Roberts trial: Ex-husband testifies she confessed to having sex with minor

DERIDDER, La. (KPLC) - Former DeRidder Mayor Misty Roberts’ ex-husband took the stand Saturday afternoon and told jurors she directly confessed to having sex with the teenage boy at the center of her criminal trial.

Earlier in the day, Roberts’ lifelong best friend testified she discussed keeping the alleged incident from police and sending a text message that said “lie till you die.”

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Roberts trial: Prosecutor shows jury what he says is “lewd” photo of sex acts between former mayor and minor
• Prosecution says it has ‘lewd and lascivious’ photo of then-DeRidder mayor and victim; defense says case built on rumors
• Jury selection underway in former DeRidder Mayor Misty Roberts’ sex crime trial after another delay

Duncan Clanton, Roberts’ ex-husband, testified Saturday afternoon that Roberts told him directly that she had sex with the minor in question, and that the kids had caught them in the act.

After speaking privately with Roberts, Clanton said he spoke with their son, who confirmed what Roberts had told him.

Clanton testified that Roberts asked him to call the victim’s family on her behalf to gauge their reaction. He said he did so.

Text messages between Clanton and Roberts were also shown to the jury. On the day Roberts had a city council meeting in her role as acting mayor, Clanton sent her a message reading, “I would deny what happened if you’re approached by anyone at the meeting.”

Clanton also testified that DeRidder City Councilman Joseph Daniel Reynolds, who is currently running for mayor, had called him asking about the alleged incident. Clanton texted Roberts about Reynolds’ knowledge of it, writing, “I played dumb and denied it.”

In another text, Clanton told Roberts, “I’m just trying to guard them for the rest of this week until we can get out of town.” He testified that he took the children on a vacation just one week after the alleged incident.

Roberts texted Clanton, “I need you to deny it, please.” He testified that while he wasn’t necessarily denying the incident to people, he had been avoiding the subject. He said he would not lie.

Roberts also sent him a message asking, “What if I respond to Danny or whoever?” Clanton replied, “I don’t think you should.”

In another text, Roberts wrote, “I can’t keep hurting others, friends and family. Lord knows I’ve done enough.” Clanton also sent her a message telling her she was a great mom.

During cross examination, Defense attorney Todd Clemmons asked Clanton if he agreed she was a great mom and he said “No.”

He then testified he said that because she was in a bad mental place and he was worried about her. He said he held a meeting with Roberts and two of her friends, Whitney and Jill, about her mental health.

When asked by defense attorneys how much he had spoken with Investigator Welsh, Clanton said he had spoken with her twice, first at the Children’s Advocacy Center during interviews for his two children. Welsh has been a point for the defense as a biased investigator.

Clanton said he had not come forward with information until the district attorney contacted him, saying the DA already knew Clanton had heard a confession from Roberts. He said he did not know how the DA got that information.

Defense attorney Todd Clemons told the court, “We are going to show that this man is biased and has an interest in the outcome of this case.”

The defense introduced a petition related to a custody modification between Roberts and Clanton. Assistant District Attorney Charles Robinson objected, and both sides debated the matter at length outside the presence of the jury and courtroom. Defense attorney Adam Johnson ultimately argued it was impeaching evidence the defense team could use to hold the witness accountable for his testimony.

The jury also heard about bond conditions set upon Roberts following her arrest. Those stipulations limited Roberts from seeing her children without Clanton’s permission and revoked her child support.

The defense also raised the issue of Judge Martha O’Neal, who was removed from the criminal case after it was revealed she had presided over both the criminal proceedings and the custody case between Roberts and Clanton and had exchanged personal text messages with Clanton without Roberts’ or her attorneys’ knowledge.

A teenage member of the victim’s friend group also took the stand Saturday afternoon. He testified that the victim appeared drunk and tipsy the night of the party. He also testified that the victim vomited. He said Roberts was talkative and dancing. He said he witnessed Roberts flirting with the victim and dancing on him.

