Murder in the Bayou: Who Killed the Women Known as the Jeff Davis 8. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), As Brown pointed out, Richards had multiple allegations made against him and had been arrested around 23 times but was never convicted for any of his crimes. None of them had been able to count on the police for protection. Anaya pleaded guilty to second degree murder for killing Ronnie Regalado in July 1999, and to manslaughter for the death of Ruben Macias Morales in July 1999. 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. JDCSO investigators said that the shooting occurred around 7 p.m. Friday on Mississippi 42 between Carson and Prentiss. Its got some magical realism to it, with the power to represent the dark and unknowable and maybe a little sinister parts of our country. The incident happened on Zion Hill Church Road. But at the same time, everything that Im talking about in this book is not confined to Louisiana and Jefferson Davis Parish., Throughout Murder in the Bayou, there are references to other major cases where the same systemic problems exist. At this time, investigators are not releasing the names or ages of the individuals involved. 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. All rights reserved. window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { I was stunned to see that these things that Id been interested in and had written about for so long were finally in the national conversation., By largely ignoring the storys bayou noir elements, Brown is able to show each individual victim as a real person, who is mourned and who couldnt be silenced as easily as their murderers seemed to think. Louis area for bringing the issue of law enforcement misconduct into the public discourse., Trending While reassuring to some, the beefed-up scrutiny wasn't enough to prevent an eighth death in August 2009, 26-year-old Necole Guillory was spotted off I-10 in nearby Acadia Parish or provide any new answers. ga('ads.send', { [2][6] Most of the victims knew each other well. Whenever he was back in New Orleans, Brown used Louisianas excellent public records laws to request thousands of legal documents, police personnel files and building liens, which he pored over. The victims who have become known as "The Jennings 8" or "The Jeff Davis 8" were all different, but they were also deeply connected in various ways. As a result, Richards was arrested but over time the evidence against him slowly started to disappear from the police department and Richards was out again after his charges were dropped. He is reportedly home and recovering. } April 15: Marsiah Emmanuel "Siah" Collins, 19, was killed in the same incident. Davidson has since been sentenced to death for the crime. hitType: 'event', Who Is Suspected Pentagon Leaker Jack Teixeira? That's, to me, the true justice. 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. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. 5) Bottom of the Map (Season 1 July 8 & July 15, 2019) County. Known to turn tricks as she battled a crack addition, her death was seemingly the fallout of the drug trade that ran along the highway I-10 corridor and left areas like South Jennings desolate. eventAction: 'view' eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), The Jeff Davis 8, sometimes called the Jennings 8, refers to a series of unsolved murders in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana. Address. Between 2005 and 2009, eight women from. ga('ads.send', { He published the article on Medium on January 31st, 2014, under the title Who Killed the Jeff Davis 8? and subtitled it an investigation into a real-life True Detective case., The show was a few episodes in and already a runaway success. Parents of Stephen Abram spoke with the Jefferson Davis County Board of Supervisors at its meeting Monday concerned over unsolved murders in the county. [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. You can take that however you want to," Brown was leery to return to Jennings to complete his interviews for months afterward. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. The community of Jennings lost faith in the police who were anything but helpful or effective in their search to find the killer. [2], Sheriff's office chief criminal investigator, Warren Gary, was also accused of purchasing a truck suspected of having been used to transport a body for the purpose of discarding evidence. Jeff Davis 8 - Wikipedia 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. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) said they arrested Joseph Koenig, Nicholas "Mitch" Karol-Chik, and Zachary Kwak. On March 18, 2007, a third victim with a similar profile to the others, 21-year-old Kristen Gary Lopez, was found in yet another canal. Also injured by gunfire was a juvenile, who was airlifted to UMMC in Jackson. Residents have gone as far as to accuse the police to be involved in benefitting from the drugs and the chaotic environment. Jeff Davis 8: The True Story of the 'Murder in the Bayou' Killings Eight women were mysteriously murdered in Jennings, Louisiana from 2005-2009 and as the investigation progressed, the small. 