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BEAUMONT — A Louisiana man will spend more than 40 years in jail for the killing of a Beaumont woman in 2019.

Criminal District Court Judge John B. Stevens sentenced Dion Lenoire, 37, Friday to 46 years in Texas prison after a jury convicted him of murder.

Jimmy Hamm and Mike Laird of the Jefferson County District’s Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.

On April 13, the Beaumont Police Department investigated a shooting at 1355 Church Street. At the scene police found the victim, Pamela Thibodeaux, suffering from a gunshot wound to the back of her head.

Thibodeaux died three days later.

Prosecutors said Thibodeaux was the victim of a “senseless” drive-by shooting that stemmed from an earlier argument at a local grocery store.

After the jury found him guilty, Lenoire admitted to additional charges for evading detention with a motor vehicle and burglary of a building.

Lenoire waived his rights to appeal and was sentenced to 46 years in prison on the murder, 10 years in prison on the evading detention with a motor vehicle and 2 years in State Jail for burglary of a building.

Hamm credited the Beaumont Police Department for its professional handling of the investigation, citing Officer Gabriel Fells, Detective Mark Hogge and Detective Staci Landor for exemplifying professionalism.