jefferson davis county murders jefferson davis county murders

8 years on and zero answers. Parents of Stephen Abram spoke with the Jefferson Davis County Board of Supervisors at its meeting Monday concerned over unsolved murders in the county. April & July, 1999. independent local journalism in Denver. [4], Task force investigative reports reveal a series of witness interviews in which local law enforcement were implicated in the murders. Last year, Radelet put together a letter to Governor John Hickenlooper's office that highlighted studies he'd conducted arguing against the death penalty, with one section pointing out how inconsistently (and rarely) it's been sought in Colorado even for the most shocking crimes. From May 2005 - Nov 2009, 8 Beautiful women from Jennings and Lake Charles Louisiana (Jefferson Davis Parish) mysteriously disappeared only to be found murdered shortly after disappearing. January 8: Destin Rashard Holley, 23, was found dead in the same incident. [2], Kristen Lopez, one of the victims, was present when police shot and killed a drug dealer named Leonard Crochet in 2005 along with several individuals connected to the Jeff Davis 8 case, including Alvin "Bootsy" Lewis, who fathered a child with victim Whitnei Dubois and is also the brother in law of the first victim, Loretta Chaisson Lewis. According to authorities, an unidentified Walmart truck driver traveling toward Prentiss initially called 911 to report a young black male trying to flag down traffic in the eastbound median of Highway 84. Also injured by gunfire was a juvenile, who was airlifted to UMMC in Jackson. The details of the Jeff Davis 8 murders are so incredible - and so quintessentially bayou - that if they were fiction they'd seem a little heavy-handed. It sounds like the plot of True Detective, but when the details are laid out all at once, as they are in Ethan Browns mesmerizing new book Murder in the Bayou, it starts to make the hit HBO show seem downright restrained and the bayou look a lot like the rest of the country. Karol-Chik told investigators with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office that he and Koenig had thrown rocks and even a statue at passing cars on at least 10 other days before Bartell was. According to investigative journalist Ethan Brown, Richards was known to all eight of the victims and had often partied or done drugs with the girls. When the body of victim number one, 28-year-old Loretta Lynn Chaisson Lewis, showed up in 2005, her death was associated with her drug habits and a possible fallout in the trade. The next year saw the bodies of 26-year-old Whitney Dubois, 23-year-old Laconia "Muggy" Brown, 24-year-old Crystal Shay Benoit Zeno, and 17-year-old Brittney Gary showing up. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), The two were killed on White Rogers Road. 56) Worst Crimes Ever (Ep. People who live in Jefferson Davis County generally consider the south part of the county to be the safest for this type of crime. Brown was shocked after all, this was the murder of someone intimately connected to other homicide victims. Later that day, speaking with some former police officers, Brown recounted his experience. Edna Brister was found dead outside her burned home on Hwy. And, as Brown writes, all eight of the victims snitched for local law enforcement about the Jennings drug trade.. But they were also dying under the weight of having no resources for their health problems, no resources for their mental health problems, no resources for substance abuse., Murder in the Bayou could be a story about unconstitutional policing run amok, but by focusing on the women themselves, the takeaway seems to be something far more heartbreaking. hitType: 'event', 2) Murder She Spoke (Ep. The Mystery Novelist Who Committed a Real Murder, Boston Marathon Bombings Survivors, 10 Years Later, A Complete Timeline of Adnan Syeds Trial, Release. Through extensive interviews with families, suspects and taskforce personnel, and careful examination of public records, Brown uncovered evidence that pointed him away from the serial killer theory and toward a more complex cover-up orchestrated by authorities. Note that a "homicide" refers to the cause of death as determined by a medical examiner, not to the crime of murder as charged by prosecutors and adjudicated through the courts. Brown was a writer and a private investigator living in New Orleans when he first read about the Jeff Davis 8 in a 2010 New York Times story. There seemed to be a link between all eight murders but no answers were found. This is a List of homicides in 2023, including homicide cases reported throughout the Birmingham District. Davis, 24, was found dead on Highway 84 at Lucas Nov. 14 in what was originally thought to be a hit-and-run. Theres a letter cited in the book from victim Loretta Chaissons attorney, written to a judge after one of her arrests, in which the lawyer pushed for leniency by outlining her health problems tuberculosis, hepatitis, depression and anxiety, addiction. According to the Jefferson Davis County Sheriffs Office, 20-year-old Sierra Inscoe was denied bond during her initial court appearance Wednesday for the murder of 24-year-old Carson Sistrunk. }); [1] However, Brown's recent investigative work exposing connections between victims, suspects, and the police casts doubt on the theory that the Jeff Davis 8 is the work of a serial killer. Gordon Lightfoot, Canadian Folk-Rock Troubadour, Dead at 84 Nearly 150 evidentiary items were labeled. hitType: 'event', Members of the Jones County Sheriffs Department assisted in the arrest. Your IP: You can take that however you want to.. With a lack of evidence, a narrow list of suspects, the heavy involvement of the police in prostitution and drugs, the Jeff Davis 8 case looks to be more the work of a complex cover-up than the work of a serial killer. A cocaine addict, Arguello was permitted to plead guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in exchange for a life sentence for killing his wife . We are reaching out to you in hopes that you will make an announcement to the citizens in your . 