BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana state police have released video evidence in a deadly 2024 car crash that authorities contend was caused by reckless driving by Kyren Lacy, a former Louisiana State University football star who took his own life days before a grand jury was convened to review the case.
The 11-minute video released Tuesday came in response to other footage given to a Louisiana TV station by Matthew Ory, Lacy’s defense attorney, who said it showed the former wide receiver couldn’t have caused the wreck because he was too far away from the collision. In a statement, Louisiana State Police defended their original findings that Lacy was responsible and urged the public “to rely on the full body of facts.”
Louisiana’s attorney general said this week the case remained under review but maintained that eyewitnesses identified Lacy as having put December’s deadly crash in motion. Louisiana Democratic lawmakers called for an investigation and LSU coach Brian Kelley faced renewed questions about the case.
Here are some things to know.
In December 2024, Lacy was allegedly “recklessly” driving a green Dodge Charger — speeding and crossing into the oncoming traffic lane to pass cars in a no-passing zone, according to Louisiana State Police.
In an effort to “avoid impact” with Lacy, a driver swerved and crashed head-on into another vehicle, police said. Herman Hall, 78, died in the crash.
Police said Lacy “fled” the crash scene without stopping to render aid or call 911.
The 24-year-old Lacy, who had declared for the 2025 NFL draft, turned himself into police and was booked on negligent homicide, felony hit and run and reckless operation of a vehicle. He was released on bail.
Days before a grand jury hearing on his case in April, Lacy died of an apparent suicide after fleeing a traffic stop near Houston and being pursued by police, authorities said.
Nearly six months after Lacy’s death, his defense attorney on Friday went on a local news station in Houma, Louisiana, and presented what he says is evidence showing the LSU wide receiver was too far behind the deadly December wreck to be at fault.
Ory, who did not respond to email seeking comment, acknowledged that Lacy had passed multiple cars but questioned how Lacy could be responsible for a crash that occurred so far in front of him.
After Ory released footage of the crash, Louisiana State Police published their own video Tuesday. The agency detailed their findings, releasing a timeline, crash report, interviews with witnesses at the scene and surveillance footage — where the collision can be heard and Dodge Charger can be seen, but the wreck itself is out of view.
A narrator in the agency’s video said that state police “never reported” that the Charger “impacted” any of the involved vehicles.
“However, all evidence collected supports the conclusion that Lacy’s reckless operation of the green Charger in oncoming traffic triggered the chain of events involving the other drivers, ultimately resulting in the fatal crash,” the narrator said.
On Monday, Louisiana’s Democratic Party called for Republican State Attorney General Liz Murrill to launch a “full-scale” investigation into the “wrongful accusations made against Mr. Lacy.”
In a statement to The Associated Press on Tuesday, Murrill said that she is reviewing all evidence in the case, but added that “the evidence is not disputed.”
She said that the Lafourche Parish District Attorney’s office was prepared to present evidence to a grand jury, which included showing that Lacy returned to his lane of travel while driving; “However, that does not absolve Kyren Lacy of responsibility in this matter.”
Murrill said that “every witness” identified Lacy’s green Dodge Charger as “having put the events in motion” that led to the deadly crash. Murrill said she is continuing to review evidence from state police.
On Monday, LSU Football Coach Brian Kelly was asked about Ory’s comments.
“I thought that this is a process that takes time,” Kelly said. “I think I said back when this occurred that let’s wait until all the information comes out. For us to make these universal statements early on it just doesn’t serve anybody well.”
