CONVINGTON — A man arrested in 2022 was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday for killing a retired priest and a church worker and dumping their burned bodies in downtown Covington, avoiding the death penalty the District Attorney's office sought.

Antonio Tyson pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and one count of obstruction of justice in connection with the murders of Ruth Prats and Father Otis Young. He was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for the murder charges and 40 years for the obstruction of justice. 

Part of his plea includes housing under conditions equivalent to those on death row. District Attorney Collin Sims' office was initially pursuing the death penalty for Tyson, but said that the defense presented compelling medical evidence during the trial that raised concerns over Tyson's intellectual impairment and whether a death sentence could ultimately be carried out.

"While this evidence did not raise doubt as to Tyson's guilt, his competency to stand trial, or his sanity at the time of the offenses, it did create a significant risk that a death sentence imposed at trial would not withstand appellate review and thus barring the state from executing the sentence of death," the DA's office said.

In November 2022, Young and Prats were found burned "beyond recognition" behind a glass-making company by an employee.

Tyson was later found driving a car belonging to Prats after it was involved in a hit-and-run.

Tyson, a convicted rapist, had been transferred to Angola after trying to escape from St. Tammany's parish jail while awaiting trial. 

Tyson's formal sentencing was set for June 8 at 9 a.m.