MORGAN CITY — A 49-year-old man is facing a first-degree murder charge after a welfare check led police to a deceased person inside a Morgan City home.

Officers with the Morgan City Police Department responded to the area of Pine Street and Maple Street on Aug. 16 after receiving a welfare check call. When they arrived, they found the body of 65-year-old Brenda F. Bernucho.

Investigators say they observed signs of foul play and opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.

During the investigation, detectives say they identified Whitney Joseph Billiot IV as a suspect. 

Billiot was arrested and booked into the Morgan City Police Department Jail on a first-degree murder charge.