By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – St. John Parish Judge Mary Hotard Becnel on Monday ordered Errol and Tonya Victor back to jail during an arraignment hearing in LaPlace.

The Victors, who were re-indicted on second-degree murder charges in connection with the death of their son, 8-year-old M.L. Lloyd III, remained incarcerated this week at the Sherman Walker Correctional Facility in LaPlace in lieu of a pair of $1 million bonds.

A St. John Parish grand jury re-indicted the Victors during an April 12 hearing, just two months after District Judge Madeline Jasmine ruled the previous indictment was invalid because a member of the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office seved on the jury and wore a shirt advertising his employment.

Although the case is being treated like a completely new trial, Assistant State Attorney General Julie Cullen, who is handling the prosecution, said motions and evidence introduced during previous court proceedings is still fair game.

The Victors had originally been charged with first-degree murder in April of 2008 in the days following Lloyd’s death. Those charges were downgraded to second-degree murder in the second indictment, which was thrown out by Jasmine in February.

Lloyd died April 1, 2008, after he was taken to River Parishes Hospital in LaPlace by Errol Victor, Tonya Victor, and Lloyd’s stepbrother Errol Victor Jr.

According to reports from the Sheriff’s Office, the boy was unresponsive when the family arrived and was later pronounced dead.

Tonya Victor and Errol Jr. immediately left the hospital after Lloyd was dropped off, but, according to the report, Errol Victor Sr. stayed behind. The family was arrested later that day.

Investigators and state prosecutors have said Lloyd died after being severly whipped and beaten at home by his parents. The family has vehemently denied the accusations.

Errol Victor Jr. had been named in the initial indictment as an accessory after the fact to murder, but Cullen said those charges have been dropped.

The Victors are scheduled to be back in court May 17.