Prosecutors have granted a 22-year-old Bayou Blue man facing accessory and obstruction charges limited immunity so he can testify in an upcoming murder trial.

Joshua Babin was charged with one count each of being an accessory after the fact and obstruction of justice by tampering with evidence in connection to the Oct. 7, 2015, shooting death of 24-year-old Robert Swan in Gibson.

Babin's friend Kyle Cedotal, 31, was indicted Dec. 9, 2015, charged with second-degree murder, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance, three counts of possession with intent to distribute schedule II drugs and possession with intent to distribute schedule I drugs, records show.

Assistant District Attorney Dennis Elfert made a motion to compel testimony from Babin by granting him limited immunity. This means Babin’s testimony in Cedotal's case would not be used against him in his case.

“In order for him to testify I have to grant him what’s called limited immunity because he’s technically still charged with a crime,” Elfert said. “As a result he would have the right to take the Fifth Amendment unless I grant him limited immunity for testifying inside the trial against Kyle Cedotal.”

District Judge Johnny Walker granted Elfert’s motion on Thursday and set Cedotal’s trial for March 12.

Swan’s body was discovered Oct. 7, 2015, in Gibson, the Sheriff’s Office said. After Cedotal was developed as a suspect in the case, he was seen in a vehicle the next day on U.S. 90 near Chacahoula, where deputies pulled him over in a traffic stop.

After they pulled over the suspect vehicle, Cedotal took off on foot into a nearby marsh lugging a backpack containing three firearms and drugs, deputies said.

Cedotal was taken into custody after being taken down by a police dog, authorities said. He was treated for dog bites that required stitches from a local hospital and was then incarcerated in the Terrebonne Parish jail.

If convicted, Cedatol will face a mandatory life sentence without the benefit of probation, parole or suspension of sentence.

Authorities said they believe the shooting was drug-related.

--Staff Writer Dan Copp can be reached at 857-2202 or at dan.copp@houmatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter@DanVCopp.