Joseph Washington, accused of murdering his three children by setting fire to his ex-wife's New Orleans East house in October, pleaded guilty Thursday.
Washington pleaded guilty as charged to three counts of first degree murder, which carries an automatic sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
"He will never breathe free air again, as he should not," New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams told WWL's Tommy Tucker shortly after the plea was announced.
"He did a very horrific and evil thing," said Williams, who said everything was on the table when asked if the possibility of the death penalty may have helped bring about this plea.
Right after the guilty plea, NOLA.com reports Angel Dounseroux, one of the victims' aunts vaulted, across the courtroom and attacked Washington, knocking him to the ground and continuing to pummel him with her fists. Families of both the victims and the perpetrator got involved and it reportedly took minutes for sheriff's deputies to separate everyone.
Then Dounseroux reportedly attacked one of Washington's relatives, knocking over a court bench. It was than that authorities took her into custody.
The night of the murders, the mother called 911 to report that her children's father had threatened to burn the house down. Police said the mother was on her way to the home and was not there when the fire started.
The case brought about criticism of how the NOPD handles domestic abuse complaints. Nearly half an hour transpired between the mother's 911 call and first responders arriving on the scene.
An NOPD news release said, "The mother of the three children called 911 stating that their father intended to burn the house down... the mother was reportedly on her way to the residence."
By the time she got there, it was too late.
NOFD Captain Edwin Holmes said in a news release, "Upon arrival, firefighters were told that three children were unaccounted for and possibly still inside. Fire personnel quickly began an interior attack of the fire while simultaneously conducting a primary search of the dwelling. Two unresponsive juveniles were quickly found upon entry to the home, one in the front room just a few feet from the front door and the other not far away, between the kitchen and front room. Firefighters made attempts to resuscitate both kids prior to both being transported to an area hospital by New Orleans Emergency Medical Services (NOEMS). Both children succumbed to injuries sustained from this incident."
Holmes said they discovered another child a short time later.
"Firefighters continued to search for the possible third victim during the course of fire suppression operations. The third child, a toddler, was found near the center of the dwelling. It was determined that the child had succumbed to injuries sustained on the scene."
The children were a three-year-old boy, five-year-old girl and eight-year-old boy.
Video taken from across the street of the home on America Street showed Washington calmly walking around from the back of the house as flames began to grow. He then drove away. By the time neighbors noticed and notified the fire department, it was too late.
