COVINGTON, La. (BRPROUD) – Rudy Emanuel Melerine, 38 of Folsom, was found guilty of two counts of attempted first-degree murder in October of 2021. On Thursday, Feb. 17, Melerine was sentenced by District Judge John Keller to “30 years at hard labor, without benefit of probation, parole, and suspension of sentence,” according to the 22nd JDC District Attorney Warren Montgomery’s Office.

The charges and sentence stem from an attempt by Melerine to beat his parents to death with a hammer on June 20, 2017.

At the trial, the suspect’s mother testified that she was awoken by what she described as sounding like “a hammer smashing a coconut.”

When deputies with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to the home in Folsom, Melerine’s mother was found bleeding in the driveway, and Melerine was in a bedroom on top of his father.

“The victim was face down trying to prevent Melerine from grabbing the hammer that he’d wrestled out of his son’s hands,” according to the 22nd JDC DA’s office.

Melerine’s mother and father had multiple injuries to the head and face and were transported to the hospital.

Rudy Melerine is currently in the St Tammany Parish Jail.