A Louisiana jury has delivered a guilty verdict in the case of a 33-year-old man, Cody Guccione, who brutally murdered his friend and then left the crime scene wearing the victim’s clothes. Guccione was convicted of second-degree murder for the death of his 32-year-old friend, Leo Jack, according to the Lafayette Parish District Attorney’s Office.
Guccione and Jack had been friends for approximately three years prior to the incident. On the evening of February 3, 2021, Guccione arrived at Jack’s apartment and launched a violent attack, stabbing Jack 13 times in the head, neck, and torso. After the assault, Guccione moved Jack’s body to a back bedroom and hid it in a closet.
A neighbor’s testimony helped establish the timeline of the crime. The neighbor reported hearing a loud altercation in the apartment below, which allowed prosecutors to pinpoint the time of the incident. Guccione was seen on surveillance footage leaving the apartment in Jack’s clothes, including a pair of distinctive shoes, and carrying a trash can. He returned to the apartment later to remove Jack’s doorbell camera.
Cellphone data further implicated Guccione, placing him at the scene of the crime. He was arrested by U.S. Marshals five days after the murder, and an indictment was subsequently secured by prosecutors. The motive behind the crime, however, remains undisclosed.
Assistant District Attorney Andi Lex, who led the prosecution, praised the jury’s diligence during the trial. She expressed gratitude for their verdict, noting that it provided some solace to the victim’s family.
Guccione’s sentencing is scheduled for March 11, and he could face a life sentence. Jack, a lifelong resident of Lafayette, was remembered in his obituary as a warm and generous individual who brought laughter and light into the lives of those who knew him.