BATON ROUGE, La. — Former Louisiana House Speaker Clay Schexnayder was arrested Monday on felony theft and malfeasance charges connected to an ancient cypress relic that disappeared from his former legislative office. Schexnayder, 56, was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Jail and released after posting $10,000 bail, according to online jail records.
The missing artifact is a massive 20-foot by 6-foot cypress board believed to date back to the 8th century A.D., harvested from the Maurepas Swamp and considered historically significant. It was last seen in Schexnayder’s Gonzales office, which he vacated last year after reaching his term limit. He told WAFB-TV that he left the board behind for state staff to collect and has no knowledge of what happened to it.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill pursued the charges, saying her office had limited contact with Schexnayder before the indictment became public. Schexnayder maintains he is willing to cooperate to help locate the artifact.
The valuation of the board, reportedly exceeding $25,000, triggered the felony theft charge. Under Louisiana law, felony theft carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine, though first-time offenders typically receive far lighter sentences. Malfeasance in office, the second charge, carries a maximum of 10 years and a $5,000 fine.
Authorities have not announced whether the relic has been recovered or whether additional individuals may be investigated.
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