Manhunt underway after man fatally stabs coworker at Northeast La. poultry plant

UNION PARISH, La. (KNOE) - A warrant for second-degree murder has been issued for a Baton Rouge man accused of a fatal stabbing at Foster Farms, a poultry processing plant in northeast Louisiana.

According to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office, it happened around 8:42 a.m. The stabbing victim was taken to the hospital where he died.

The suspect has been identified as Bruce Causey. He’s described as being 5′9″ and weighing 235 lbs. He is from the Baton Rouge area. He was a work-release inmate out of the Union Parish Detention Center. Both Causey and the victim were workers at the plant. Investigators are still working to confirm the relationship between the two.

Deputies say several people were at work and witnessed what happened. Foster Farms is still open for business but where the incident happened is closed for investigation.

Mike Tillman has a vegetable stand about ten minutes away from Foster Farms. He says his son works at the plant. His son told him the incident was over a single cigarette.

“My son works out there. It’s a hell of a deal out there. Got killed, stabbed him down, no reason, over a heated argument about a cigarette,” Tillman told KNOE. “He had to stay all the way through it. Doesn’t matter if he died or whatever, don’t matter, they gotta produce them chickens.”

Deputies have not said what lead to the stabbing. It’s unclear what part of the plant Tillman’s son was working in but he did stay at work after the incident. D’arbonne Woods Charter School was locked down for a short time after the stabbing, per the sheriff’s department’s recommendation.

KNOE spoke with Foster Farm’s complex manager over the phone and he says this is a tragic incident. He says Foster Farms expresses its deepest sympathy to the victim’s family and they are working closely with law enforcement to figure out more information.

Causey was last seen wearing blue jeans and a blue shirt. They believe he’s left Union Parish and is en route to Baton Rouge. He’s considered armed and dangerous. Call 911 or your local authorities if you spot him.

Causey is currently serving time for three charges including Attempted Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon (East Baton Rouge Parish - 7 years and 6 months), Possession of Cocaine (East Baton Rouge Parish - 25 years), and Second Degree Battery (Concordia Parish - 1 year), and has been locked up with the Department of Corrections since March 19, 2014. All three of these sentences are being served concurrently.

Causey has been with Union Parish Work Release since March 1, 2021. He was scheduled for release to good time parole supervision on September 9, 2022. Causey had 1,442 days of jail credit applied to his sentence for the time he spent in parish prison awaiting sentencing. He also had a pending parole hearing scheduled for May 12, 2022.

The victim’s body has been sent to Little Rock for an autopsy.

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