Jefferson Davis Officials Wonder If They Have A Serial Killer - Jennings, Louisiana

[odette]

By Tina Marie Macias • November 16, 2008

Jefferson Davis Officials Wonder If They Have Serial Killer

JENNINGS -- More than three years ago, Jefferson Davis Parish authorities began investigating the deaths of Jennings women who were known to live illicit lifestyles.

All the women were in their 20s and had elevated levels of cocaine and alcohol in their bodies when they were found in rural - but public - areas of the small, poor parish.

Now, with the death count at six and a 17-year-old relative of one of the victims missing and possibly the latest victim, officials are investigating tips but are without a lead suspect.

"It is a big puzzle, and we're putting those pieces slowly together," parish Sheriff Ricky Edwards said. "It takes time and we have to do it right. We can't just go out and do things and ruin the case."

And the sheriff's office isn't the only agency on the cases. Five additional agencies are involved - the Jennings Police Department, Louisiana State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Calcasieu Crime Lab and Calcasieu and Acadia sheriff's offices. Also, State Police and the FBI both review the case work.

All the women grew up within blocks of each other in an economically disadvantaged section of Jennings. They were at least acquaintances and traveled in the same circles.

And although all the dead women used drugs - most commonly, crack cocaine - and sometimes traded sex for drugs, spent time in jail, knew each other and were disposed of in similar ways, authorities hesitate to say a serial killer is responsible for their deaths.

Clues have been difficult to find since all but one body was found in an advanced state of decomposition. The body that was found within hours of death, however, was doused in bleach, destroying most evidence.

The other women's bodies were placed in areas where they were easily exposed to the elements, bodies of water and alligators. Only three of the deaths have been ruled homicides, while causes for the other three never have been determined.

But despite the coroner's reports, the Sheriff's Office has a different outlook.

"We're treating them all as homicides," Edwards said. "We know that they didn't just put themselves in these places."

• Article Continued

http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/2...WS01/811160314

[odette]

7th body found in Jeff Davis Parish

About 12:30 this afternoon a member of a search party in Jeff Davis Parish contacted 911 about possibly finding a body.

Law enforcement officers arrived at the scene about a 1⁄2 mile south of La. 1126 on Keystone Road and confirmed there was a body.

Tattoos on the body are similar to the tattoos described on a missing 17-year-old, Brittney Gary, but no confirmation of identity has been made.

The body was taken to Calcasieu Parish Coroner’s Office for an autopsy and identification.

This is the seventh body found in Jeff Davis Parish of a murdered female. Authorities have hesitated to use the term "serial killer," but the cases do have many similarities.

Read more about the cases and the hunt for the killer tomorrow in The Sunday Advertiser.

http://www.theadvertiser.com/article...EWS01/81115023

[odette]

Serial murder not unfamiliar to S. La.

Investigators in Jefferson Davis Parish are facing a nightmare many other Louisiana crime investigators once experienced — connecting dots and finding the missing links in multiple deaths that may be the work of a serial killer.

And although they are highly publicized and more prevalent today, serial crimes are rare in the violent crime arena, experts say. Serial murder is estimated to comprise less than 1 percent of all murders committed in any given year, according to the July FBI report "Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators."

But south Louisiana, mainly along the 150-mile stretch of Interstate 10, has been home to five areas of serial murder in at least the past 10 years.

Steven Egger, serial murder expert and associate professor of criminology at the University of Houston-Clear Lake, said although this does not top numbers he has seen, it can be considered a high number for the span of time in which the murders occurred.

The latest string of mysterious deaths in Jeff Davis Parish have kept investigators busy and anxious for the past three years.

Crystal Shay Benoit Zeno, 24, was found in dead in a ditch along a roadway Sept. 11 and was recently identified as the sixth victim found in Jennings.

All of the victims were found in public locations, including roadways and drainage canals, within the tight-knit rural parish.

Investigators had hoped the missing teenager Brittney Gary, 17, who is said to be connected to the other victims, would turn up alive after her Nov.2 disappearance.

