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If a white man is attacked and murdered because he was 鈥渉anging out鈥� with black friends, should that be investigated as a federal hate crime?

That question looms in Louisiana after 24-year-old Michael Luke 鈥淏oulon鈥� Darby was fatally stabbed earlier this month outside a bar in Lafayette, where he had gone with two friends who are African-American.

After leaving the pub on Jefferson Street in the early morning hours of Sunday, Oct. 14, Darby and his two friends were confronted and harassed 鈥渂y three white guys, who were apparently drunk,鈥� the reported. The three men shouted 鈥渞acial slurs鈥� at Darby, 鈥渜uestioning why he was hanging out with his two black companions,鈥� the newspaper reported.

Darby allegedly 鈥渃harged one of the three鈥� white men and, when a scuffle ensued, his black friends broke up the fight, the newspaper reported. A few minutes later, Darby was 鈥渋nvolved in another altercation鈥� with one of the three white men before telling his two companions to get their vehicle and meet him at a nearby street corner, the newspaper reported. When his friends returned, however, Darby was nowhere to be seen, and they couldn鈥檛 find him by driving around the area.

Darby鈥檚 body was found during the noon hour on Oct. 15 behind some bushes several blocks from where the initial confrontation occurred. An autopsy determined he died from stab wounds.

Video surveillance footage and witness information led investigators to identify two suspects in the case, authorities say. Kyle James Toups, 24, of Carencro, La., was arrested without incident on Oct. 16 in Newton County, Texas, by agents assigned to the U.S. Marshal鈥檚 Violent Offenders Task Force. He is currently being held only on a state charge of second-degree murder. His brother, Travis Toups, 35, of Carencro, La., was arrested Oct. 17 on a charge of accessory to second-degree murder. He has been released on bail, authorities said.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no doubt this was a racial crime, and there鈥檚 no reason why my son should have been murdered because of his friendships,鈥� the victim鈥檚 father, Jerry Darby, told Hatewatch yesterday when reached at the family home in Eunice, where he lives with his wife, Linda. Michael, the couple鈥檚 only child, was buried following a standing-room-only funeral in his hometown last Friday, Jerry Darby said.

鈥淢y son was loved by everybody, and never caused nobody any trouble,鈥� the grieving father said.

Michael Darby was a 2006 graduate of Eunice High School who played football and baseball and ran in track events. Since completing two years at a technical college, he had been steadily employed as an electrician for an offshore drilling company.

After the funeral, his former football teammates permanently retired Darby鈥檚 No. 20 high school sports jersey and put 鈥淣o. 20鈥� stickers on their helmets for the homecoming football game, the victim鈥檚 father said.

鈥淭hese men belittled him and made fun of him because he was hanging out with his two friends who happen to be black,鈥� Jerry Darby said. 鈥淭o me, yes, that鈥檚 a hate crime. There鈥檚 no reason you should do that to anybody. We are not animals.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e Cajun people down here and we鈥檒l give you the shirts off our backs,鈥� added the elder Darby, who is a line crew foreman for a Louisiana power company. 鈥淢y son was that way, too, and he was no person who started trouble. Color don鈥檛 come in our way of thinking. We鈥檙e Christian people, not racially involved against anybody.鈥�

Varden Guillory Sr., the deputy police chief in Eunice told Hatewatch he casually knew Michael Darby, had talked with him on a few occasions and described him as being 鈥渨ell-liked.鈥�

鈥淗e would just get along with everybody,鈥� said the deputy police chief in the community of 12,000. 鈥淭his thing, it鈥檚 like senseless. There鈥檚 no reason to kill somebody just because they鈥檙e hanging with friends of a different race.鈥�

The office of Stephanie Finley, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, did not immediately return a call inquiring whether federal authorities would investigate the homicide as a possible hate crime.

However, FBI spokesman Kyle Hanrahan, in New Orleans, said the facts of the case, as described to him, do appear to establish jurisdiction for a federal investigation.

鈥淭his would constitute a hate crime,鈥� Hanrahan told Hatewatch. 鈥淲e are aware of the incident and evaluating whether to initiate a federal investigation. In light of the state charges that have been filed, we don鈥檛 necessarily always initiate an investigation where we have jurisdiction if we feel that the matter is being adequately addressed in the state criminal justice system.鈥�

Cpl. Paul L. Mouton, the public information officer for the Lafayette Police Department, told Hatewatch he doesn鈥檛 believe the homicide was a hate crime. 鈥淚n talking with investigators, no, it鈥檚 not a hate crime,鈥� Mouton said. 鈥淭his isn鈥檛 being looked at like a hate crime.鈥�

The Lafayette police official said a knife that is the suspected murder weapon has been recovered, but he wouldn鈥檛 provide details. Mouton also confirmed that investigators have obtained and examined surveillance footage from several downtown Lafayette businesses as part of the investigation. Investigators have located and questioned several witnesses, and no longer are seeking the third man involved in the initial confrontation with Darby, Mouton said.