Could this really be chalked up to police incompetence? ga('ads.send', { (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. Less than two weeks later, Reginald Hartzog was found dead of a gunshot wound in a burned home on Hartzog Magee Road. [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. Click to reveal Derrick Miller, a detective with the Jefferson Davis Parish sheriff's office, spoke with investigators . According to law enforcement officers, Sistrunk and Insoce had been communicating through social media and had planned to meet each other. Bell, Michael. All three murders were committed while Anaya was age 17. 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. Atlanta Monster (Season 1 all episodes) True Crime Garage (Ep. Deshotel was a street player in town who had dated two of the Jeff Davis 8 victims. As the driver slowed down, she noticed a second person laying on the westbound shoulder of Hwy 84 just before Lucas Warner Road. January, 2005. 8 years on and zero answers. 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. The backlash spooked him. pg.acq.push(function() { A prison nurse and a sergeant who had tried to voice some of their concerns were subsequently fired from their jobs. Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of fugitives from justice who disappeared, List of serial killers in the United States, "8 Deaths in a Small Town, and Much Unease", "In Louisiana, 8 Women Were Murdered and Cops May Be Their Killers", "Jennings 8: Unsolved murders haunt town, police", "Jeff Davis 8: Why A.G. Inscoe was arrested by Mississippi Bureau of Investigation agents in Jones County on Sunday, Sept. 11 around 3 p.m. 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. [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. (WDAM) - A shooting in Jefferson Davis County left one dead and one injured, investigators with the Jefferson Davis County Sheriffs Office said. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ 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. The case remains unsolved until today with no new leads to give the victims' families the closure they deserve. 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. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7c0ef6dd7e3c8296 Send us a tip using our anonymous form. let gads_event; Molly Monday: Will Mississippi baker reach the finale? }) 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. If you have any information regarding Loftin, please contact the Jefferson Davis County Sheriff's Office at 601-792-5169. Alexander broke into the victims' home and waited for two hours before the victims arrived, when he then shot them. Writing about the death of the man in the bust-gone-wrong, which a parish grand jury ruled no true bill meaning there wasnt sufficient evidence to show a crime had been committed by the officers Brown compares it to the outcomes of the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, which were ruled similarly. Though the victims causes of death varied several had or appeared to have asphyxiated, two women had their throats slashed the women of the Jeff Davis 8 had plenty in common. 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?'. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ ga('ads.send', { hitType: 'event', 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. Chronicled in the book .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Murder in the Bayou: Who Killed the Women Known as the Jeff Davis 8?, less than a month later, on June 18, another prostitute, 30-year-old Ernestine Marie Daniels Patterson, was discovered in another canal off a highway south of Jennings. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. Tipsters must call or contact Metro Crime Stoppers online to be eligible for a cash reward. 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). 56 total Bessemer. They interviewed more than 100 people. 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. 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 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. 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. He also generated pushback from the Jefferson Davis Parish law enforcement, with new Sherriff Ivy Woods denigrating Brown as an "author of fiction stories." [2] A grand jury investigated the shooting and determined there was no probable cause for a charge of negligent homicide against police even though a Louisiana State Police investigation into the Crochet shooting concluded that he was unarmed when he was shot to death by law enforcement. [2], In December 2008, a task force consisting of 14 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies was formed to solve the killings. 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. The one common link between the victims was that they were all somehow involved in the sex trade and had difficulties with drug abuse. Jefferson Davis County is in the 81st percentile for safety, meaning 19% of counties are safer and 81% of counties are more dangerous. 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. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. 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. hitType: 'event', The Abrams son, Stephen Abram, was murdered, along with a friend Patrick Hartzog, in December 2017. You can take that however you want to.. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. On the surface, much about this case feels like classic Louisiana corruption. [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). (WDAM) - A Nashville, Tenn. woman is behind bars in Rankin County for her possible involvement in a murder in Jefferson Davis County. Davis, 24, was found dead on Highway 84 at Lucas Nov. 14 in what was originally thought to be a hit-and-run. Edna Brister was found dead outside her burned home on Hwy. Murder in the Bayou: Who Killed the Women Known as the Jeff Davis 8. April 15: Marsiah Emmanuel "Siah" Collins, 19, was killed in the same incident. Worse, the malicious undercurrent that had killed the eight women and silenced the witnesses was threatening to come for him next. 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. 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. That's a greater justice to me than just, OK, we're going to slap some handcuffs on people," Brown told The Advocate. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Investigators are planning to speak with other possible people of interest in the case to see if more arrests are possible. BASSFIELD, Miss. Where Is Acquitted Murderer Candy Montgomery Now? 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. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. April 15: Philstavious Dowdell, 18, was killed in the same incident. All Rights Reserved. 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. } [4] The final body of Necole Guilory, 26, was found off Interstate 10 in 2009. 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. To me, rounding up whoever did this is important, says Brown. I stayed out of Jefferson Davis Parish for months, he says. 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. 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. Again, two suspects were arrested Jennings pimp Frankie Richard and his niece Hannah Conner but were released due to lack of conclusive evidence. The three men, all 18 years old, were taken into custody at their. Arguello, Damian M. Adams County. Another point to be noted is the drug epidemic in the city given its location off a major highway. } A witness later said she saw Lopez, the third victim, in the truck on the day of her disappearance, but by then the vehicle had already been washed and resold. All rights reserved. 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. 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. 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. All callers are given an identification number to claim cash reward money. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. There were allegations that officers had sex with the women who later became Jeff Davis 8 victims, and the task force was, Brown writes, a near case study in conflict of interest. There was also evidence in the Jeff Davis 8 cases including the truck where one of the victims had her throat slashed that was seemingly tampered with or was removed from the parish entirely. 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 eventAction: 'click_ads' reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. 2. gads_event = event; [1] He was among those last seen with one of the victims, Kristen G. 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. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) said they arrested Joseph Koenig, Nicholas "Mitch" Karol-Chik, and Zachary Kwak. April & July, 1999. 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. Academy Slaps Down New Rules After Andrea Riseborough, Tom Cruise, Michelle Yeoh Controversies 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. Alexander, Jeffrey Kirk. [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. [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. Although Inscoe is being charged with murder in Jefferson Davis County, she is currently being held at the Rankin County Detention Center. Unsolved MURDERS of Jefferson Davis 8. 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. 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. 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. They tracked down more than 1,000 leads, but came up empty. 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. [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. None of them had been able to count on the police for protection. pg.acq.push(function() { eventAction: 'view' [2], Brown's investigative work reveals many tangled connections between victims, suspects, and the police. A raid of Richards' home in 2009 found weapons, cash, and drugs in his possession. Investigators said one suspect has been identified in the shooting and asked for the communitys patience. Murdaugh faces dozens of charges related to financial crimes, and documentaries have highlighted a number of additional deaths that are or could be connected to the family, including of a. if(document.querySelector("#ads")){ Later that day, speaking with some former police officers, Brown recounted his experience. 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. Brothers Cameron and Colby Burroughs were arrested and charged with capital murder. },false) },false) 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. That fall, Sheriff Edwards publicly acknowledged for the first time that the deaths were possibly the work of a "common offender," and the task force more than doubled the reward for information leading to the killer of what became known as the Jeff Davis 8. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Nashville woman denied bond in Jefferson Davis Co. murder investigation, 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. Between 2005 and 2009, eight women from. [4][6] Family members of the victims suspect the police are actually responsible for the deaths. 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. He dropped the lawsuit in December, after losing the race. 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 Co Jail is for County Jail offenders sentenced up to twenty four months. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. [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.

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