Man Convicted of Reckless Murder Sentenced to 139 Years

A Montgomery man convicted of reckless murder in August was sentenced Wednesday morning in a Montgomery County courtroom.

Judge Greg Griffin sentenced Ladarius Laffitte to 139 years in prison following his conviction last month in the 2017 reckless murder case of Ashleigh Perkins.

On May 13, 2017, Laffitte and a co-defendant were racing down Vaughn Road toward the intersection at Taylor Road when Laffitte’s Dodge Challenger hit the victim’s Lexus sedan, which was turning left into the Mapco gas station. Laffitte was also intoxicated at the time of the collision.

Laffitte’s Challenger slammed into the side of the sedan at 144 miles per hour, splitting the car that was carrying Perkins and other members of her family. The front of the vehicle was on Vaughn Road near the turn by the service station, while the back of the car, where the victim was sitting, was flung 100 yards away. Perkins’ body was found in the nearby bushes, and she was pronounced dead on the scene.

Laffitte’s attorneys have previously said they plan to appeal the decision.