Killer mom sentenced to two life terms

THIBODAUX - A Mathews mother convicted of murdering her two children will serve two consecutive life sentences, a Lafourche judge ruled Thursday after rejecting her request for a new trial.

THIBODAUX - A Mathews mother convicted of murdering her two children will serve two consecutive life sentences, a Lafourche judge ruled Thursday after rejecting her request for a new trial.
Amy Hebert, a 42-year-old former teacher’s aide, was convicted May 14 of two counts of first-degree murder in the stabbing deaths of her 9-year-old daughter, Camille, and 7-year-old son, Braxton, the morning of Aug. 20, 2007.
The same jury that convicted Hebert could have sentenced her to die, but on May 16, the members said they could not reach a unanimous verdict on her sentence. State law requires in such cases that the defendant get life in prison.
Prior to reading Hebert’s sentence, state District Judge Jerome Barbera explained the reason he was ordering that Hebert serve two life terms.
“To give a concurrent sentence would deprecate from the act because it would ignore that there were two victims of two different acts,” Barbera said.
Hebert’s attorney, Richard Goorley, had asked that she serve her life sentences concurrently, or at the same time, because of her prior standing as a law-abiding citizen.
District Attorney Cam Morvant II, however, said the fact that Hebert led a law-abiding life prior to her children’s murders should not factor into the judge’s decision.
Goorley held his client’s left arm as the judge read the sentence to a capacity crowd, most of whom were inside Barbera’s second-floor courtroom in the Courthouse Annex for unrelated legal matters.
Hebert, who wore a light-blue prison jumpsuit, no makeup and her hair tied in a ponytail, showed no reaction to the sentence. Neither did her ex-husband, Chad Hebert, the father of the children.
As he stood outside the Courthouse Annex building, Goorley said he disagreed with the sentence.

“It looks good for the prosecution,” he said. “But how do you serve a life sentence and die in prison, then serve another life sentence?“
Hebert’s sentence serves “procedural purposes,” Morvant said.
“If some governor sees fit to commute her sentence, he would have to commute two sentences,” Morvant said.
He expressed doubt such a scenario would occur, but said it was an important step to ensure Hebert dies behind prison walls.
Chad Hebert and his family refused comment on the day’s proceedings, but Morvant said they told him they were pleased with the sentence.
In addition to issuing a sentence, Barbera rejected the defense’s requests for a new trial and for him to reconsider the not guilty by reason of insanity plea. The judge ruled in both instances that the issues raised were adequately addressed during the trial.
Her defense requested transcripts of all trial proceedings be made available to the Louisiana Appellate Project. That group will review her case, then file briefs to Louisiana’s 1st Circuit Court of Appeal.
Hebert’s appeal could take 18 months to two years, Morvant said.
Hebert’s family and friends said they still love and support her and will stand by her during the appeal process.
“We’re not giving up,” said Ann Tabary, a friend of Hebert’s since fourth grade. “We’re going to continue to help her with her appeal.”