Clyde C. Vidrine (1938 – December 16, 1986) was a

bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, w ...

for four-term Louisiana Governor

Edwin Edwards Edwin Washington Edwards (August 7, 1927 – July 12, 2021) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the U.S. representative for from 1965 to 1972 and as the 50th governor of Louisiana for four terms (1972– ...

. He became famous for making accusations about the governor's elaborate Las Vegas trips and alleged infidelity to Edwards' wife Elaine Edwards. Vidrine, who had already been fired by Edwards, was

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...

ed during Edwards' third term as governor. Vidrine was shot and killed in broad daylight on the steps of the

Caddo Parish Caddo Parish ( French: ''Paroisse de Caddo'') is a parish located in the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Louisiana. According to the 2020 U.S. census, the parish had a population of 237,848. The parish seat is Shreveport, which developed a ...

court house in downtown

Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population o ...

on December 16, 1986. At the time Vidrine was serving as bodyguard for a woman who had recently separated from her husband, James Cummings. Cummings believed Vidrine and his wife were having an adulterous affair. Cummings stated that only he (James Cummings) was at the federal court house (not the parish court house) because of a

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...

hearing where he and his estranged wife were to appear. Cummings stated that Vidrine had threatened him in the past and had reached for a gun when Cummings shot him. A report, that he was waiting across the street in his car for his wife and Vidrine to arrive, contradicted James Cummings' version of what happened. When Clyde Vidrine and Kathy Cummings arrived, James Cummings opened fire three times with a 12-gauge

shotgun A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small p ...

, killing Clyde Vidrine but leaving Kathy Cummings untouched.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vidrine, Clyde C. 1938 births 1986 deaths American murder victims Bodyguards Deaths by firearm in Louisiana Male murder victims People from Ville Platte, Louisiana People murdered in Louisiana