MARKSVILLE – A murder conviction closes the case of a Vick man who was burned to death after five people high on synthetic drugs lured him to a robbery.

Matthew T. Conway was convicted of the second-degree murder of Derek Desselle, 27.

The other four charged, including Conway’s wife, have pleaded to various charges.

According to prosecutor Mike Kelly, the five were high on “Cloud 9”, a synthetic drug legally sold at the time as a bath salt, which has since been outlawed by the state.

The other four testified against Conway.

They are:

Ashley Conway, who pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and was sentenced to six years.

Thad Moses, who pleaded guilty to armed robbery and got 20 years..

Brandon M. Lovas, who pleaded guilty to armed robbery. and got 15 years.

Michelle V. Dauzat, who pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and received a three-year sentence.

Desselle’s body was discovered off Beaubouef Road in the Moncla area on Jan. 17.

The Conways, Lovas and Moses set out to rob Desselle the night he was killed, luring him into a car with the promise of scoring pain medication from a woman in Baton Rouge.

Ashley Conway played the part of the Baton Rouge drug connection, using a cell phone to text her husband as part of the ruse.

The men never left Avoyelles. Matthew Conway asked Desselle to take over driving as the car was on Beaubouef Road.

As Desselle came around to the driver’s side, Matthew Conway fired a .40-caliber bullet into his face and then covered the body with plastic bags and other material found nearby and fled with $800.

Matthew Conway, with his 18-month-old daughter, returned to the scene the next day and set the body on fire.

The smoke attracted attention of nearby residents.