ABBEVILLE, La. (KLFY) – The Vermilion Parish Violent Crimes Task Force claims it has solved a 2012 case involving the killing of Paul Rice Jr.

On Monday October, a grand Jury for Vermilion Parish in the 15^th Judicial District handed down a first degree murder indictment on Derrick Mitchell, 26, also known as “Deebo”. He has been connected to the July 15, 2012, shooting of Rice at the corner of Felicity and Bailey St in Abbeville.

During the investigation, witnesses were located and re-interviewed by investigators with the Vermilion Parish Violent Crimes Task Force and the Vermilion Municipal and Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force. The completed secondary investigation by the task force was turned over the District Attorney.

“This case is one of several unsolved murder cases assigned to the Sheriff’s Violent Crimes Task Force, which was made up of investigators from the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police, the 15^th Judicial District Attorneys’ office, Abbeville Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Abbeville City Marshall Office,” the task force said in a statement.

The case was subsequently presented to a grand jury, resulting in the indictment of Mitchell.

A detainer has been placed on Mitchell until he can be transferred to Vermilion Parish where he would be formally arrested for one count of first degree murder.

“I would like to thank the members of Violent Crimes Task force for their steadfast and relentless investigative efforts toward working these unsolved murders,” said Vermilion Parish Sheriff Mike Couvillon. “It is simply old-fashioned committed and determined police work from all those on the task force. We are by no means finished and are committed to continue our efforts on all unsolved murders in our efforts to bring these criminals to justice so that the victim’s families can at least begin to look for some level of closure.