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. 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. And most compelling, Brown writes, is that most if not all of the Jeff Davis 8witnessed other murders. }); 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. But the book deal came three to four months before Ferguson and and Eric Garner, and I believe that none of these issues were on the table in any real way pre-Black Lives Matter. He also generated pushback from the Jefferson Davis Parish law enforcement, with new Sherriff Ivy Woods denigrating Brown as an "author of fiction stories." }) Investigators said one suspect has been identified in the shooting and asked for the communitys patience. [4][6] Family members of the victims suspect the police are actually responsible for the deaths. This is a List of homicides in 2023, including homicide cases reported throughout the Birmingham District. 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. },false) The agency issued a warrant for her arrest for felony taking of a motor vehicle charge out of Rankin County. I was floored, he says. We have got to do better in this county., We know the families are hurting. In the acknowledgments, Brown gives his incredible thanks and boundless gratitude to the protesters in the Ferguson/St. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. 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. Last July, we told you about the decision by prosecutors at the Denver DA's office to, Become a member to support the independent voice of Denver [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). The community of Jennings lost faith in the police who were anything but helpful or effective in their search to find the killer. There seemed to be a link between all eight murders but no answers were found. . Although Inscoe is being charged with murder in Jefferson Davis County, she is currently being held at the Rankin County Detention Center. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ We are one of the worlds fastest growing An attempted murder-suicide left two people dead and one injured in an early morning shooting last Wednesday in the county. 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. Most were decomposed and displayed virtually no sign of trauma, their deaths believed to be the result of asphyxia. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), They interviewed more than 100 people. The murder occurred after Gus agreed to testify in court about the Taylor brothers' dishonest money-making schemes. 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. Most of the bodies were found in such a state of decomposition as to make the actual cause of death difficult to determine. April 15: Marsiah Emmanuel "Siah" Collins, 19, was killed in the same incident. [2] However, witnesses told investigators they believed the police had killed many of the victims because of what they knew about the shooting of Leonard Crochet. Despite the large body count, the evidence collected was close to none. At this time, investigators are not releasing the names or ages of the individuals involved. If Jennings seemed like any other rural Louisiana town at first glance, it only took a few days for Browns suspicions to grow deeper. 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. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); Members of the Jones County Sheriffs Department assisted in the arrest. 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.. Again, two suspects were arrested Jennings pimp Frankie Richard and his niece Hannah Conner but were released due to lack of conclusive evidence. The rate of murder in Jefferson Davis County is 0.03 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. Tipsters must call or contact Metro Crime Stoppers online to be eligible for a cash reward. A prison nurse and a sergeant who had tried to voice some of their concerns were subsequently fired from their jobs. Jefferson Davis County Sheriff's Deputies have arrested and charged one with murder in the death of Jarriyon Davis. 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. 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. Less than two weeks later, Reginald Hartzog was found dead of a gunshot wound in a burned home on Hartzog Magee Road. Davidson has since been sentenced to death for the crime. 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. } Just two days later, authorities found 25-year-old Ashley Oatis shot to death after a drive-by shooting on Valentines Day. Two men were held for second-degree murder, though the charges were later dropped. Amid a tight battle for a Senate seat, Boustany filed a defamation lawsuit against Brown and his publisher. And, as Brown writes, all eight of the victims snitched for local law enforcement about the Jennings drug trade.. [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. (WDAM) - A shooting in Jefferson Davis County left one dead and one injured, investigators with the Jefferson Davis County Sheriff's Office said.. 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. 8 years on and zero answers. Kadarrian Johnson, 15, of Prentiss has been charged with murder. At least 92 homicides have been reported in the area for the year. A January 2010 New York Times article reported on the fear and frustration felt by family members of the slain women, as well as the missteps of local law enforcement in charge of solving the crimes. Alexander broke into the victims' home and waited for two hours before the victims arrived, when he then shot them. All three murders were committed while Anaya was age 17. hitType: 'event', 173.236.152.142 Crime is ranked on a scale of 1 (low crime) to 100 (high crime) Jefferson Davis County violent crime is 25.4. ga('ads.send', { pg.acq.push(function() { [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. [2], Byron Chad Jones and Lawrence Nixon (a cousin of the fifth victim, Laconia Brown) were briefly charged with second-degree murder in the Ernestine Patterson case. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. 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. The victims were either intimately connected and/or related. After one of his contacts told him that he'd "heard more than once that you'll never get that book out. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. JEFFERSON DAVIS COUNTY, Miss. We hurt that someone took our only sons life., It is going to be three years in December and we have no answers., What can yall do to help the sheriffs department. All the bodies had been found in canals or off the highway. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. According to law enforcement officers, Sistrunk and Insoce had been communicating through social media and had planned to meet each other. All callers are given an identification number to claim cash reward money. [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. Brown clearly recognizes the pull: he named his book Murder in the Bayou. Between 2005 and 2009, eight women from. } 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. eventAction: 'render' document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ eventAction: 'load' }); Investigators are planning to speak with other possible people of interest in the case to see if more arrests are possible. 56) Worst Crimes Ever (Ep. 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. [2] The victims also shared in common traits such as poverty, mental illness, and histories of drug abuse and sex work. 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. Join the Westword community and help support 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. The one common link between the victims was that they were all somehow involved in the sex trade and had difficulties with drug abuse. 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. He also denied that Boustany was aware of Guillorys stake in the inn. 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. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. 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. }) 'Stop it!' 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. [2], Police have arrested or issued warrants for the arrest of four people in connection with the case. 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. ga('ads.send', { 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. (WDAM) - A shooting in Jefferson Davis County left one dead and one injured, investigators with the Jefferson Davis County Sheriffs Office said. The Arkansas Department of Health regulates the sale of food at establishments that include restaurants, bars, day cares,. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. The two were killed on White Rogers Road. MEAWW brings you the best content from its global team of Arguello, Damian M. Adams County. It's to say that the way in which they lived, this life so beyond hardscrabble Where do I get a cheese sandwich today? 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. 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. The Jeff Davis 8, sometimes called the Jennings 8, refers to a series of unsolved murders in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana. Menudo Star Says Jos Menendez Assaulted Him. 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. Even more alarming, one member of the sherriff's office, David Barry, was fingered as a murder suspect by multiple witnesses. 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. April 15: Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, was killed in the same incident. 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. According to family and friends of the victims, many of the girls had served as police informants and had seemed scared or anxious before they died. [4] The final body of Necole Guilory, 26, was found off Interstate 10 in 2009. I stayed out of Jefferson Davis Parish for months, he says. April 15: Philstavious Dowdell, 18, was killed in the same incident. Sistrunks body was found last week in Jefferson Davis County at an oil well site by a worker who noticed tire tracks. 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. 601-792-5169. 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. }); The law enforcement agencies in Jefferson Davis County, MS, do not report crime statistics in a manner that lends itself to compiling general yearly crime data for their county. [1][2], Author and investigative reporter Ethan Brown has revealed how police investigations have been plagued by missteps in the sheriff's office, contributing to lost or missing evidence. Emergency crews had to use the jaws of life to rescue those in the car. [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. hitType: 'event', Address. "To me justice is nobody having to live the way in which these women lived. 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. 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. 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?'. 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. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. Molly Monday: Will Mississippi baker reach the finale? On the surface, much about this case feels like classic Louisiana corruption. Tipsters can call 601-582-STOP(7867) or go online to www.p3tips.com. Unsolved MURDERS of Jefferson Davis 8. 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. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. Drug busts would reveal kilos of cocaine and crack, and thousands of pills. 1. January, 2005. 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. and help keep the future of Westword, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our, seek the death penalty against Dexter Lewis, killing five people at Fero's Bar & Grill. That takes time.. window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { Meanwhile, the saga had expanded past the realm of local coverage and into the national media. 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. Strickland said Sistrunk had been shot. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Jefferson County Food & Safety Report April 30, 2023 at 2:25 a.m. Brown got a book deal and got to work quickly on fleshing the investigation out. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ New Jeans, Rina Sawayama, Saweetie Among Gold House A100 Honorees, 'Redfall' is a Decent Looter Shooter With an Identity Crisis, Right-Wing Media and Anti-Trans Groups Welcome Kiss' Paul Stanley to the Cause, Inside the Big Battle to Save One Small TV Show, CIA Director, Noam Chomsky Named in Epstein's Private Calendar: Report, Newsmax Accuses Murdochs of Designing a New-World-Order Globalist Kill List Against Tucker Carlson, DeSantis' Disney Board Will Countersue the Mouse. That's a greater justice to me than just, OK, we're going to slap some handcuffs on people," Brown told The Advocate. Over the next couple of years, Brown made repeated trips to the parish, interviewing sex workers who knew the victims, drug dealers, former cops, and witnesses that had been brought in by the multiagency task force assembled to help with the case. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. 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.