Sadly, a badly decomposed body, believed to be Gary¹s, was found shortly after noon Saturday by someone helping her family search for the teen.

The body was found on a rural road just miles away from where the other victims were found.

Investigators, however, have been careful in naming the deaths — some have not been ruled homicides — serial murders.

• Article Continued

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/artic...WS03/811160304

[odette]

SOURCES: Body Found in Jeff Davis Parish

KATC has learned search parties have located a body in Jeff Davis Parish, outside of Jennings on Keystone Road off Highway 1126.

A search party looking for Brittney Gary, 17, found the body at 12:30 Saturday. Tattoos on the remains are similar to the tattoos described on the missing 17-year old.

Gary will be missing for exactly two weeks Sunday.

Jennings Police Department and the Calcasieu and Jefferson Davis Parish Coroner's Offices collected evidence and took statements from witnesses who saw activity in the area.

The body was taken to Calcasieu Parish Coroner's Office for an autopsy and identification.

This would be the seventh woman found dumped in Jeff Davis Parish within the past three years. Thursday night, a private investigator told KATC "we are dealing with a serial killer."

Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff Rickey Edwards told KATC, they're not dealing with a stranger. "The person thats involved in this is somebody that drives the roads of this community, day in and day out, they're in the gas stations they're frequenting the same places that these ladies frequent and they are mixing in," said Edwards.

http://www.katc.com/Global/story.asp?S=9356609

[odette]

7th body turns up in Jeff Davis

Authorities fear community's apathy tied to victims' lifestyle

JENNINGS — More than three years ago, Jefferson Davis Parish authorities began investigating the deaths of Jennings women who were known to live illicit lifestyles

All the women were in their 20s and had escalated levels of cocaine and alcohol in their bodies when they were found in rural but public areas of the small, poor parish.

With a seventh body found Saturday that is suspected to be that of the 17-year-old relative of one of the victims, officials are investigating tips but are without a lead suspect.

"It is a big puzzle, and we're putting those pieces slowly together," parish Sheriff Ricky Edwards said. "It takes time, and we have to do it right. We can't just go out and do things and ruin the case." All the women grew up in an economically disadvantaged section of Jennings within blocks of each other. They were at least acquaintances and traveled in the same circles.

• Article Continued

http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/2...WS01/811160319

[odette]

Sixth Jefferson Davis body ID’d; Jennings teen missing

Excerpt: Menard said they re-examined some of the crime scenes and have turned over some evidence that demonstrated a pattern among the crimes to Louisiana State Police, who are assisting the Sheriff’s Department in the case.

Menard said he believes that the bodies are the work of a serial-type killer and that more than one person could be involved.

“I believe drugs played a very heavy role. I believe the lifestyles of these women played a role,” Menard said. “I believe that’s why the person or persons are preying on them because he believes that law enforcement will not look into it as much based on their lifestyles.”

Menard’s office has retained a profiler out of Chicago to assist with the case. He would not release any additional details.

Meanwhile, he said, investigators are working day and night to track down leads and conduct surveillance in strategic locations.

“We’re getting closer and closer, and I think his days are numbered,” Menard said.

The Sheriff’s Office also has assistance from the FBI Behavioral Unit and the Southwest Louisiana Forensics Laboratory, along with various other agencies throughout the area.

• Continued X 3 Page Article

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/342...l?index=27&c=y

[odette]

New developments in unsolved Jennings murders

New developments into the investigation of the six unsolved deaths of Jennings women. Authorities confirm the identity of the sixth body found in the Jennings area since 2005 as 24-year-old Crystal Benoit Zeno. DNA confirmed it was Zeno's badly decomposed body that was discovered September 11th off Lacour Road.

. . . . .

A preliminary autopsy ruled her death as a homicide. Meanwhile a full autopsy and toxicology are still pending. Investigators will continue to compare evidence from Zeno's case to the other five victims. Anyone who knows Zeno's whereabouts after Wednesday August 27th is asked to contact their local law enforcement agency.

Now to the search for 17-year-old Brittney Gary. Sunday will mark a week since her disappearance. 7 News was there Saturday afternoon as volunteers continued their search, including a private investigator now employed to look into the rash of unsolved murders.

