Kayla Giles' murder conviction, sentence in death of husband upheld by Louisiana court

Kayla Giles' murder conviction and sentence for the 2018 slaying of her estranged husband in the presence of her children has been upheld by the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal.

Giles was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years in April of 2022 for the Sept. 8, 2018, shooting of Thomas Coutee Jr. as the two, who were divorcing, met in an Alexandria Walmart parking lot for a child swap so Giles' two older daughters could attend the second birthday party of the couple's daughter.

She shot him once in his chest, and he died in the lot off Coliseum Boulevard.

Coutee's mother, Cathy Pearson, said the decision made her "so happy." She said the unanimous decision moved her to tears, and she was relieved to know Giles would not be getting out of prison.

Giles' attorney, Jane Hogan, had argued there were six errors in Giles' jury selection, representation, trial and sentencing.

She argued the 30-year sentence on the obstruction of justice conviction was extreme, but the three judges who heard the arguments disagreed in their decision, issued on Wednesday.

At trial, prosecutors showed Giles had given her laptop to her sister, who then turned it over to a friend of Giles'.

'She's a murderer': Kayla Giles sentenced to life plus 30 years for slaying of Thomas Coutee Jr.

Argument before 3rd Circuit: Kayla Giles' attorney argues in appeal that news coverage tainted jury pool for her trial

"The secreting of the laptop formed the basis of the charge of obstruction of justice, reads the decision. "Without evidence procured from that laptop, the state would have been hampered significantly in investigating and prosecuting the case."

The decision called Giles' choice to hide the laptop serious since it involved hiding evidence related to Coutee's murder.

"Defendant clearly killed the victim but claimed she did so in self-defense," it reads. "The research defendant conducted on her laptop called her justification claims into question, as it suggested the possibility that the murder was premeditated."

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Kayla Giles' appeal in 2018 murder of Thomas Coutee Jr. denied