He testified that Roberts’ youngest daughter came into her son’s room that night and told a group of kids that she saw Roberts and the minor making out by the pool. Afterwards, he testified that he saw Roberts and the victim having sex through a crack in the window. After the two came downstairs, he said there was yelling and a big argument that followed.

The witness also testified that he was told he could not leave by two adults, Jill Weaver and Roberts.

His testimony, however, conflicted with accounts from other witnesses heard earlier in the trial. There was broader confusion among witnesses about who was on the stairs, outside, near the pool, and in Roberts’ son’s room that night. The defense pointed out the conflicting statements to the jury, noting that multiple child witnesses had now provided accounts that did not align with one another.

Defense attorneys also noted in court that this witness was not interviewed by police, but instead by the district attorney’s office in 2025.

Earlier Saturday morning, Jill Weaver, Roberts’ lifelong best friend and former sister-in-law, was the state’s first witness of the day. Her testimony painted a chaotic picture of the night in question and the days that followed, including alleged efforts to contain the fallout.

Robinson introduced several text message exchanges between Weaver and Roberts, as well as messages from a group chat. Among the messages discussed was one sent by Weaver to her own son that read, “lie till you die.”

During questioning, Weaver acknowledged she likely told the kids not to talk about what happened. When Robinson asked, “Did you consult with him on how to keep the police out of this?” Weaver responded, “Probably.”

Robinson also asked Weaver directly, “Did you remember talking with her about making sure the kids didn’t report it?” Weaver answered, “Yes.”

Saturday’s testimony also included text messages from a group chat between Weaver, Roberts, and at least one other person. Shown to the jury was a text message from Weaver that read, “I just asked [nickname for underage witness] — he’s 16.” Roberts replied with an expletive.

When Robinson asked Weaver about one of Roberts’ texts that read “I’m telling you he didn’t” and asked what she believed that meant, Weaver told the jury, “I can only take it that he didn’t [ejaculate] in her.”

She testified that as the two women discussed how to handle the situation with Roberts still serving as mayor at the time Roberts sent a text message in the chat reading, “I hate this small town...”

Jurors heard testimony this week about a DoorDash driver who delivered emergency contraception to Roberts’ home after the alleged incident. They also saw screenshots of text messages between Roberts and the victim’s mother regarding pregnancy concerns.

Weaver testified she went to the party twice that night. She arrived around 8 p.m. and said Roberts was the most drunk she’s ever seen her, adding she had been called to calm Roberts down after an argument with Roberts’ son. She left around 11 p.m.

When she returned around 2 a.m., Weaver said she found Roberts yelling and accusing Weaver’s son of having a video of the alleged incident. According to Weaver, Roberts said, “Oh great, you called your mom.”

Weaver said the boys showed her their phones to demonstrate they did not have a video.

Weaver described the scene as escalating quickly, testifying, “That whole night was a lot, it was chaos.” She also said the situation took a more alarming turn, stating, “It quickly went from that situation into her wanting to kill herself.”

Weaver testified that the following day, Roberts told her she had no recollection of what had happened that night and that Roberts’ ex-husband was on the way to help sort things out.

“We never discussed the event in detail,” Weaver said.

During cross-examination, defense attorney Adam Johnson asked Weaver to confirm that Roberts had recently gone through an intense divorce, a custody battle, and had lost a partner to suicide. Weaver agreed.

Johnson also asked Weaver if she was certain Roberts had intercourse with the minor. Weaver said she could not be certain.

However, during redirect, Robinson pressed Weaver on how she could claim to have no idea what happened between Roberts and the minor, given that she was aware Roberts had ordered Plan B. Robinson had asked Weaver earlier in her testimony to define what Plan B is used for.

Weaver also testified that investigators told her they would not identify her if she turned over her son’s phone. She later learned that was not true. She said the district attorney told her he did not know why investigators would have said that to her.

Roberts resigned as mayor days before her arrest in 2024. This is her second trial the first ended in a mistrial after two Beauregard Parish judges who had overseen grand jury proceedings were removed from the case, leading to her indictments being thrown out. She was arraigned on the current charges earlier this year.

Court is back in session Monday morning at 9 a.m.