The Jeff Davis 8 - a podcast by Sarah Rush
from 2019-07-14T12:00
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Davis_8
https://medium.com/matter/who-killed-the-jeff-davis-8-d1b813e13581
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleonic_Code
Email: thebfdpodcast@gmail.com
OULINE FOR THE JENNINGS 8 CASE
Between 2005 and 2009, 8 women were murdered in Jennings, LA. Jennings is a town of about 10,000, part of Jefferson Davis Parrish in southwest LA. Since the 1990s, there have been 20 unsolved homicides in Jefferson Davis Parish.
Victims:
· Loretta Lynn Chaisson Lewis—28 years old, May 2005
· Ernestine Marie Daniels Patterson—30 years old, June 2005
· Kristen Gary Lopez—21 years old, March 2007
o Cousin of Brittney Gary
· Whitnei Dubois—26 years old, May 2007
· Laconia “Muggy” Brown—23 years old, May 2008
· Crystal Shay Benoit Zeno—24 years old, August/September 2008
· Brittney Gary—17 years old, November 2008
o Cousin of Kristen Gary Lopez
o Lived with Crystal Benoit shortly before her murder
· Necole Guillory—26 years old, August 2009
Patterson & Brown had their throats slit; the other women were in too advanced a state of decomposition to determine the cause of death, but the coroner suspected asphyxia. All victims were sex workers and many struggled with drug addiction. All had solicited work at the Boudreaux Inn, which is now closed. Some victims provided law enforcement about other victims, then later turned up murdered.
· Brown (#5) was interrogated about murder of Ernestine Patterson (#2)
· Brown (#5) may have seen body of Lewis (#1) floating in the Grand Marais Canal before she was officially discovered
· Lopez (#3) was interrogated regarding Lewis (#1)
All 8 women were informants for local law enforcement about the Jennings drug trade. When asked about this, the Sheriff said, “I wouldn’t respond. If they were informants, I would still continue to protect their anonymity. I don’t know that’s the truth. I won’t comment on it.”
Possible Suspects:
· Frankie Richard—58 years old
o Former pimp & drug dealer
o Associated with all victims but Ernestine Patterson
o Briefly charged in the murder of Kristen Gary Lopez, but charges were dropped after witnesses provided conflicting statements and some physical evidence was mishandled
o Charged with Eugene Ivory in 2007 rape of Elizabeth Clemens, charges later dropped
· Tracee Chaisson
o Associate of Frankie Richard
o Cousin of Loretta Lynn Chaisson Lewis
o Charged as accessory after the fact to 2nddegree murder in murder of Kristen Gary Lopez, charges later dropped
· Hannah Conner
o Niece of Frankie Richard
o Charged with 2nddegree murder of Kristen Gary Lopez, charges later dropped
· Billy Conner, Sr.—deceased
o Brother of Frankie Richard
o Father of Hannah Conner
o Suspected of assisting Richard in running his drug operation
· Kenneth Patrick Drake—deceased
o Attacked Crystal Benoit Zeno (#6) with a metal pipe in late summer 2008
· Eugene “Dog” Ivory
o Associate of Frankie Richard
o Charged in 2007 rape of Elizabeth Clemens, charges later dropped
· Byron Chard Jones
o Charged with murder of Ernestine Patterson (#2), charges dropped
· Lawrence Nixon
o Cousin of Laconia Brown
o Briefly charged in murder of Ernestine Patterson (#2), charges dropped
§ Alleged crime scene wasn’t tested for until 15 months after murder
§ Found it failed to demonstrate the presence of blood
o Charged in 2005 rape of investigator Kirk Menard’s daughter Rosalyn Breaux, charges later dropped
Law Enforcement:
· Danny Barry—deceased (2010)
o Former sheriff’s deputy
o Frequent client of Jeff Davis 8
· Dallas Cormier
o Sheriff (1980-1992)
o Indicted by feds for using public funds for private purchases
