By LEONARD GRAY

HAHNVILLLE – Amin Elsayed “Joey” Amin Jr., 21, faced an onslaught of anger and pain from the family members of Debra A. Morales Matthews at his April 25 sentencing to life in prison for the second-degree murder of Matthews, 32, of Boutte.

“You’re lower than an animal,” Louis Morales Sr., the victim’s father, declared to Amin.

Morales, along with his son, Louis Jr., discovered the victim’s body following a night of horror, where she had been stabbed by Amin and Vincent E. Teal, now 24, more than 100 times.

Teal offered a guilty plea for second-degree murder on Aug. 23, 2001 and is now serving a life sentence at Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola.

Amin was expressionless, when 29th Judicial District Judge Emile St. Pierre handed down the mandatory life sentence, to be served without benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. However, prior to the pronouncing of sentence, St. Pierre allowed Matthews’ family members, including her sister, Lisa Champagne, to directly address Amin.

Champagne held up a photograph of her sister and niece and related how her niece wishes for the return of Debra Matthews – but it will never happen.

At Amin’s trial in March, court-appointed attorney Victor Bradley Jr.’s defense alleged Amin’s friend, Teal, did the actual stabbing and Amin, at most, was guilty of being an accessory after the fact.

The jury, however, believed prosecutor Kim McElwee’s account, which highlighted 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 the verdict.

McElwee also handled the Teal case.

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

The victim’s 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 body, Louis Jr. shielding their father from the bloody site.

Matthews had endured 102 stab wounds and numerous defensive wounds, according to the autopsy.