WAFB 9 News Baton Rouge, Louisiana News, Weather, SportsHome invasion victim on life support; murder investigation continues

After a brutal attack left her husband and son dead, Shirley Marchand, 72, remains on life support Monday.  Ascension Parish deputies found all three victims inside their Gonzales home, with their throats slashed Saturday night.  

Sunday, neighbors said they wanted to know why someone would kill such a quiet family.  Neighbors say the Marchand's kept to themselves, but were giving people.

Co-workers of Shirley Marchand's son say they too are shocked.  

"We just kind of going thru the motions today," said Scott Millican, who worked with Douglas Dooley, 50, at Arco Electric Company in Baton Rouge.  "You go home expecting to come back Monday, see everybody's face that you left Friday.  And to have one of those people taken like Doug was, it's really hard to get over."

Dooley's wife, who lives in Tennessee called deputies in Ascension after she hadn't heard from her husband on Saturday.  When deputies checked his mother and step-fathers home in Gonzales, they found Dooley, Robert Irwin Marchand, 74, and Shirley Marchand, 72, with their throats slashed and puncture wounds on their bodies.

"The hardest part is I spoke with him on Friday.  Talked to him, thinking bout going fishing this weekend," said Nelson Velasquez.  Velasquez says he worked with Dooley for three years, but the two also were friends outside of work.  "We would go fishing, we'd go to a good friends in New Orleans and play drums.  He'd come over and cook for me and my kids and my wife because we're not from here."

Sheriff Jeff Wiley says there's no doubt this home invasion was planned.  There was no forced entry.  Leading investigators to believe the person or persons possibly knew the family.  

Wiley also says no TV's were taken, no cell phones or laptops.  Only a safe. "We think they knew valuables were in house and they knew something about Marchand's," Sheriff Wiley said.

Inside the safe was a collection of gold coins, dating back to the 1890's and 1900's worth about a half million dollars.

"I hope that anybody that knows anything will come forward because people like that need to be taken off the street," said Velasquez.

Crime Stoppers has doubled the reward money for this case.  Anyone with tips that lead to an arrest could be eligible for a $5,000 reward.  If you can help call 344-STOP.