o Plead guilty to one count of obstruction of justice
· Ramby Cormier
o Detective with sheriff’s offices
o Serves on Jeff Davis 8 taskforce
o Former detective with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office
· Donald “Lucky” DeLouche
o Former investigator with Violent Crimes Task Force in Calcasieu Parish during 1990s
o Chief of Jennings PD from late 1990s to early 2000s
· Ricky Edwards
o Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff, 1992-2012
· Warren Gary
o Former chief investigator/chief of detectives of Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office
o Purchased truck in 2007 from a female inmate that had allegedly been used to transport the body of Kristen Gary Lopez (#3)
· Terrie Guillory
o Former warden of Jeff Davis Parish jail
o Formerly with Jennings PD
o As of 2016 with Lake Arthur PD
· Mark Ivory—deceased
o Jailer under Terrie Guillory
o Defendant in 2007 federal civil rights lawsuit for alleged sexual assault of female inmate Lisa Allen
o Committed suicide in fall 2007
· Phil Karam--deceased
o As of 2016 officer with Jennings PD
o Killed fellow officer Kenneth Guidry & wife Christine in February 2000
o Killed officer Burt LeBlanc during standoff
· Wayne McElveen
o Former sheriff of Calcasieu Parish
o Son Richard McElveen was implicated in 2 murder cases in Calcasieu Parish during 1990s (never charged)
· Raymond Mott
o Former detective with Jennings PD and Lake Arthur PD
o Claims he was instructed by Terrie Guillory not to arrest drug dealers in town
o Terminated by Lake Arthur PD after photo emerged of him at KKK rally
· Ivy Woods
o As of 2016, Jeff Davis sheriff since 2012
Other Possible Victims:
· Rosalyn Breaux
o Daughter of PI Kirk Menard
o In 2005, allegedly lured to home by Laconia Brown (#5) & raped by group of men, including Lawrence Nixon
· Harvey Lee “Bird Dog” Burleigh
o Rx pill dealer
o Home was raided by LEO on April 20, 2005
§ Leonard Crochet killed
o Associate of Whitnei Dubois’s (#4) brother Mike stabbed to death in summer 2007
§ Murder unsolved
· Sheila Comeaux
o Informant beaten to death in 1998
o Murder unsolved
· Leonard Crochet
o Killed in raid at Burleigh’s house
o Murder witnessed by Kristen Gary Lopez (#3)
· David “Bowlegs” Deshotel
o Former boyfriend of Brittney Gary (#7) & Necole Guillory (#8)
o Murdered in July 2011, unsolved
· Eric & Pam Ellender
o Calcasieu Parish couple murdered in 1991
· Lacie Fontenot
o 27-year old woman from Lake Arthur
o Found dead by drowning from hypothermia in a ditch in Lake Arthur on January 31, 2014
o Dated Alvin “Bootsy” Lewis, former boyfriend & father of child with Whitnei Dubois (#4)
o Associate of Frankie Richard
· Steven Gunter
o Lake Arthur man shot to death by Terrie Guillory on June 9, 2007
· Christopher Prudhomme
o Suspect in killing of Eric & Pam Ellender
o Found dead (allegedly by suicide) in Calcasieu Parish jail weeks later
Whistle-Blowers:
· Jesse Ewing
o Former detective with Jennings PD
o In 2007 took statements from 2 female inmates who claimed that high-ranking members of law enforcement (including Chief Criminal Investigator Warren Gary)
o Conspired with Frankie Richard to destroy physical evidence in murder of Kristen Gary Lopez (#3)
· Nina Ravey
o Jail nurse under Terrie Guillory
o In 2007 filed internal reports regarding sexual assaults at the jail by jailer Mark Ivory
o Charged with falsifying medical documents, charges later dropped
Others Involved:
· Roxanne “Mama” Alexander
o Housed most of the victims at her home
· Mike Dubois
o Brother of Whitnei Dubois (#4)
o Associate of Harvey Burleigh
· Jared Sauble
o Informant for Jennings PD whose tips led to raid at home of Harvey Burleigh
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