Excerpt: As her mother takes action, she's worried her daughter may be the latest victim in the string of unsolved deaths of Jennings women. She was the cousin of one of the victims as well as a friend to several others, and Brittney had expressed concern to her mother.

"She was scared, she was like you don't know who you can trust anymore, they can be your friend. You just never know," said Brittney's mother Teresa Gary.

. . . . .

• Article Continued

http://www.kplctv.com/Global/story.a...2&nav=0nqxHmI6

[odette]

JEFF DAVIS PARISH PROSTITUTE Killer: Sheriff Suspects Serial Killer

US/Jennings/LA - The Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff believes he has a serial killer on his hands. Just this weekend, detectives found 26-year-old Whitnei Dubois dead and naked in the middle of Bobby Road just SouthEast of Jennings.

This is Earl Duhon road in rural Jeff Davis Parish, and this is Bobby Road. We’re just outside the Jennings city limits. You can see it’s a gravel road where police say they found the body of 26-year old Whitnei Dubois.

A passerby saw Dubois lying naked in the road and called the sheriff’s office. There’s not heavy traffic on the road, but farmers and residents use it daily. Detectives are trying to figure out how she died. The Jeff Davis Parish Coroner has worked with officials from Calcasieu Parish to conduct an intitial autopsy, but results are still pending. “There’s no visible signs on the body at this point,” explains Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff Ricky Edwards. Edwards doesn’t believe dubois was killed on Bobby Road. He explains, “She didn’t die there, and she didn’t just die at that point. She had been dead for a while.”

Dubois is the fourth woman found in Jeff Davis Parish in the last two years. All had similar lifestyles. Edwards explains, “They’re all from Jennings. All involved in drug activity, and probably knew each other. We feel certain they hung around the same crowd.”

In addition to dubois, detectives believe the killer targeted Kristin Lopez, along with 28-year-old Loretta Lynn Chaisson Lewis, and 30-year-old Ernestine Daniel Patterson. Edwards says all were trading sex for drugs. This is the fourth similar killing of a woman in two years in Jeff Davis Parish. The sheriff’s office is working with the FBI to try and track down who they believe is a serial killer.

The Acadia Parish Sheriff says one of his unsolved murders could be connected as well. Acadia Parish officials are still trying to solve the 2003 murder of Linda Jackson. She was found dead in a rural area. Right now, Acadia detectives are in talks with detectives from Jeff Davis and the FBI to determine if Jackson’s death may be related to the four unsolved Jeff Davis murders.

Acadia Parish Sheriff Wayne Melancon says it’s still too early to know for sure, but specialists from the FBI are aiding them with the investigation.

Anyone with information that would help detectives connect the dots in these unsolved murders should call the Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office at 337-824-3850.

http://newzzz.crimezzz.net/?p=95

[odette]

Woman's Body Found in Local Canal

LAKE CHARLES, LA (KPLC) - A woman's decomposed body has been found in a wooded area near a levee south of Jennings, according to Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff Ricky Edwards.

This is the sixth female body found dumped in a rural part of the parish in three years. Edwards says arrests were made in two of the cases, but insufficient evidence led to the dropping of charges.

Edwards says no one has been reported missing in the parish and they are working to identify this latest victim, who authorities believe is a white female.

Here's a recap of the history of the mysterious findings of women found dumped in the parish:

• The first body was found in May 2005 by a fisherman in the Grand Marais drainage canal off LA 1126. The victim was identified as 29-year-old Loretta Lynn Chaisson Lewis of Jennings.

• The second victim was found in June 2005, floating in a drainage canal off LA 102. The victim is identified as 30-year-old Ernestine Marie Daniel Patterson of Jennings.

• The third victim was found in March 2007, by a fisherman in the Petitjean Canal off LA 99. The victim is identified as 21-year-old Kristen Elizabeth Gary Lopez of Jennings.

• The fourth victim was found in May 2007, near the intersection of Bobby and Earl Duhon Roads. The victim is identified as 26-year-old Whitnei Charlene Dubois of Jennings.

