Grand jury indicts Clark for manslaughter

The family of Eddie Thibodaux, the man who died from injuries sustained in a fight at a local bar, says manslaughter is not a harsh enough charge for the individual accused in his death.

Dennis Clark, 38, of Ironton, now faces first-degree involuntary manslaughter for Thibodaux’s death. If convicted on the charge, Clark will face three to 10 years of prison.

That’s not enough, the man’s fiancée, Bertha Birchfield said.

“I think they need to put him somewhere where he can’t get out, along with the people that helped him do it,” she said of Clark.

Thibodaux’s sister, Paula Thibodaux, agreed.

“None of us like it,” Paula Thibodaux said. “There’s only me and my oldest brother left. After my brother died, my mother died six days later. Everyone keeps saying they should charge him with double murder.”

Neither Birchfield nor Paula Thibodaux was at the bar with Eddie the night of the alleged assault. Eddie was in a coma and never regained consciousness following the alleged assault, Thibodaux said.

“We’ve been hearing different stories so I say we’ll never get the real truth,” she said.

At the time of the alleged assault, Clark and another person was arrested, but the second individual was later released with no charges being filed.

Thibodaux’s mother, Josa Thibodaux Corbin, died Nov. 29. Paula Thibodaux said Corbin, a diabetic with high blood pressure, was sick to her stomach with grief over Eddie and couldn’t keep food or medication down for two weeks following his hospitalization and death.

The family was in Kentucky buying funeral clothes for Eddie when Corbin called and said she wanted to go to the hospital.

The woman was taken by ambulance to the hospital and suffered a heart attack in the emergency room.

Following the heart attack she was put on life support, Thibodaux said. Two days later with the woman’s organs failing, the family decided to take Corbin off life support. She was 64.

Birchfield described her fiancée as kind.

“He was a good-hearted man who would do anything for anyone,” Birchfield said. “I got with him four years ago and my kids accepted him and his kids accepted me.”

She said she is dealing with his death the best she can.

“I’m just here, that’s it,” Birchfield said. “I’m trying to cope with it and it’s hard to do…

“It’s hard to wake up not seeing him. Not seeing his smile.”