Man’s death ruled a homicide

The death of a 54-year-old man found in September 2014 in Ricohoc has been ruled a homicide by St. Mary Parish Coroner F.H. Metz, who said the man’s injuries are consistent with a necktie being used to strangle him.
On Sept. 7, 2014, the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division began an investigation into the death of Jose A. Pineiro-Perez, 54, whose body was discovered at his residence on Dottie’s Lane in Ricohoc, St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert said in a news release.
On Dec. 30, 2014, the St. Mary Parish coroner returned autopsy findings indicating the cause of Pineiro-Perez’s death as homicide, the sheriff said. The investigation is ongoing, Hebert said.
Metz said that he ruled the manner of death ligature asphyxiation at the neck. Metz believes a necktie was used to strangle Pineiro-Perez, he said.
“There was some hemorrhaging (of the neck muscles) consistent with a necktie asphyxiation,” Metz said. “That takes a lot of force to do that.” One of the cervical bones was dislocated and a neck bone was also fractured, he said.
Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Traci Landry said the office is waiting for the full forensics report regarding Pineiro-Perez’s death to be completed.