Bell eventually pleaded guilty to all four murders and was sentenced to LWOP. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. 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. Between 2005 and 2009, eight women from. Unsolved MURDERS of Jefferson Davis 8. Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Despite the large body count, the evidence collected was close to none. The agency issued a warrant for her arrest for felony taking of a motor vehicle charge out of Rankin County. In December 2008, Jefferson Davis Parish Sherriff Ricky Edwards announced the formation of a task force culled from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to investigate the murders. Jefferson Davis County, MS Murder Rates and Murder Maps eventAction: 'render' 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. 2330 Columbia Ave, Prentiss, MS 39474. 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. Where Is Acquitted Murderer Candy Montgomery Now? Sistrunks body was found last week in Jefferson Davis County at an oil well site by a worker who noticed tire tracks. Karol-Chik told investigators with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office that he and Koenig had thrown rocks and even a statue at passing cars on at least 10 other days before Bartell was. Emergency crews had to use the jaws of life to rescue those in the car. All the bodies had been found in canals or off the highway. Denver's independent source of We are one of the worlds fastest growing There seemed to be a link between all eight murders but no answers were found. 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. Jefferson Davis County, MS Violent Crime Rates and Maps Academy Slaps Down New Rules After Andrea Riseborough, Tom Cruise, Michelle Yeoh Controversies Cannabis Vape Companies Saw Bootlegs Coming So Why Didnt Regulators? But he also got less than ideal attention. Worse, the malicious undercurrent that had killed the eight women and silenced the witnesses was threatening to come for him next. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. 2. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7c0ef6dd7e3c8296 [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. local news and culture. 56) Worst Crimes Ever (Ep. Alexander also shot and critically injured a 6-year-old nephew of the former girlfriend. Law enforcement failed to make any arrests and barely had a list of suspects. 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. [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. 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. 9 Famous Disturbing Missouri Homicides There was going to be an HBO show based in southwest Louisiana, which is where this case is set, and it was going be about unsolved homicides and sex work, to an extent. He realized that if the show was a success, it could potentially renew interest in the case. pg.acq.push(function() { 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. JEFFERSON DAVIS COUNTY, Miss. The incident happened on Zion Hill Church Road. 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. Jefferson Davis Co Jail is for County Jail offenders sentenced up to twenty four months. "To me justice is nobody having to live the way in which these women lived. 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. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. The backlash spooked him. 2023 Rolling Stone, LLC. The Jeff Davis 8, sometimes called the Jennings 8, refers to a series of unsolved murders in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana. hitType: 'event', 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. Last year, Radelet put together a letter to Governor John Hickenlooper's office that highlighted studies he'd conducted arguing against the death penalty, with one section pointing out how inconsistently (and rarely) it's been sought in Colorado even for the most shocking crimes. Kadarrian Johnson, 15, of Prentiss has been charged with murder. The investigator was fined and removed from the case and placed in charge of evidence at the Parish sherriff's office. I was floored, he says. Jeff Davis County, Texas Denver. And, as Brown writes, all eight of the victims snitched for local law enforcement about the Jennings drug trade.. 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?'. The next year saw the bodies of 26-year-old Whitney Dubois, 23-year-old Laconia "Muggy" Brown, 24-year-old Crystal Shay Benoit Zeno, and 17-year-old Brittney Gary showing up. Were sure youve never seen anything like this in your life. And these were cops.. Elections. 2) Murder She Spoke (Ep. All of them were from South Jennings, the poor side of town, and knew each other. According to a press release from the Jefferson City Police Department, 35-year-old Damien L. Davis has been charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon, and . Brown clearly recognizes the pull: he named his book Murder in the Bayou. Atlanta Monster (Season 1 all episodes) True Crime Garage (Ep. }); People who live in Jefferson Davis County generally consider the south part of the county to be the safest for this type of crime. 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. If you have any information regarding these crimes, please call the Jefferson Davis County Sheriffs Office at 601-792-5169 or Metro Crime Stoppers. Even more alarming, one member of the sherriff's office, David Barry, was fingered as a murder suspect by multiple witnesses. None of them had been able to count on the police for protection. Deshotel was a street player in town who had dated two of the Jeff Davis 8 victims. } The three men, all 18 years old, were taken into custody at their. [1] Two people were held on murder charges for months before being released due to issues with evidence. Dark Truth Behind 8 Sex Workers Murdered in the Bayou We want to make sure everything is handled properly so if and when there is a conviction, it will stand. She had multiple stab and gunshot wounds to the abdomen and back. [2] The victims also shared in common traits such as poverty, mental illness, and histories of drug abuse and sex work. January 8: Destin Rashard Holley, 23, was found dead in the same incident. Jeff Davis 8 - Wikipedia You can almost smell it on True Detective all chemical refineries and Spanish moss and creeping swamps which captured it marvelously. 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. 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. hitType: 'event', 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. [2] However, the sergeant who took the statements was forced out of his job, and the allegations were ignored by law enforcement. The murder occurred after Gus agreed to testify in court about the Taylor brothers' dishonest money-making schemes. Bell, Michael. Molly Monday: Will Mississippi baker reach the finale? Murder in the Bayou: Who Killed the Women Known as the Jeff Davis 8. [2], The first victim, Loretta Lewis, 28, was found floating in a river by a fisherman on May 20, 2005. ga('ads.send', { 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. 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. [4][5] From the outset, the task force was searching for a serial killer. If you have any information regarding Loftin, please contact the Jefferson Davis County Sheriff's Office at 601-792-5169. }); window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { Jefferson Davis County Sheriff Ron Strickland says Inscoe became a suspect in Sistrunks murder after being stopped by an officer last week while she was driving a vehicle that belonged to the victim, who had been reported missing out of Rankin County on Tuesday, Sept. 6. 