According to Vermilion Parish Sheriff Mike Couvillon, Quintin Mire, 48, of 12329 Landry Road in Maurice has been arrested and booked into the Vermilion Parish Correctional Center on half a million dollars as a result of a 2nd Degree Murder Indictment which was returned by the Vermilion Parish Grand Jury in relation to the shooting death of Julian Gajan in February.

Sheriff Couvillon says that on Feb. 10, 2011, Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Marine Division and Detectives responded and assisted Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries as well as U. S. Coast Guard with regards to an overdue boater in the White Lake area of Vermilion Parish by the name of Julian Gajan.

Sheriff Couvillon further stated that after an extensive three- day search, Gajan’s body was located along a levee in the marsh off of the piling canal near White Lake, with numerous buck shot projectiles which had penetrated his body.

Through the course of the Investigation, Sheriff’s Detectives developed Mire as a suspect and he confessed that the shooting was a result of a hunting accident.

Sheriff Couvillon said Mire stated that he and Gajan were hunting Deer when he (Mire) fired three shots in the brush with his shotgun at what he thought was a deer, fatally wounding Julian Gajan. Mire claims he then panicked and fled the scene not knowing what to do and thereby failed to report the shooting.

Sheriff Couvillon says that he commends the efforts of his Criminal Investigations Division and Marine Division, as well as La. Wildlife and Fisheries, U.S. Coast Guard, and the 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Office for their tireless efforts in this investigation.