The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal in Lake Charles late last week rejected the arguments of two of the three defendants who were found guilty in a 30th Judicial District Court in 2020. Stacy Tharpe received 10 years on one count of second degree cruelty to a juvenile. Dakota Singletary received 20 years on similar charges. Clayton Fulks was sentenced to 45 years in prison on three counts second degree cruelty to a juvenile. Vernon Parish Sheriff Sam Craft called the crimes the worst case of child abuse Vernon Parish had ever seen.

It all began with a traffic stop by Rosepine Police, which led to the abuse investigation. When the cases came before Judge Scott Westerchil, Fulks was the only defendant who went to trial. Tharpe and Singletary took pleas for their testimony against Fulks.

The 3rd Circuit upheld the sentence of Tharpe and noted she could have been sentenced to 40 years instead of 10. They rejected Singletary’s appeal and reminded him that he could have been sentenced to 120 years, not the 20 he received. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney D. Wayne Bush.