By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Authorities in St. John the Baptist Parish arrested two men Thursday for their alleged involvement in the April 2008 murder of a LaPlace woman, according to a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.

Michael Carson, 38, of 126 Madeline Court, LaPlace, and Anthony Montecino, 31, who has no established address, were taken into custody in connection with the murder of 37-year-old Tiffany J. Blythe, said Capt. Dane Clement, public information officer for the St. John Sheriff’s Office.

According to Sheriff’s Office reports, on April 9, 2008, Blythe’s body was found under a mattress that had been set on fire in the 100 block of Madeline Court. The report stated that St. John Parish firefighters discovered the badly burned body when they were called to the scene to extinguish the blaze, which was set behind a group of trailer homes on the street.

Clement said through the course of the investigation, detectives obtained warrants for Carson’s and Montecino’s arrests. He said all three parties were acquainted prior to the incident but would not elaborate further. He also said investigators would not reveal the cause of death, citing a continuing investigation into the incident. Clement said the Sheriff’s Office held off on releasing information about the arrests until Monday so authorities could get in touch with Blythe’s family in LaPlace.

Clement said Carson was charged with second-degree murder while Montecino was charged with accessory after the fact to second-degree murder. Both suspects were booked into the Sherman Walker Correctional Facility in LaPlace Thursday evening. Carson is being held on a $200,000 bond, and Montecino is being held on a $210,000 bond.

As of press time Tuesday, both suspects remain behind bars.