to life in prison.
Sister Helen Prejean was asked to write to death row inmates as part of her Order's community outreach program and wrote to Sonnier. She became his spiritual adviser and eventually wrote Dead Man Walking (1993) about her experience and her belief that the death penalty was morally wrong.