1 dead, 1 injured in Jefferson Davis County shooting, One dead, one wounded Friday night in Jefferson Davis County shooting, HPD seeks public help locating two suspects in ongoing investigations, Police seeking man wanted in connection to 2 commercial burglaries in Hattiesburg, Jones County volunteer fire department units deploy twice Sunday. Jefferson Davis County Sheriff Ron Strickland says Inscoe became a suspect in Sistrunks murder after being stopped by an officer last week while she was driving a vehicle that belonged to the victim, who had been reported missing out of Rankin County on Tuesday, Sept. 6. Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center, Jefferson County District Attorney's Office, https://www.bhamwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=List_of_homicides_in_2023&oldid=201245, March 14: Timothy R. Davidson, 62, was died at, March 19: Djuante Nyjuwan Dickers, 23, died at. pg.acq.push(function() { The backlash spooked him. These women werent doomed because they were in a dangerous milieu. 5) Bottom of the Map (Season 1 July 8 & July 15, 2019) Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. But he also got less than ideal attention. The fact that all eight victims hailed from the south seemed to pacify the case and numb the much-needed police action. Brown clearly recognizes the pull: he named his book Murder in the Bayou. Intricate murder cases like the Jeff Davis 8 can remain open for years, even decades. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ [1][2], The women all also served as informants for the police about the local drug trade and often provided police with information about other Jeff Davis 8 victims before their own deaths. MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. Investigators are planning to speak with other possible people of interest in the case to see if more arrests are possible. The murders and investigations feature in several media offerings. The tiny city made headlines when the bodies of eight young women showed up over the span of four-and-a-half years between 2005 and 2009. Address. The rate of violent crime in Jefferson Davis County is 1.98 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. We want nothing more than to solve these murders, said Jefferson Davis County Sher, We have turned the cases over to the district attorney who has enlisted the help of the FBI., Sometimes it takes more time to solve a case than we would like. ga('ads.send', { Send us a tip using our anonymous form. All rights reserved. Parents of Stephen Abram spoke with the Jefferson Davis County Board of Supervisors at its meeting Monday concerned over unsolved murders in the county. Louis area for bringing the issue of law enforcement misconduct into the public discourse., Trending In one instance, the Times noted, the chief investigator bought a pickup truck from an inmate known to be friends with one of the victims. Who Is Suspected Pentagon Leaker Jack Teixeira? In December 2007, two inmates told Jennings Sergeant Jesse Ewing on tape what they knew about the truck from the Lopez case being sold to the investigator and scrubbed clean of evidence. Despite the fact that Richards' path crisscrossed with the police and all eight victims, he managed to remain free for many years after the murders. ga('ads.send', { }); The Showtime docuseries Murder in the Bayou has raised a lot of questions about how the murders of eight women in Jefferson Davis Parish, La. Lopez. eventAction: 'click_adunit' media-tech companies with hubs around the world. Alexander broke into the victims' home and waited for two hours before the victims arrived, when he then shot them. Tipsters must call or contact Metro Crime Stoppers online to be eligible for a cash reward. Jefferson Davis County Sheriff Ron Strickland said the shooting happened around 3 a.m. Wednesday at 288 Smith Jones Road.. Strickland said a domestic dispute between Lee Sandifer and his 47-year-old girlfriend, Christine Lewis, led to the shooting. August, 1990. (WDAM) - A shooting in Jefferson Davis County left one dead and one injured, investigators with the Jefferson Davis County Sheriffs Office said. }); ga('ads.send', { window.adsContainer = {"position2":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Above_Next_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position3":{"code":"Article_Mobile_300x250_ATF_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position4":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position5":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle1_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position6":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle2_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position7":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle3_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position8":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle4_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position9":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle5_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position10":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle6_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position11":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle7_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position12":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle8_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position13":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle9_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position14":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle10_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position15":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle11_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position16":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle12_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250}} According