Law Schools

Law School 1L Killed Right Before Finals

Authorities say his wife killed him in self-defense.

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Only a few days before final exams were due to begin, Ian Mastin, a first-year law student at Tulane Law School, was killed. According to reports, when deputies arrived at Mastin’s home on Friday, he’d suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead on the scene.

The incident was called into 911 by a woman identified as Mastin’s wife, who says she shot Mastin as he was beating and attempting to strangle her. According to the police, the woman “fear[ed] that the years of abuse would culminate in” her death.

The woman was questioned by authorities, and the Jefferson Parish  Sheriff’s Office said she “provided a detailed and well-documented history of physical and psychological abuse” by Mastin. While she had not previously reported abuse, Capt. Jason Rivarde said she “was able to provide a significant amount of corroborating evidence to back her statements,” and “displayed multiple physical injuries that corroborated her account” of self-defense.

After questioning, the woman was released without being charged. Police say after they complete their investigation, the results will be given to the Jefferson Parish DA’s office for review.

In an email to law students, Dean David Meyer acknowledged the death of one of their students, as well as the circumstances surrounding his death:

“It is with profound sorrow that I must share that a member of our first-year class, Ian Mastin, was killed last night in Metairie. A published newspaper report quotes police as stating that Ian was killed by his wife following an incident of domestic violence,” the e-mail states. “While we do not yet know all of the circumstances, our hearts go out to those affected by this terrible tragedy.”

The school will also provide grief counseling for those affected by the incident.

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headshotKathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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