Man arrested for double murders in Covington transferred to Angola after escape attempt

COVINGTON, La. (WVUE) - The suspect in connection with the double murders in Covington had been transferred to Angola after an escape attempt from St. Tammany Parish Jail, police say.

Antonio Tyson, 49, is accused of murdering and burning the bodies of Father Otis Young and Ruth Prats in Covington last week.

Tyson was rebooked on one count of attempted escape after he damaged jail property to escape from the St. Tammany Parish Jail. He was transferred Saturday morning (Dec. 3) on an emergency return order. He was transported without incident.

David Burns, 71, was also arrested for one count of principal to attempted escape after learning he assisted Tyson in his escape attempt.

St. Tammany Parish President Michael Cooper released a statement regarding the attempted escape of Antonio Tyson:

“This reinforces the fact that Tyson is a stone-cold criminal who should have never been released from prison. Our criminal justice system has let us down resulting in the loss of two beloved friends and members of our community. Tyson has been sent to our state’s highest security prison, Angola, where I hope he feels the depth of his actions.”

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