to relatives, many seemed excessively anxious or frightened before they disappeared, with the article making it clear that they couldn't rely on protection from police. [2] Statements from two female inmates portrayed suspects working with the sheriff's office to dispose of evidence in the Lopez case. hitType: 'event', Menudo Star Says Jos Menendez Assaulted Him. ga('ads.send', { }); [2], Brown's investigative work reveals many tangled connections between victims, suspects, and the police. Jefferson County Food & Safety Report April 30, 2023 at 2:25 a.m. The Showtime series released on September 13. In a town with a population of around 10,000, the excess amount of easily available drugs resulted in corruption, addicts, and people looking to make some easy money. Its easy to say, Louisiana is terrible, it has the highest incarceration rate in America, it has the worst criminal justice system in America. All those things are true, says Brown. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Inscoe was arrested by Mississippi Bureau of Investigation agents in Jones County on Sunday, Sept. 11 around 3 p.m. hitType: 'event', Further digging revealed multiple witnesses who alleged that Boustany was not only present at the Boudreaux Inn on multiple occasions, but was a client of at least three of the victims. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Academy Slaps Down New Rules After Andrea Riseborough, Tom Cruise, Michelle Yeoh Controversies 2330 Columbia Ave, Prentiss, MS 39474. Two men were held for second-degree murder, though the charges were later dropped. Most were decomposed and displayed virtually no sign of trauma, their deaths believed to be the result of asphyxia. Despite the numerous allegations, Barry sat for only one interview with the task force before his death in 2010. Convicted of killing his girlfriend's mother, brother and niece. All prisons and jails have Security or Custody levels depending on the inmate's classification, sentence, and criminal history. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. [2] However, the sheriff's office did not test the alleged crime scene until 15 months after Patterson's murder, and found it "failed to demonstrate the presence of blood."[2]. At the center of it all was Richard, the pimp and former strip-club proprietor who was also allegedly an informant and claimed to have been sexually involved with most of the women. (The US average is 22.7) Jefferson Davis County property crime is 49.4. [1], Frankie Richard, a local strip club owner and suspected drug dealer[1][2] admitted to being a crack addict and to having sex with most of the victims. [3][4] Other victims were Ernestine Marie Daniels Patterson, 30; Kristen Gary Lopez, 21; Whitnei Dubois, 26; Laconia "Muggy" Brown, 23; Crystal Shay Benoit Zeno, 24; and Brittney Gary, 17. The victims were either intimately connected and/or related. Thirty detectives worked the case full time. And most compelling, Brown writes, is that most if not all of the Jeff Davis 8witnessed other murders. Eight women were mysteriously murdered in Jennings, Louisiana from 2005-2009 and as the investigation progressed, the small town's dark secrets began to unravel. JEFFERSON DAVIS COUNTY, Miss. The victims, he wrote on Medium, not only knew each other well and shared similar woes with their drug addictions and financial problems, they had all served as police informants. We want to hear it. Whoopi Goldberg interrupts 'The View' live segment, raises her voice and hits co-host, Demi Moore has not left Bruce Willis's side and is doing everything to make his 'last moments happy', 'Liza took a final breath and sighed': Liza Burke, 21, dies 6 weeks after stage 4 cancer diagnosis, Baywatch star Jeremy Jacksons ex-wife Loni Willison spotted looking for food in LA waste, Archie Blake: Boy, 11, mauled by shark while snorkeling just meters away from shore during family trip. Just two days later, authorities found 25-year-old Ashley Oatis shot to death after a drive-by shooting on Valentines Day. Drug busts would reveal kilos of cocaine and crack, and thousands of pills. To me, rounding up whoever did this is important, says Brown. I was floored, he says. [1] Law enforcement's own witnesses have connected Richard to the Sheriff's Office. He wrote that one of his contacts in Jennings, who is deeply connected to the case, told him, Ive already heard more than once that youll never get that book out. But it doesnt change the facts on the ground in a place like that.. Despite the large body count, the evidence collected was close to none. All the bodies had been found in canals or off the highway. All callers are given an identification number to claim cash reward money. Click to reveal Bell, Michael. Their heightened security was not enough to prevent yet another murder, taking the body count to eight when 26-year-old Necole Guillory was spotted off I-10. The incident happened on Zion Hill Church Road. Then, after a massive public records request about the inn, Brown found that it was co-owned by a Martin P. Guillory, a field representative for Boustany. You can almost smell it on True Detective all chemical refineries and Spanish moss and creeping swamps which captured it marvelously. No other details have been released at this time. BASSFIELD, Miss. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. Denver's independent source of document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ Tipsters can call 601-582-STOP(7867) or go online to www.p3tips.com. Obviously these women were murder victims individual people killed them, says Brown. JEFFERSON DAVIS COUNTY, Miss. Mississippi clerk facing up to 30 years in prison for alleged fraud, Former lead singer of Bishop Gunn arrested for allegedly mailing an obscene image to a prison. Less than a month later, victim number two, 30-year-old Ernestine Marie Daniels Patterson, was found in a canal off a highway. [3] The two female inmates who stated the Sheriff's Office disposed of evidence in the Lopez case alleged that the evidence was discarded at the behest of Richard. (WDAM) - A Nashville, Tenn. woman is behind bars in Rankin County for her possible involvement in a murder in Jefferson Davis County. Jefferson Davis County Sheriffs Deputies have arrested and charged one with murder in the death of Jarriyon Davis. gads_event = event; Prince William County Police Department Unsolved Homicides CONTACT INFORMATION 5036 Davis Ford Road, Woodbridge, VA 22192 policedept@pwcgov.org 703-792-5123 Mon.-Fri. | 8 a.m.-4 p.m. April 15: Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, was killed in the same incident. According to law enforcement officers, Sistrunk and Insoce had been communicating through social media and had planned to meet each other. pg.acq.push(function() { Between 2005 and 2009, eight women from the town of Jennings, Louisiana, in Jefferson Davis Parish, were murdered, their bodies dumped in crawfish ponds and canals in the area. In his new book 'Murder in the Bayou,' Ethan Brown follows the Jeff Davis 8 murders, a serial killer case that became something more sinister, Dark Truth Behind 8 Sex Workers Murdered in the Bayou, Broadway Theater Shutdown: Ripple Effects Felt Across the World. ga('ads.send', { This page was last modified on 1 May 2023, at 13:59. Throughout the years hed been investigating the case, Brown had been told that the Boudreaux Inn the former motel where some of the denizens of Jennings underworld, including the Jeff Davis 8, regularly went to take drugs and have sex was operated by people who were in politics, he says, though he never got a name. To me and years later I actually feel the same way it was the best representation of southwest Louisiana, visually, that Ive ever seen, Brown says of the series first season. let gads_event; They interviewed more than 100 people. Jefferson County. He was either in a wheelchair or on crutches, and he made an impression just because he had been shot and he was kind of a mess, Brown tells Rolling Stone. All Rights Reserved. According to a press release from the Jefferson City Police Department, 35-year-old Damien L. Davis has been charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon, and . Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. You can take that however you want to," Brown was leery to return to Jennings to complete his interviews for months afterward. After one of his contacts told him that he'd "heard more than once that you'll never get that book out. Copyright 2023 WDAM. Where Is Acquitted Murderer Candy Montgomery Now? [5], Patterson and Brown had their throats slit; the other bodies were in too advanced state of decomposition to determine the cause of death, though asphyxia is a suspected cause of death. In December 2008, Jefferson Davis Parish Sherriff Ricky Edwards announced the formation of a task force culled from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to investigate the murders. Thanks to the connection, Browns article got picked up all over the internet, including by Nic Pizzolatto, the creator of True Detective, who tweeted it out approvingly. Johnson is being charged as an adult. If Jennings seemed like any other rural Louisiana town at first glance, it only took a few days for Browns suspicions to grow deeper. The case remains unsolved until today with no new leads to give the victims' families the closure they deserve. Two were transported to a local hospital, where one was later pronounced dead, JDCSO said. "To me justice is nobody having to live the way in which these women lived. }) }); Jennings, Louisiana, is a rather quiet space and the parish seat of Jefferson Davis. hitType: 'event', The article caught the attention of New Orleans-based writer Ethan Brown, who ventured to Jennings to conduct his own investigation beginning in mid-2011. [2], In December 2008, a task force consisting of 14 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies was formed to solve the killings. Indeed, women who provided information on the first few cases wound up victims themselves., It seemed that a new lead, a new horrifying implication, or a new allegation against a high-level individual came up every time Brown scratched the surface of the case. March 29: Walterius Jamal Barnes, 21, died at UAB Hospital from wounds suffered when he was shot multiple times from another car while he was driving, and crashed into a house on the 2900 block of Fairfax Avenue. Cannabis Vape Companies Saw Bootlegs Coming So Why Didnt Regulators? }); April 15: Philstavious Dowdell, 18, was killed in the same incident. fleshed out the reporting featured in his Medium article and delivered a new bombshell: A field representative for Louisiana Congressman Charles Boustany owned a notoriously seedy Jennings hotel where Boustany allegedly had sex with three of the victims. local news and culture. All of them were from South Jennings, the poor side of town, and knew each other. January, 2005. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Law enforcement failed to make any arrests and barely had a list of suspects. The September 2016 release of Murder in the Bayou: Who Killed the Women Known as the Jeff Davis 8? } (WDAM) - An investigation is underway in Jefferson Davis County after a man was found dead by law enforcement Thursday morning following an early-morning shooting. }); [4][6] Family members of the victims suspect the police are actually responsible for the deaths. Meanwhile, the saga had expanded past the realm of local coverage and into the national media. (WDAM) - A shooting in Jefferson Davis County left one dead and one injured, investigators with the Jefferson Davis County Sheriff's Office said.. On May 20, 2005, the decomposed body of 28-year-old Loretta Lynn Chaisson Lewis was fished out of a canal on the outskirts of Jennings, in the Jefferson Davis Parish of southwest Louisiana. They were all living in poverty and had criminal records filled with drug use and petty crime, often supporting their respective habits with sex work. Although Inscoe is being charged with murder in Jefferson Davis County, she is currently being held at the Rankin County Detention Center. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), }); They were doomed by their own social status, by the inescapability of their poverty, and because the people who were supposed to protect them, at best, didnt give a shit about them. if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ County. eventAction: 'render' Beyond the backlash from those named in its pages, Murder in the Bayou drew a largely positive response en route to becoming a best-seller. Buddy Caldwell doesn't intervene", "The Jennings Eight, Part 1: "True Detective" Brought to Life in the Louisiana Bayou", "The Jennings Eight, Part 2: The Unmatched Incompetence of the Jennings Police Department", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jeff_Davis_8&oldid=1152510286, Part of the "True Crime Tuesday" series in 2018 on, This page was last edited on 30 April 2023, at 17:35. The Jefferson Davis parish sheriff, Ivy Woods, posted a note on the departments official website, calling Brown an author of fiction stories, and decrying the article for insinuating corruption in our Sheriffs Office. The notes still up there, under the heading, From the Desk of Sheriff Woods. (In an emailed comment to Rolling Stone regarding Murder in the Bayou, Jefferson Davis Chief Deputy Christopher Ivey says that Brown speculates on many of the instances [in the book] based on information he obtained from people he admits he doesnt trust, adding that the cases have not been forgotten. },false) ", .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}G. Gordon Liddys Wild Career After Watergate. None of them had been able to count on the police for protection. Showtime's five-part series titled 'Murder in the Bayou' looks deeply into the case and highlights the negligence, harmful environment, and lack of police involvement that surrounds the untimely deaths of these women. The Meeks were tenants on land owned by the Taylors. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) said they arrested Joseph Koenig, Nicholas "Mitch" Karol-Chik, and Zachary Kwak. March, 1992. It's to say that the way in which they lived, this life so beyond hardscrabble Where do I get a cheese sandwich today? The agency issued a warrant for her arrest for felony taking of a motor vehicle charge out of Rankin County. I stayed out of Jefferson Davis Parish for months, he says. That takes time.. The Tracy Andrus Foundation is pleased to announce that we have received grant funds to assist persons in Brewster, Culberson, Fannin, Grayson, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Lubbock and Presidio counties with mortgage assistance services. Alexander also shot and critically injured a 6-year-old nephew of the former girlfriend. She had multiple stab and gunshot wounds to the abdomen and back. Pizzolatto has denied that True Detective was based on the Jeff Davis 8 case, but the similarities are undeniable: he was born in Calcasieu Parish, right next to Jefferson Davis Parish, a place thats had its own fair share of law enforcement corruption. Thanks in part to the near-simultaneous debut of True Detective, with its first-season storyline of murder investigations in backwater Louisiana, Brown generated enough buzz with his Medium article to land a book deal. All rights reserved. 2023 Rolling Stone, LLC. He is reportedly home and recovering. The Prince William County Police Department remains committed to solving the below unsolved homicide cases. Unsolved MURDERS of Jefferson Davis 8. Seeking information poster for the Jeff Davis 8 murders, Jeff Davis 8: The True Story of the 'Murder in the Bayou' Killings, G. Gordon Liddys Wild Career After Watergate. Investigators said one suspect has been identified in the shooting and asked for the communitys patience. Its important to note that none of the allegations Brown highlights amount to accusing anyone of the murders. }) Despite his lengthy rap sheet and allegations that placed him in connection to some of the murders, he was free to walk the streets and talk openly with Brown about his involvement with the victims. As the driver slowed down, she noticed a second person laying on the westbound shoulder of Hwy 84 just before Lucas Warner Road. An attempted murder-suicide left two people dead and one injured in an early morning shooting last Wednesday in the county. JEFFERSON DAVIS COUNTY, Miss. Most of the bodies were found in such a state of decomposition as to make the actual cause of death difficult to determine.