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. The book, obviously a much more detailed account than the Medium article, includes a particularly jaw-dropping revelation that came to light since 2014: In the second-to-last chapter, Brown discovers a connection between some of the victims and Louisiana Congressman Charles Boustany. Everything that Im talking about in this book is not confined to Louisiana., But where shows like True Detective lean heavily on the built-in spookiness of the swamp, Brown almost instantly does away with the tropes you came for in favor of a more powerful idea. Most were decomposed and displayed virtually no sign of trauma, their deaths believed to be the result of asphyxia. eventAction: 'click_image_ads' [2] However, the sergeant who took the statements was forced out of his job, and the allegations were ignored by law enforcement. Click to reveal The Arkansas Department of Health regulates the sale of food at establishments that include restaurants, bars, day cares,. Were sure youve never seen anything like this in your life. And these were cops.. }); Jennings, Louisiana, is a rather quiet space and the parish seat of Jefferson Davis. 173.236.152.142 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. eventAction: 'render' The murder occurred after Gus agreed to testify in court about the Taylor brothers' dishonest money-making schemes. Strickland said Sistrunk had been shot. The rate of murder in Jefferson Davis County is 0.03 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. 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. View Official Website. As the driver slowed down, she noticed a second person laying on the westbound shoulder of Hwy 84 just before Lucas Warner Road. 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 . Families and friends of the victims have also commented on the silence from the police and their slow attitude towards the case. 'Don't take any chances with him' Mississippi authorities searching for [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. But he also got less than ideal attention. "This is not to say that people didn't love them. Family seeking answers in son's murder - Prentiss Headlight Jefferson Davis County - Mississippi Arrests No other details have been released at this time. The murders and investigations feature in several media offerings. In a statement quoted in the book, Boustanys communications director denied that Boustany had any connection to any of the victims or had ever even been to the inn. You can almost smell it on True Detective all chemical refineries and Spanish moss and creeping swamps which captured it marvelously. 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. Despite speculation, the Jeff Davis 8 cases were not the inspiration for the first season of the HBO series True Detective, according to creator Nic Pizzolatto in the series DVD commentary. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { And they said, essentially, Welcome to Jennings. 8 years on and zero answers. ga('ads.send', { 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. Jefferson Davis County MS Jail - Inmate Locator - Prentiss, MS Jeff Davis County, Texas While what happened in Jefferson Davis Parish is a snarled web of power dynamics and deep-rooted corruption, Brown believes its symptomatic of a kind of system-wide brokenness that applies all over the country. For years, the police department has implied that a serial killer was in the parishs midst, but its been over a decade since the killings began, and the cases remain unsolved. Another point to be noted is the drug epidemic in the city given its location off a major highway. were handled by local law enforcement with some in the town even thinking local sheriffs were involved. Jefferson Davis County is in the 81st percentile for safety, meaning 19% of counties are safer and 81% of counties are more dangerous. 2. "To me justice is nobody having to live the way in which these women lived. 5 Things You Need To Know About The Complex Case Of The Jennings 8 Send us a tip using our anonymous form. The rate of violent crime in Jefferson Davis County is 1.98 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. [2], In December 2008, a task force consisting of 14 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies was formed to solve the killings. [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. 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. (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. Elections. Alexander, Jeffrey Kirk. pg.acq.push(function() { independent local journalism in Denver. Phone. [2], The first victim, Loretta Lewis, 28, was found floating in a river by a fisherman on May 20, 2005. Dark Truth Behind 8 Sex Workers Murdered in the Bayou }); (WDAM) - A Nashville, Tenn. woman is behind bars in Rankin County for her possible involvement in a murder in Jefferson Davis County. Don't Expect to Hear From Former Sheriff Ricky Edwards on 'Murder in However, crime means there are criminals with outstanding arrest warrants, and those people could, at any time, be in Jefferson Davis County. Brown clearly recognizes the pull: he named his book Murder in the Bayou. Alexander broke into the victims' home and waited for two hours before the victims arrived, when he then shot them. We have got to do better in this county., We know the families are hurting. Jeff Davis 8 murder case remains unsolved after 10 years: Was it an According. The two were killed on White Rogers Road. This Web site is funded through a grant from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice (2018-FU-CX-K045). Unsolved Homicides - Prince William County, Virginia Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. All the bodies had been found in canals or off the highway. Brown drove to the crime scene Deshotel had been shot to death in his home and found it in chaos: Not only had the police not secured the scene or created a perimeter, but people were wandering in and out of the house, sometimes taking items with them. The Abrams' son, Stephen Abram, was murdered, along with a friend Patrick Hartzog, in December 2017. Mississippi Crime Statistics 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. Again, two suspects were arrested Jennings pimp Frankie Richard and his niece Hannah Conner but were released due to lack of conclusive evidence. 