• The fifth victim was found in May 2008, by a city police officer off East Racca Road. The victim is identified as 23-year-old Laconia Shontel "Muggy" Brown of Jennings.

All of the victims were between the ages of 21-30 and Edwards says several of them are believed to have been involved in "high risk lifestyles."

The Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate these cases, along with the Jeff Davis Parish Coroner, Louisiana State Police, FBI, and the Jeff Davis District Attorney's Office.

The latest victim's body has been taken to the Calcasieu Parish Coroner's Office to determine a cause of death.

http://www.kplctv.com/Global/story.asp?s=8998071

[odette]

Woman’s body found in Jeff Davis Parish

JENNINGS — A female’s body was found Thursday near an irrigation canal just south of Jennings, authorities said.

Hunters found the woman’s body in a wooded area on a levee at about 3 p.m., Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff Ricky Edwards said. The area is located on LaCour Road, just off La. 1126.
Police believe the victim is a white female.

“The body was badly decomposed, which would indicate she was there quite a while,” Edwards said.

No one has been reported missing in the parish, he said.

This is the sixth female whose body has been found dumped in the parish since June 2005.

• Article Continued

http://american-press.net/wpStorm/?p=835

[odette]

Reward to be offered for info on missing teen, unsolved homicides

A Jennings private investigator has set up a bank account for donations to serve as a reward for anyone with information regarding the murders of six Jeff Davis Parish women since 2005.

Kirk Menard said on Wednesday that an account has been set up at MidSouth Bank in Jennings for the purpose of developing reward money for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the possible serial killer. Menard said he is asking business leaders and citizens to donate money to the account, having already donated the first $100 himself.

For the complete story and more local news, please subscribe to Jennings Daily News by clicking the “SUBSCRIBE” link at left or by calling 337-824-3011.

http://www.jenningsdailynews.net/news.php?id=2288

[odette]

Victim could be linked to string of murders

JEFF DAVIS PARISH - A seventh body of woman was found Saturday afternoon near the area that six other women's bodies have been found in the past three years.

Excerpt: Two weeks ago today, Brittney Gary left her South Doyle Street home and walked a few blocks to a Family Dollar Store. She never returned home.

Gary's mother, Teresa Gary, reported her missing more than 24 hours later, and soon started to fear the worst - that the possible serial killer who targeted the six women had found his seventh.

Brittney Gary's cousin Kristen Elizabeth Gary Lopez was the third victim, and her best friend, the fourth victim LaConia Shontel "Muggy" Brown, died earlier this year.

A week before Brittney Gary went missing, a serial killer profiler told a private investigator that another girl would be killed before Christmas.

Every one of the victims is connected to the Garys' in some way, and Teresa Gary said they knew all of them. The second victim, Ernesteine Marie Daniel Patterson, was one of Teresa Gary's employees at Wendy's.

• Article Continued

http://www.theadvertiser.com/article...811160319/1002

[odette]

Local officers keep close eye on Jefferson Davis Parish killings

Steve Kartsimas is interested. So is Steven Reed.

The two Rapides Parish sheriff's detectives want more information on a possible serial killer case unfolding in Jefferson Davis Parish.

Authorities in the parish, located between Lafayette and Lake Charles, have found the bodies of six women since 2005. The latest was found in September.

Evidence is not there to connect them yet, "but I'd be a fool to say they're not connected," Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff Ricky Edwards has said.

"This raises a flag," Kartsimas said.

• Article Continued

http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/2...WS01/811160324

[odette]

6th Jefferson Davis Parish body identified

(AP) — Authorities have identified the body of a southwest Louisiana woman whose death is one of six that investigators suspect are connected.

DNA tests confirmed Friday that the body of Crystal Shay Benoit Zeno, 24, was found Sept. 11 in a ditch along a road south of Jennings, Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff Ricky Edwards said Tuesday.

Zeno is one of six women from Jennings whose bodies have been found in the rural parish since May 2005. A cousin of one of the women was reported missing this month, though investigators haven't found any evidence of foul play in her disappearance.

