Elmo Patrick Sonnier illness, at Louisiana State Prison . He is buried in the prison cemetery. Sister Helen Prejean published a book, "Dead Man Walking" (1993), about her relationship with Elmo Sonnier and Robert Lee Willie, another inmate on Death Row whom she counseled. The book was adapted as a 1995 film of the same name directed by Tim Robbins and starring Susan Sarandon as Sister Prejean and Sean Penn as Matthew Poncelett, an amalgam of Sonnier and Willie. Her book was also adapted as an opera of the same name, first produced in 2000 by the San Francisco Opera. Elmo Patrick Sonnier
Carrie Prejean K2 announced a settlement with undisclosed terms, with both sides dropping their lawsuits. CNN subsequently reported that Prejean's settlement with Miss California USA officials was prompted by the revelation of a "sex tape", a home video involving Prejean. In November 2009, Prejean released a memoir titled "Still Standing: The Untold Story of My Fight Against Gossip, Hate, and Political Attacks" through conservative publisher Regnery Publishing. The book explores what Prejean believes were unfair attacks by those in the media that leaned left and what she characterized as "a vindictive smear campaign" from Hollywood, while also focusing on her conservative values.