SERVING THE PARISHES OF EAST FELICIANA AND WEST FELICIANA
The
W atchman
T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
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W e d n e s d ay, A p r i l 15, 2026
‘Conservationist cowboy’ fights allegations
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Police Jury takes stance against carbon capture BY JAMES MINTON Contributing writer
STAFF PHOTOS BY MICHAEL JOHNSON
One of two otters looks out its winter enclosure after swimming at the Magnolia Wilds preserve in Ethel.
After escapes, lawsuits and an arrest, preserve in East Feliciana is up for sale BY AIDAN MCCAHILL Staff writer
On a Friday in January at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, as passengers filed off a flight from Costa Rica into a looming winter ice storm, deputies Ligon were waiting at the gate for a Louisiana zoo owner known for sloth selfies and otter swims. In his 30s, Gabe Ligon has spent much of his life trav-
eling the world in the name of conservation — serving as board president of Kids Saving the Rainforest, a Costa Rica-based nonprofit that rescues and rehabilitates sloths, parrots and primates. But for over four months, a warrant had been out for his arrest for felony theft. Upon landing, Ligon was booked as a fugitive into the Tarrant County Jail. The arrest capped a busy and tumultuous few years for Ligon, who runs Magnolia Wilds, a private zoo in the East Feliciana Parish
ä See SALE, page 2G
After twice delaying action on a resolution opposing carbon capture and sequestration, the East Feliciana Parish Police Jury finally adopted the measure at its April 6 meeting. The resolution was requested by Rep. Robbie Carter, of neighboring St. Helena Parish, at an earlier meeting, but twice jurors said they wanted to get more information about the process before voting on the resolution. Carbon capture and sequestration, or CCS, involves removing carbon dioxide from industrial emissions, transporting it by pipeline to injection wells and pumping it deep underground for long-term storage. The state Legislature is addressing several aspects of the process in the current session, but a bill to prevent pipeline operators from building pipelines across private property using “eminent domain” recently fell short of passing. Eminent domain is the power to seize private property for public use, such as roads and pipelines, provided the owners are compensated. The topic also has been injected into the primary battle among the three Republican candidates seeking the nomination for a U.S. Senate seat now held by Bill Cassidy. Gov. Jeff Landry is a strong proponent of the technology. The resolution, approved by an 8-0-1 jury vote, says the risks associated with CCS and pipeline infrastructure include: n The potential for ruptured pipelines and subsequent toxic releases. n The risk of groundwater and drinking water contamination from leaking injection wells. n The possibility of increased seismic activity caused by injecting high-pressure fluids underground. The resolution opposes CCS projects within the parish and asks the Legislature and state agencies to impose a moratorium on injection wells permits.
ä See CARBON, page 4G
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Staff map
Mississippi River
A hyena walks around its habitat at Magnolia Wilds in Ethel. The January arrest of Gabe Ligon capped a busy and tumultuous few years for the owner of the private zoo in East Feliciana Parish.
St. Francisville cop suspected of giving drugs to woman who drowned in hotel bathtub BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer
Lane Foundation to host event April 25
Former St. Francisville Mayor Billy D’Aquilla dies at age 85
The Lane Foundation is holding its first Bourbon, BBQ & Wine event from noon to 4 p.m. April 25, at the Lane Walking Track, on the campus of Lane Regional Medical Center, 6300 Main St., Zachary. Guests will have bourbon tastings, barbecue from local vendors, Leila curated wine sePitchford lections, and live AROUND THE entertainment FELICIANAS throughout the event. This year’s entertainment lineup includes performances by The Dizzy! Duo, The Dad Band and the Southland Band.
Contributing writer
ä See AROUND, page 4G
A proclamation issued when his final term ended in December 2020 commended him for maintaining an open-door policy as mayor, for leaving the town in excellent financial shape, working with other public officials in the parish and state and promoting the town through his service in various capacities through the Louisiana Municipal Association. His final accomplishment in office was promoting a half-cent sales tax to partially
A St. Francisville police officer accused of improperly driving a woman around in his cruiser the night she drowned in a hotel bathtub — a death originally thought to be an overdose or a suicide — is now suspected of having given her drugs, the district attorney says. Richard Parsons Jr. — who resigned 2022, shortly after the drowning — was charged last year with malfeasance in office for allegedly having given Rene Horton a ride in his cruiser. Photos recovered from Parson’s phone during the drowning investigation tied him to both Horton’s death and to a separate incident involving the sexual battery of a man, District Attorney Sam D’Aquilla said. On Thursday, D’Aquilla submitted a warrant to re-arrest 39-year-old Parsons on a count of negligent homicide in Horton’s death. He was booked on the sexual battery charge in October 2025 and the malfeasance charge in August 2025. According to D’Aquilla, Parsons dropped Horton off at the Francis Hotel around 3:45 a.m. on March 7, 2022, just before the end of his shift. He then returned to the hotel once he was off the clock. Parson told investigators he found Horton drowned in the room’s bathtub, at which point he called police, D’Aquilla said. The original investigation found Horton had accidentally drowned, or possibly committed suicide, after an overdose of her own prescription medicine, he said.
ä See MAYOR, page 3G
ä See DRUGS, page 4G
BY JAMES MINTON
Family members and officials remembered former St. Francisville Mayor Billy D’Aquilla as a dedicated public servant. D’Aquilla, 85, died Sunday morning at his home, his son, District Attorney Sam D’Aquilla said. “He never met somebody he didn’t get along with,” Sam D’Aquilla said. “I learned from him how important it is to call people back, to be responsive.” D’Aquilla left office in December 2020 after a 48-year career that included service as the town’s mayor, mayor pro-tem and alderman. “When we were kids, we used to play under the table they were meeting at,” Sam D’Aquilla said. Funeral services for D’Aquilla, one of the longest-serving public officials in the Feliciana parishes, are set for noon Thursday, April 16. Visitation will be before the service from 9 a.m. to noon. Both are at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in St. Francisville. Billy D’Aquilla served 12 years as an alderman, including eight years as mayor protem, before he was elected mayor in 1984.
STAFF FILE PHOTO BY TRAVIS SPRADLING
St. Francisville Mayor Billy D’Aquilla talks about his 36 years serving as mayor of the town on Nov. 9, 2020.