NEW IBERIA, La. (KLFY) — Thursday, family of Quawan Charles went before their district attorney pleading for the investigation into the 15-year-old’s suspicious death to be looked over by a fresh set of eyes.
One year ago, last November Quawan Bobby Charles was found dead near a sugar cane field three days after he went missing. Janet Irvin was arrested months later for failure to report a missing child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, but two autopsies concluded the most likely cause of Quawan’s death was drowning.
At that time, the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office said the investigation was ongoing and more arrests may follow; however, a spokesperson for the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office told News 10 the investigation has been turned over to the 16th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
District Attorney Bo Duhe and Quawan Charles’ family met for an hour and a half Thursday discussing what’s the Quawan Charles case. Quawan’s cousin, Celina Charles was insistent to News 10 about the people last seen with her 15-year-old relative.
“They murdered Quawan, and there’s nothing that can make me think any different,” Celina said.
She has been fighting on her cousin’s behalf since October 2020, when Quawan’s mother reported he was missing to Baldwin Police, and days later when Quawan’s lifeless body was found in a ditch next to a sugarcane field. Celina has gone to every length to find answers, even hiring a private investigator.
KLFY obtained several minutes of audio recordings from the private investigator. In one recording Janet Irvin allegedly said, “About 8:30, we’re at home, and I got a phone call from Jack, and he said he got a phone call from the Baldwin Police, and I was like Oh my God, that boy didn’t make it home, and so I looked at my boyfriend, and I’m like should I call them. It was 8:30 at night. We said no wait till tomorrow.”
This conversation is with Janet Irvin who was arrested for failing to report Quawan’s disappearance.
From that recording and others, Celina thinks Irvin’s boyfriend should also be charged with failure to report a missing child. Her family also would like another agency to investigate Quawan’s death.
She said, “Now all we can really do is really depend on Bo Duhe and see if he is going to make the right choices and pretty much not fail us.”
News 10 spoke with the 16th Judicial District Attorney Bo Duhe after the meeting with Quawan’s family. Duhe stated he will meet with the Iberia Parish Sheriff about requesting State Police take up the investigation.
Celina Charles believes the evidence her private detective gathered may fill gaps she perceives in the investigation.
“Anything in their right mind if they listen to the recordings, they know that it brings questions that these people have something to hide,” Celina concluded
It should be noted, again, two autopsies concluded drowning as the most likely cause of Quawan’s death. They found no bruises or injuries that occurred before his death.
District Attorney Duhe told News 10, the defense attorney for Janet Irvin is anticipated to challenge the constitutionality of the statute she’s charged by on January 9, 2022.
