NEW ORLEANS , The body of a Louisiana State Trooper who was killed in an ambush on Saturday morning was not found until Monday at 5 p.m., according to the state police superintendent.
Superintendent Lamar Davis stated that Master Trooper Adam Gaubert, a master trooper, was killed in Ascension Parish’s parked patrol unit after he had been involved in a traffic accident. Matthew Mire (31), was the man who killed him in a series shootings that took place late Saturday.
Gaubert’s death may have been partially due to an all-out effort by Mire to capture him. Also, a policy of only using radio communications during emergencies could be a factor in Gaubert’s passing unnoticed. Normal circumstances would have indicated that Gaubert’s failure not to notify routinely that he was leaving duty would have been noticed.
Although the exact time Gaubert died is not known, Davis stated that surveillance video shows a truck, which police believe was stolen by Mire, entering the area where Gaubert was parked at 2:30 a.m. More than 14 hours before the body was found.
Gaubert was killed and another person was wounded in the shooting spree that began at midnight on Friday. Mire is believed to have shot and wounded two people before stealing a pickup truck.
Davis’ surveillance footage shows that Mire entered the area where Gaubert was parking around 2:30 AM Saturday. Gaubert was not present in the Livingston shooting response and is believed to be finishing up a report on a traffic accident.
Davis stated that Mire was believed to have gone to the area in preparation for an attack in which a woman died and a man was injured. According to the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, Pamela Adair (37), was the victim. The motives behind all the shootings are still unknown.
Davis stated that Mire engaged in gunfire with another trooper after he spotted the truck stolen around 5 a.m. Saturday. After a manhunt that involved multiple agencies, he was captured Saturday night. The state police stated on their Facebook page that Mire was taken into Baton Rouge in handcuffs belonging to the slain trooper. Mire had been treated for a self-inflicted gunshot injury to his leg at a hospital. Multiple charges were brought against him, including murder of an officer.
“The time that passed between Master Trooper Gaubert’s murder and his discovery is unacceptable.” “And the consequences of this chaotic circumstance contributed to just that,” Davis said. He called Gaubert a friend, and highly respected trooper. He stated that efforts are being made to improve procedures.
He said, “We’re learning from this experience and we’re getting better.”