2 dead, 1 injured in murder suicide - Prentiss Headlight Look below to learn more about 35 Colorado murders, whether or not prosecutors asked for capital punishment and what ultimately happened, featuring text from Radelet's letter. }); Advertisement Around 6:30 p.m. Sunday night, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to the 300 block of 20th Avenue NE to conduct a welfare check. [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. Obviously these women were murder victims individual people killed them, says Brown. },false) Denver. [1][2] Between 2005 and 2009, the bodies of eight women were found in swamps and canals surrounding Jennings, Louisiana. Woman fatally stabbed, four shot in Jefferson County crime spree The Showtime series released on September 13. Convicted of killing his girlfriend's mother, brother and niece. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. One of them described how Barry would cruise the seedy south side for prostitutes with his wife, after which they would drug the pickup with a spiked drink and bring her home to their sex room. Crime is ranked on a scale of 1 (low crime) to 100 (high crime) Jefferson Davis County violent crime is 25.4. 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. Jefferson Davis. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), After escaping from prison, Bell murdered a convenience store clerk in Broomfield, and later shot and killed three men in Lefthand Canyon in Boulder. Unsolved MURDERS of Jefferson Davis 8. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. 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. According to the Jefferson Davis County Sheriff's Office, 20-year-old Sierra Inscoe was denied bond during her initial court appearance Wednesday for the murder of 24-year-old Carson. Copyright 2023 WDAM. Denver. 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. A Murdaugh family death in 1940 was also suspicious - The Washington Post [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. 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. Despite the numerous allegations, Barry sat for only one interview with the task force before his death in 2010. 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. Kiss Paul Stanley Has 'Thoughts' About Parents Who Support Kids Gender Identities JENNINGS, LA Between 2005 and 2009, the bodies of eight local women were found in or around the small town of Jennings in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana. Edna Brister was found dead outside her burned home on Hwy. Her body was so dismembered that the coroner was unable to determine the specific cause of death. 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. A raid of Richards' home in 2009 found weapons, cash, and drugs in his possession. 15 Tennessee Murders That Will Keep You Up At Night 2) Murder She Spoke (Ep. The Jeff Davis 8, sometimes called the Jennings 8, refers to a series of unsolved murders in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana. Intricate murder cases like the Jeff Davis 8 can remain open for years, even decades. Investigators said one suspect has been identified in the shooting and asked for the communitys patience. Crime in Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi I met him around sunset one evening and I woke up the next morning to the news that hed been murdered a few hours earlier.. Me and my husband hurt, said Alice Abram. In 1894 in Linn County, four members of the Meeks family (Gus, Delora, Hattie and Mary) were brutally murdered by George and William Taylor, wealthy citizens of northeast Missouri. Which was problematic, because I had to speak to a number of people in the parish. For a long time after the sheriffs note was published, Brown would meet witnesses and refuse to get out of his car, instead driving them outside the parish to conduct interviews. 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. The residents of Jennings explained that the north side of Jennings is full of the privileged and rich while the south side is known for poverty, prostitution, and drugs. [1] Law enforcement's own witnesses have connected Richard to the Sheriff's Office. 9 Famous Disturbing Missouri Homicides You can take that however you want to.. 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. Jefferson Davis County Sheriffs Deputies have arrested and charged one with murder in the death of Jarriyon Davis. Where Is Acquitted Murderer Candy Montgomery Now? Since the publication of Murder in the Bayou earlier this month, Boustanys communications director called the allegations in the book completely false, and Boustanys wife sent a letter to his supporters in which she called the congressman a good man, a loving husband, and an incredible father.. We hurt. In 2002, Anaya was found guilty of killing a Denver restaurant patron in April 1999. Johnson is being charged as an adult. Though the article wasnt particularly long, it detailed the inability of Jefferson Davis law enforcement to get any leads on the case that had so far seen eight deaths not negligible, especially in a town of only 10,000 residents. 