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. County. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 1 dead, 1 injured in Jefferson Davis County shooting 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. [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. Over the next year and a half, the bodies of four more prostitutes 26-year-old Whitnei Dubois, 23-year-old Laconia "Muggy" Brown, 24-year-old Crystal Shay Benoit Zeno and 17-year-old Brittney Gary were found in or near Jennings. window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { 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. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) said they arrested Joseph Koenig, Nicholas "Mitch" Karol-Chik, and Zachary Kwak. The Meeks were tenants on land owned by the Taylors. (WDAM) - A shooting in Jefferson Davis County left one dead and one injured, investigators with the Jefferson Davis County Sheriff's Office said.. hitType: 'event', Woman fatally stabbed, four shot in Jefferson County crime spree ga('ads.send', { BASSFIELD, Miss. April 15: Philstavious Dowdell, 18, was killed in the same incident. ga('ads.send', { window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { Crime is ranked on a scale of 1 (low crime) to 100 (high crime) Jefferson Davis County violent crime is 25.4. The Abrams' son, Stephen Abram, was murdered, along with a friend Patrick Hartzog, in December 2017. Families and friends of the victims have also commented on the silence from the police and their slow attitude towards the case. All three murders were committed while Anaya was age 17. Bassfield man found dead outside home following early-morning shooting It was not until the seventh body that a task force was set up with the FBI, the local and state law enforcement agencies assisting. 5 Things You Need To Know About The Complex Case Of The Jennings 8 Your IP: [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. Join the Westword community and help support 2 dead, 1 injured in murder suicide - Prentiss Headlight [2] Brown's work has revealed that there are multiple suspects in the Jeff Davis 8 case and that therefore it is unlikely that this is a serial killer case; furthermore, Brown has revealed that law enforcement's own witnesses have named members of local law enforcement as suspects in the case. The most notorious person from each of Alabama's 67 counties All callers are given an identification number to claim cash reward money. 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. Her body was so dismembered that the coroner was unable to determine the specific cause of death. 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. [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. } [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. Amid a tight battle for a Senate seat, Boustany filed a defamation lawsuit against Brown and his publisher. Derrick Miller, a detective with the Jefferson Davis Parish sheriff's office, spoke with investigators . Still, he managed to finish his work. Also injured by gunfire was a juvenile, who was airlifted to UMMC in Jackson. He dropped the lawsuit in December, after losing the race. Many of his witnesses had been frequenters of the Boudreaux Inn, a now-shuttered motel where the towns drug dealers and sex workers would convene to get high and see clients. All rights reserved. pg.acq.push(function() { document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ Kiss Paul Stanley Has 'Thoughts' About Parents Who Support Kids Gender Identities In 2002, Anaya was found guilty of killing a Denver restaurant patron in April 1999. [1][2] Between 2005 and 2009, the bodies of eight women were found in swamps and canals surrounding Jennings, Louisiana. April & July, 1999. Later that day, speaking with some former police officers, Brown recounted his experience. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. 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. hitType: 'event', Tipsters can call 601-582-STOP(7867) or go online to www.p3tips.com. January, 2005. (WDAM) - A shooting in Jefferson Davis County left one dead and one injured, investigators with the Jefferson Davis County Sheriffs Office said. Most of the bodies were found in such a state of decomposition as to make the actual cause of death difficult to determine. [2], Brown's investigative work reveals many tangled connections between victims, suspects, and the police. Residents have gone as far as to accuse the police to be involved in benefitting from the drugs and the chaotic environment. 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. According to authorities, an unidentified Walmart truck driver traveling toward Prentiss initially called 911 to report a young black male trying to flag down traffic in the eastbound median of Highway 84. 5) Bottom of the Map (Season 1 July 8 & July 15, 2019) The one common link between the victims was that they were all somehow involved in the sex trade and had difficulties with drug abuse. 601-792-5169. To me, rounding up whoever did this is important, says Brown. As the driver slowed down, she noticed a second person laying on the westbound shoulder of Hwy 84 just before Lucas Warner Road. You can take that however you want to.. 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. Jefferson Davis County Sheriffs Deputies have arrested and charged one with murder in the death of Jarriyon Davis. "This is not to say that people didn't love them. gads_event = event; }); Published 11:17 am Wednesday, September 23, 2020. }); Anaya, Steven. 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. Davis, 24, was found dead on Highway 84 at Lucas Nov. 14 in what was originally thought to be a hit-and-run. Brothers Cameron and Colby Burroughs were arrested and charged with capital murder. 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. [2] However, the office refuses to comment on the results of the DNA testing. That takes time.. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. 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. 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. At one point in the book, a witness tells him, Welcome to the Dirty South. After all, for those in other corners of America, theres something undeniably atmospheric about the bayou. 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. Strickland said Sistrunk had been shot. Johnson is being charged as an adult. independent local journalism in Denver. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Nashville woman denied bond in Jefferson Davis Co. murder investigation We have got to do better in this county., We know the families are hurting. Tucker Carlson Bashes Fox Nation in Leaked Video, Obviously I wrote the Medium piece years ago, and researched it years and years ago, says Brown. 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. Brown was shocked after all, this was the murder of someone intimately connected to other homicide victims. A prison nurse and a sergeant who had tried to voice some of their concerns were subsequently fired from their jobs. April 15: Corbin Dahmontrey Holston, 23, was killed in the same incident. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. (WDAM) - A Nashville, Tenn. woman is behind bars in Rankin County for her possible involvement in a murder in Jefferson Davis County. 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. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('impressionViewable', function(event) { Two were transported to a local hospital, where one was later pronounced dead, JDCSO said. 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. 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.