At least two of the six victims had their throats slashed, according to Edwards. Only three of the deaths have been ruled homicides; the causes of the other three haven't been determined.

Edwards said the six women knew each other and shared a lifestyle that included substance abuse.

"Jennings is a small community. Everybody knows everybody," he added. "I don't have enough evidence to say (the deaths are) connected, but I'd be a fool to say they're not connected."

The FBI's behavioral science unit has joined the sheriff's department and Louisiana State Police in investigating.

"We are tracking down all leads, and we do have some suspects," Edwards said.

Police in Jennings, which is about 170 miles west of New Orleans, also are investigating the disappearance of Brittney Gary, 17, whose cousin, Kristen Gary Lopez, 21, is one of the six victims. Lopez's body was found in March 2007 in an irrigation canal south of Welsh.

Gary's mother reported her missing Nov. 3, a day after a surveillance camera showed her leaving a Family Dollar store in Jennings. She hasn't been heard from since, said Jennings Police Detective Joshua Crochet.

"We're treating this a little bit differently than a normal report of a missing juvenile," Crochet said, noting that Gary knew some of the six victims and "hung around with a similar crowd."

The other victims were Loretta Lynn Chaisson, 28, whose body was found in May 2005; Ernestine Daniels, 29, whose body was found in June 2005; Whitnei Dubois, 26, whose body was found in May 2007; and Laconia Shantell Brown, 23, whose body was found May 29.

http://www.nola.com/newsflash/index....list=louisiana

[odette]

. . . . .

• More @ link ...
http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pb...1160332&Ref=V1

[odette]

Body identified as teen

Authorities confirm victim is missing girl

Authorities have confirmed that the female body found this weekend in rural Jefferson Davis Parish has been identified as 17-year-old Brittney Gary.

• Article Continued
http://www.theadvertiser.com/article...NTPAGECAROUSEL

[odette]

S. La. deaths raise concerns of serial killer

Timeline

May 17, 2005: Loretta Lynn Chaisson, 28, is last seen. Her body is found in the Grand Marais drainage canal three miles west of state Highway 26, just off La. 1126 three days later. No official cause of death is ever determined, but high levels of alcohol

June 18, 2005: The body of Ernesteine Marie Daniel Patterson, 29, is found in a canal off La. 102, just six miles away from the location of Chaisson's body. Her death is later ruled as a homicide by a slit throat.

March 8, 2007: Kristen Elizabeth Gary Lopez, 21, goes missing. Ten days later her body is found in the Petitjean Canal, 10 miles south of Welsh. No official cause of death is determined, but high levels of alcohol and drugs were found in her body.

May 12, 1007: The body of Whitnei Charlene Dubois, 26, is found just south of Jennings in the same vicinity as the other victims, but on a rural road instead of a canal. The cause of her death was never determined, but high levels of alcohol and drugs were found in her body.

May 28: LaConia Shontel "Muggy" Brown, 23, is last seen by her grandmother, hours before her body was found in the middle of East Racca Road near a police shooting range on the edge of Jennings' city limits. Her death is ruled as a homicide, but how she was murdered has not been made public.

Sept. 11: The body of Crystal Shay Benoit Zeno, 24, is found in a dry canal a couple miles southeast of Jennings, but because of the advanced state of decomposition, it took nearly two months to identify her. Her death is ruled a homicide, but how she was murdered has not been made public.

Nov. 2: Brittney Gary, 17, disappears after walking to a nearby Family Dollar Store to purchase minutes for her cell phone. Gary is known to have done drugs and knows all the victims, including her cousin Lopez and best friend Brown.

Saturday: A family search party finds a seventh body in the same area where the other bodies were found. The body is found in the grass off Keystone Road, a half-mile south of La. 1126 and about four miles south of Roanoke. No official identification is made, but family suspect it's Brittney Gary because of a "Crazy Beautiful" tattoo.

• More @ Link
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/artic...WS03/811160306

[odette]

Body confirmed as teen’s

Excerpt: Many have begun to refer to it as the work of a serial killer, but Edwards still refrains from using that term.