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. Halfway through the trip, he met a drug dealer named David Deshotel, who had recently earned the nickname Bowlegs after a gunshot wound to the leg left him with a limp. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), },false) 1. Bell eventually pleaded guilty to all four murders and was sentenced to LWOP. [3] Some were related by blood (such as cousins Kristen Gary Lopez and Brittney Gary) or lived together (Gary lived with Crystal Benoit shortly before her death). ga('ads.send', { Reader: Westside Took a Gamble on the Park Hill Golf Courseand Lost, Denver Residents Could Earn $1,000 Masturbating as Part of Orgasm Advisory Job, Lauren Boebert's Son Allowed to Appear in Court Virtually Despite Bench Warrant for Prior No-Show, The Denver Mint Is Taking Huge Losses on Nickels and Pennies Thanks to Inflation, Superfans, Mascot Mania and All-Stars: Nuggets and Suns Get Ready to Rumble, Cops Investigating "JUST KILLED A WOMAN" Photo Allegedly Shared by Rock-Throwing Suspect. All rights reserved. Could this really be chalked up to police incompetence? The Meeks were tenants on land owned by the Taylors. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is looking for a man believed to have stabbed a woman to death and then shot four others. Thirty detectives worked the case full time. [1] He was among those last seen with one of the victims, Kristen G. January, 2005. 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. Gordon Lightfoot, Canadian Folk-Rock Troubadour, Dead at 84 To Brown, something didnt seem right, so in mid-2011 he spent a week in the parish, talking to residents and people who knew the victims, even though he didnt have a story in mind at the time. Deshotel was a street player in town who had dated two of the Jeff Davis 8 victims. JEFFERSON DAVIS COUNTY, Miss. 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. }) Want more WDAM 7 news in your inbox? Once authorities arrived on the scene, they discovered that Davis had also been wounded with multiple gunshots. hitType: 'event', The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation also is investigating. When asked what justice would look like in this case, he shrugs off things like a Department of Justice intervention, which he says would produce very little actual change. Instead, he points to street-level flaws. HBO began airing the show during a real bayou moment in culture: The true-crime show Swamp Murders had premiered in fall of 2013 on Investigation Discovery, and American Horror Story: Coven, set in New Orleans, wrapped up in January 2014. April 15: Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, was killed in the same incident. hitType: 'event', Your IP: [4][7], In 2009, the sheriff ordered that every investigator working the Jeff Davis 8 case be swabbed for DNA in response to the accusations against investigators. Tipsters can call 601-582-STOP(7867) or go online to www.p3tips.com. } The show is based on investigative journalist Ethan Brown's 2016 book 'Murder in the Bayou: Who Killed the Women Known as the Jeff Davis 8?' 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. 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. 8) Jerry Ray Davidson: Forty-three year old Virginia Jackson was found naked and mutilated in Dickson County in 1995. Menudo Star Says Jos Menendez Assaulted Him. Most of the bodies were found in such a state of decomposition as to make the actual cause of death difficult to determine. pg.acq.push(function() { }); He dropped the lawsuit in December, after losing the race. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. 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. Jefferson Davis County, MS Violent Crime Rates and Maps The Abrams son, Stephen Abram, was murdered, along with a friend Patrick Hartzog, in December 2017. Drug busts would reveal kilos of cocaine and crack, and thousands of pills. [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. According to 15 Circuit Court District Attorney Hal Kittrell, the law gives the Circuit Court original jurisdiction with charges on anyone under the age of 18 who commits a crime that would carry a life sentence. 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. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of 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. [2] The victims also shared in common traits such as poverty, mental illness, and histories of drug abuse and sex work. Cannabis Vape Companies Saw Bootlegs Coming So Why Didnt Regulators? if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Jefferson Davis County Sheriffs office at (601) 792-5169. Although Inscoe is being charged with murder in Jefferson Davis County, she is currently being held at the Rankin County Detention Center. [2], Brown's investigative work reveals many tangled connections between victims, suspects, and the police. The fact that all eight victims hailed from the south seemed to pacify the case and numb the much-needed police action. All Rights Reserved. One of the prime suspects was drug addict, pimp, and former strip-club proprietor Frankie Richards who was known to brag about his violence and conquests in bed. [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].
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