By LEONARD GRAY

HAHNVILLE – The second of two men charged with the 1999 murder of Debra A. Morales Matthews, 32, of Boutte was convicted March 13 after a three-day trial and faces a mandatory life sentence for the crime.

Amin Elsayed “Joey” Amin Jr., 21, quietly accepted the verdict of guilty of second-degree murder and was led away in shackles, while the Morales family gathered for a group hug and then lined up to tearfully express their gratitude to Assistant District Attorney Kim McElwee.

Sentencing is scheduled before 29th Judicial District Judge Emile St. Pierre on April 25 at 1 p.m., though the conviction carries with it an automatic life sentence.

An out-of-control weekend almost three years ago in 1999 turned tragic when Matthews was discovered by her father and brother with more than 100 cuts and stab wounds.

It was the first homicide in eight months and the first of 1999.

Court-appointed defense attorney Victor Bradley Jr.’s defense alleged Amin’s friend, Vincent Teal did the actual stabbing and Amin, at most, was guilty of being an accessory after the fact. Teal accepted a guilty plea for second-degree murder on Aug. 23, 2001 and is now serving a life sentence at Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola.

McElwee in her closing argument agreed Amin was guilty of being an accessory, but was also just as guilty as Teal of murder.

The most persuasive argument on the prosecution’s side was a cigarette butt left in Matthews’ bedroom with Amin’s bloody fingerprint on it, a few feet from Matthews’ body.

“I don’t have an eyewitness in this case, but this cigarette butt can scream bloody murder,” McElwee declared. Jurors took 90 minutes to return their verdict.

Matthews and a female cousin met Amin and Vincent E. Teal in a Metairie bar on March 26, 1999, following separation from her husband, and spent the weekend with them up through the night of March 29, when the stabbing occurred.

Her stolen car was found March 30 and, coincidentally, the wrecker service operated by her father and brother recovered it from where it was burned on U.S. Highway 90. They recognized the car, hurried to her home on Acorn Street in Boutte and discovered her brutalized body, Louis Jr. shielding his father from seeing the awful crime scene.

Three days later, Sheriff Greg C. Champagne reported the arrests Thursday morning of Teal and Amin. “It was probably one of the most vicious things I’ve ever seen,” Champagne commented at the time.

Upon hearing of the conviction of Amin, Champagne added, “It was a crime of sheer meanness and evil. I hope this gives the family some peace and closure. I’m proud of my crime scene people for spotting that cigarette butt, and the district attorney’s office did a good job.”

At one point during the fatal weekend, the quartet attempted to break into the trailer residence of one of the men’s uncles, only to be chased away. Nevertheless, Picayune, Miss. police retained a report of that incident.

The four made their way back to Matthews’ residence and, Champagne continued, the cousin left the residence that night at 10:30, while an argument was going on between Teal and her cousin over his wanting to use her car.

At 3:45 p.m., a St. Charles Parish sheriff’s deputy spotted a smoldering car on the shoulder of U.S. Highway 90, near the Pier Two lounge. Fire flared from the interior when the car door was opened.

Louis Morales Wrecker Service was called out and Louis Sr. arrived to take the car and return it to the wrecker yard, located a few blocks away from Matthews’ residence. Morales Jr. recognized the car as one they earlier sold to her and, together, they went to her residence.

Inside the house, Matthews’ body was found beneath a mattress in her bedroom, with 102 stab wounds and numerous defensive wounds, according to the autopsy report.

Meanwhile, as Teal and Amin told police later, they were given a ride to Metairie and dropped off at midnight at the Huey Long Bridge, from where they went to a friend’s Metairie apartment. Instead, Champagne claimed, investigators learned they were picked up at the bridge between 5:30-6 a.m.

Inside the Matthews’ car, Champagne added, was a television and stereo equipment. He said the car was in poor mechanical condition and likely caught on fire on its own.

The live-in girlfriends of the pair, sisters Heidi and Amanda Barrett, testified they had not seen either man during the weekend and Amanda, Amin’s girlfriend, testified she saw blood on his shirt once he got home. Unfortunately, she washed the shirt before detectives located them.

Champagne continued that, with the assistance of Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and Kenner Police Department, the suspects were apprehended, initially booked in Jefferson Parish as fugitives and returned later to St. Charles Parish.

Teal, Champagne said, had an open, fresh knife wound between his thumb and index finger, and also had other scratches and small cuts on his hand.

“I had people working 30 hours straight on this thing,” Champagne said at the time of the arrests. McElwee said after the trial’s conclusion she worked 100 hours in preparation, having got the case late since it was originally assigned to Assistant District Attorney Jerry Rome.

Rome has since entered a guilty plea for malfeasance and his sentencing is set April 11 at 2 p.m.

“I’m very happy and feel justice was done,” commented 29th Judicial District Attorney Harry Morel. “The sheriff’s office did a bang-up job.”

McElwee said the defense’s claim that Amin was minimally involved was totally wrong. “He was in it up to his eyeballs,” she said.

She added that while Teal is “obviously” evil and she would be uncomfortable in the same room with him because he is such a danger, Amin is more dangerous.

“He’s like heart disease; a silent killer,” McElwee said.

Champagne said at the time of the arrest Amin had a small criminal history, highlighted by a 1998 arrest for illegal use of a weapon.

Teal was another story, Champagne noted. With 17 arrests in his adult life, his arrest record included bookings for DWI, possession of marijuana, simple robbery, felony theft, battery of a police officer, simple battery, disturbing the peace by being intoxicated and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

In 1999, Champagne said, Teal was booked with DWI, theft of items valued between $100-$500 and bail-jumping.

It was Teal’s “evil” influence which led Amin down this road, McElwee said.

“This guy may never have tried something like thing, if it hadn’t been for Teal,” she said.