“We don’t have any links between them because we don’t necessarily have the evidence,” Edwards said. “We are beginning to develop that evidence scientifically that we can prove in court … right now all I can say is I have multiple homicides that are linked together through association. The evidence there that we are developing we’re working on and attempting to link them.”

• Article Continued
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/suburban/34626649.html

[odette]

Former Jennings Cop Sentenced

Former Jennings police officer Jesse Ewing faced up to 15 years in prison on felony charges, but was sentenced on Thursday to amended charges.

Ewing pleaded guilty to charges of misdemeanor criminal mischief and will not be serving jail time.

It stems back to March when Ewing was fired for allegedly releasing criminal evidence to a civilian. He reportedly obtained information involving the murders of two of the five dead women found in rural Jeff Davis Parish. Then, allegedly released tape recordings of two inmates in the Jeff Davis Jail describing an alleged cover-up of the murders involving local law enforcement to a private investigator.

After entering his guilty plea, Thursday morning, Judge Gunnell sentenced Ewing to 6 months in jail, then suspended that sentence.

He's now on 6 months supervised probation under the following conditions:

He has to pay $250 fine plus court costs, perform 16 hours of community service, and complete a refresher course at the Law Enforcement Academy before returning to local law enforcement if he chooses to do so.

http://www.kplctv.com/Global/story.asp?s=8843722

[odette]

Funeral fund account set up for Jennings girl

A fund has been set up for Brittney Gary's funeral, the 17-year-old girl who was found dead in rural Jefferson Davis Parish on Saturday.

• continued
http://www.theadvertiser.com/article...EWS01/81118032

[odette]

Don't be another victim in Jeff Davis Parish

LAKE CHARLES, LA (KPLC) - Tragically Jeff Davis Parish is being labeled a dumping ground.

In three years, seven young murdered women have been found scattered across the parish. Evidence surrounding the latest victim, Britney Gary, is leading officers closer to catching the killer.

Authorities are slowly piecing together what they know.

"Having that timeline makes a difference. None of the other girls were ever reported missing. Maybe, one of them, Krisitn (Britney's cousin), was reported missing on Friday before we found her on Sunday," said Sheriff Edwards.

And that timeline could be the key. The sheriff warns the community to pay attention to loved ones.

• continued -- • VIDEO - Don't be the next victim
http://www.kplctv.com/Global/story.a...74347&nav=0nqx

[odette]

Jennings teen identified as 7th victim

Excerpt: But unlike the other victims, Edwards says they have a specific timeline to work with in Brittney's case. Starting from the time she disappeared after purchasing minutes for her cell phone at the Jennings Family Dollar to when her body was found.

"That fact alone gives us a timeline that we can put more things together that we have not had in the past... So we are looking at that, a question was posed earlier as to how many had been reported missing? This was the first one where there was a report of an actual time and a finality," said Edwards.

Over the past three years, investigators have interviewed more than 200 people. With the FBI, State Police, Attorney General's Office and a private investigator now aggressively following leads, you can expect that list to keep growing.

"We're not closing our minds to anything, we've got several hundred years of experience working on it and we're going to continue working on it tirelessly until we come and bring this person or persons to justice," said Edwards.

Meanwhile Sheriff Edwards says the case is starting to get national inquiries from major networks and news outlets, including "America's Most Wanted."

• Continued + VIDEO
http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=9367809

[odette]

Police find links to serial killer

Investigators in Jeff Davis Parish are facing a nightmare many other Louisiana crime investigators once experienced - connecting dots and finding the missing links in multiple deaths that may be the work of a serial killer.

And although they are highly publicized and more prevalent today, serial crimes are rare in the violent crime arena, experts say.

Serial murder is estimated to comprise less than 1 percent of all murders committed in any given year, according to the July 2008 FBI report Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators.

But South Louisiana, mainly along the 150-mile stretch of Interstate 10, has been the site for at least four serial murderers in at least the past 10 years.

Steven Egger, serial murder expert and associate professor of criminology at the University of Houston-Clear Lake, said although this does not top numbers he has seen, it can be considered a high number for the span of time in which the murders occurred.

