This is another in our series of vignettes about crime at Wal-Mart. Jury selection began this week in Lake Charles, Louisiana. According to the American Press newpaper, on September 19, 2000, April Daigle, a Wal-Mart employee, decided to move out on her husband, Derek Daigle. When Derek returned home that evening to find his wife gone, he went to his parent’s home, got a shotgun, and considered killing himself. The next day, Derek went to Wal-Mart with the shotgun. Witnesses say that Derek entered the Wal-Mart through the garden center and headed towards the pharmacy, where April worked. Derek levelled the gun at the workers in the pharmacy, and ordered them to get behind the counter. Daigle pulled his wife behind the counter, and began to strangle her with a cord. Employees had called 911 and when the police arrived, Derek was still on the ground, behind the counter, strangling his wife. Derek told the police he was going to kill his wife and himself. “She’s leaving and it’s going to get expensive,” Derek reportedly told the police. He then threatened to kill himself. During the scuffle with his wife, the police jumped over the counter and wrestled the weapon away from Derek. The gunman’s attorney claims that Derek was not out to kill his wife. “What happened wasn’t nice,” the attorney said, “it wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t right — but it wasn’t attempted murder.” A 12 member jury will decide if the attorney is right. Just another family story that got out of hand at your local Wal-Mart.
For more stories about crime at Wal-Mart, search this database using the word “crime”. For additional background on the subject, order the book “Slam Dunking Wal-Mart”, which has a section on crime at big box stores. Call toll free 1-877-DUNK WAL to order a copy of the book.
