CHARENTON, La. - Edmee Allian and Glayds Charles-LaFleur are looking to each other for comfort. The women are trying to come to grips with the news that their lifelong friend, Wilbert Thibodaux is accused of murder.

"I've known him well over 25 years, I considered him like a brother, " says Allian.

"I called him brother he called me sister," says LaFleur, " He's not the kind of person... He's not the kind of person that would hurt nobody."

But Alliam says when she heard yesterday that 78-year-old Eddie Lyon was found dead in his home his house set on fire, an officer was gunned down, and two other officers were struggling for life after a shooting; her intuition kicked in.

"I unfortunately knew that it was Wilbert," says Allian.

Allian and LaFleur say everyone who knew the 48 year old noticed Thibodaux had been acting strangely for several months. They say he was off his medication.

"We had been calling two whole weeks for someone to come pick him up. They said it had to be a family member," explains LaFleur. " It wasn't family member he hurt. But if they'd have picked him up and taken him to Patterson or Morgan City or somewhere to get some treatment this tragedy wouldn't have happened," she adds.

News 2 spoke to Eddie Lyons family. They said he lived in this home nearly his whole life, and never had problems with anyone. Which is why they say it's so shocking anyone would want to kill him, let alone Thibodaux.

"It hasn't been normal, it hasn't been what it should be. It's just got progressively worse, I don't know I just had that gut feeling," says Allian.

Which is why Thibodaux's friends say they're going to do all they can to make sure authorities know about his mental state And hope now they will listen.