The latest string of mysterious deaths in Jeff Davis Parish have kept investigators busy and anxious for the past three years.

Crystal Shay Benoit Zeno, 24, was found dead in a ditch along a roadway on Sept. 11 and was recently identified as the sixth victim found in Jennings.

All of the victims were found in public locations, including roadways and drainage canals, within the tight-knit rural parish.

Investigators had hoped missing teenager Brittney Gary, 17, who is said to be connected to the other victims, would turn up alive after her Nov. 2 disappearance.

Sadly, a badly decomposed body, believed to be Gary's, was found shortly after noon Saturday by someone helping her family search for the teen.

The body was found on a rural road just miles away from where the other victims were found.

Investigators, however, have still been careful in naming the deaths - some have not been ruled homicides - serial murders.

• continued
http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pb...=2008811160334

[odette]

Another body found today in Jefferson Davis Parish mystery deaths

JENNINGS -- More than three years ago, Jefferson Davis Parish authorities began investigating the deaths of Jennings women who were known to live illicit lifestyles.

All the women were in their 20s and had escalated levels of cocaine and alcohol in their bodies when they were found in rural but public areas of the small, poor parish.
With a seventh body found shortly after noon today that is suspected to be that of the 17-year-old relative of one of the victims, officials are investigating tips but are without a lead suspect.

“It is a big puzzle and we’re putting those pieces slowly together,” parish Sheriff Ricky Edwards said. “It takes time and we have to do it right. We can’t just go out and do things and ruin the case.” All the women grew up in an economically disadvantaged section of Jennings within blocks of each other. They were at least acquaintances and traveled in the same circles.

• Continued
http://www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcs...D=200881115014

[odette]

Family set to lay 7th victim to rest

Three and a half years and seven bodies later, the city of Jennings is now living on edge as a killer walks among them. As authorities aggressively follow leads, Governor Bobby Jindal says he's giving investigators every tool they need.

• Continued + VIDEO
http://www.kplctv.com/Global/story.a...0&nav=menu66_2

[odette]

Community Outrage Over 7 Deaths

Seven deaths of females aged 17 to 30 in Jeff Davis Parish are sparking outrage and fear in the community. Parents are even worrying about their male children. The one thing everyone wants is an arrest.

Tuesday afternoon, frightened members of the community came together to voice their concerns. Ella Duhon organized the gathering at Raphael Funeral home. She knew all the victims. "I knew the girls I knew them, that's like children to me," said Duhon.

Theresa Gary knew them all too, and now her own daughter Brittney is number seven. Even though she's devastated, Gary says she won't rest until she gets justice for Brittney. "I'm gonna make sure it doesn't get swept under the carpet," said Gary.

"I'm never gonna let it get cold; never, ever. You know, I'm not just fighting for Brittney's justice, I'm fighting for the other six girls' justice, too, because I knew every last one of them," Gary explained.

With no arrests and too many unanswered questions, terror is gripping Jenning's southside where all of the victims lived. Parents are now holding their children a little tighter and neighbors fear the killer could be anyone.

"People here are scared, we got kids, we got nieces and nephews, we got to watch even when they get off the bus, it's kinda hard," said resident Patrick White.

"It's very, very scary. You have to look out for yourself way more than you did before," said resident Myra Stutes.

"This is a psychopath, this is not somebody that's just doing this one time, this is seriously something wrong," said Rita Whitney.

"There's not enough law enforcement being done over this," said Kenneth Thibodeaux.

Residents, business owners and pastors took turns talking about their fears and need for justice during Tuesday's community meeting. Duhon says many people in the neighborhood are scared, and have no one to talk with about their feelings. "This killer could take a turn and go after men," said one female resident. "I sleep with every light on outside," said another woman.

The coroner's office is still conducting an autopsy to determine a cause of death for Brittney Gary. Her family hopes to have her body back by the end of the week, so they can make funeral plans.

Several agencies including the Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff's Office and FBI continue to follow leads in the deaths.

• VIDEO: Community Voices Concerns
http://www.katc.com/Global/story.asp?S=9374442