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Louisiana Cold Cases

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Louisiana Murders

If you would like to learn more about the number of deaths in Louisiana by year, many law enforcement and investigating agencies have released reports and have previously provided additional information on their respective websites. Year after year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation publishes a Uniform Crime Report, which includes the various types of crimes committed, crime data and statistics, and crime locations in most, if not every, city and county in each state. According to Project: Cold Case, there are currently around 28,952 unsolved murders in Louisiana, dating from 1980-2019. Over time, approximately 18,910 of these homicides have been solved, unfortunately leaving approximately 10,042 unsolved murders in Louisiana alone.

The following examples are some of the numerous unsolved murders in northern Louisiana, which can easily be found within the many lists of cold cases in Louisiana: the 2001 murder of Gary Lane Wages, the 2000 murder of Connie Brittingham McKenzie, the 2002 murder of Carrie Walker Poole, the 1985 murder of Jimmy Townsend, and the 1980 murder of Angeline Hill, among others. Additionally, other cases which can be found among these lists include some of the many unsolved central Louisiana murders, which include the 2002 murder of Roderick Wayne Collins, the 1983 murder of Melinda Ruth Jones, the 1980 murder of Mary Darlene Howard, the 1989 murder of Juanita Jo Jones, the 2009 murder of Necole Jean Guillory, and the 1995 murder of William Thomas Lyles, among countless others.

Also, some of the many unsolved murders in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which are almost always included in these lists include the 1982 double murder of Debra Hortense Goodspeed and Archie Randall Hooper, the 2009 murder of David DiNapolis, and the 1986 murder of Laurie Kay Samson, among many others. Finally, a few of the numerous unsolved murders in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, include the 2009 murder of John Aguillard, Jr., the 1988 murder of Susan Hiatt, the 2014 murder of Brenda Ann Johnson, and the 1981 murder of Eleanor Celeste Parker, among others.


Unsolved Louisiana Murders

According to data collected and shared by Project: Cold Case, there are currently approximately 10,042 unsolved cases in Louisiana. Many, if not all, of the unsolved murders in Louisiana can be found organized within the websites of the many different local and county law enforcement agencies, and more specifically, the open case websites of the Louisiana State Police. Additionally, Project: Cold Case has created a public database containing nearly 25,000 unsolved homicide cases in various states, including Louisiana.

The following include a few of the countless northern Louisiana unsolved murders which can be conveniently found listed on the various law enforcement websites within Louisiana: the 2001 murder of Gary Lane Wages, the 2000 murder of Connie Brittingham McKenzie, the 2002 murder of Carrie Walker Poole, the 1985 murder of Jimmy Townsend, and the 1980 murder of Angeline Hill, among others. Other types of cases that can be found within the many lists are unsolved murders Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which includes the 1982 double murder of Debra Hortense Goodspeed and Archie Randall Hooper; the 2009 murder of David DiNapolis; and the 1986 murder of Laurie Kay Samson, among countless others. In addition to these, some other examples of the types of cases included are the many unsolved murders Louisiana, as well as the multiple east Louisiana unsolved murders. These include the 2017 murder of Nanette Krentel, the 2003 murder of Vickie Lynn Orgeron Toups, the 1978 murder of Judy Ann Adams, the 2009 murder of Angela Erin Ball Felkins, the 1982 murder of Edna Ann Muscarello Lester, and the 2015 murder of Shannen Ve’Latrial Hudson, along with many others.


Joseph Smedley
Joseph SmedleySuspicious Death, 2015
Asha Degree
Asha DegreeMissing, 2000

Consider this

More than 200,000 unsolved cases have gone cold since 1980, and murder clearance rates continue to drop. With equity for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other underserved victims not prioritized in the true crime community—together we can do better.

Famous Louisiana Murders

There may not be many names that spring to mind when you think about famous Louisiana murders. Almost all of the names on the different law enforcement agency websites’ lists of Louisiana murders may sound foreign to you, but a handful of the people on the various list of all murders in Louisiana, list of Louisiana murders, and notorious Louisiana criminals have become recognizable over time. The following are some of the most infamous Louisiana murders which remain unsolved: the 2005-2009 murders of 8 women, known as the “Jennings 8;” the 2012 murder of Rita “Theresa” Jordan; the 2014 murder of Casey Alexander; and the 2017 murder of Nanette Krentel, among many others.


Homicide Rate in Louisiana

According to the 2019 Uniform Crime Report (UCR), issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the violent crime rate in Louisiana is around 549.3 per 100,000 Louisiana inhabitants. In summary, this shows that in 2019 alone, nearly 550 people per 100,000 people living in Louisiana were directly impacted by violent crimes, which may include rape, sexual assault, homicide, robbery, and other forms of assault. According to the same report from 2019, the murder rate in Louisiana in 2019 was approximately 11.7 per 100,000 residents of Louisiana, which indicates that nearly 12 people died by homicide per 100,000 residents of Louisiana in 2019 alone.

Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana, currently boasts a population of over 746,000. According to numerous sources, the violent crime rate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2018 was approximately 919.52 per 100,000 residents of the big city, and the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, murders rate in 2018 was roughly 35.14 per 100,000 people living in Baton Rouge. Although there is currently no definite way that we can estimate exactly how many murders in Louisiana 2021 or how many murders in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 2021, we can estimate based on archived crime reports. According to various archived crime reports, it seems that the homicide rate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as well as Louisiana as a whole, seems to be rising slowly as years pass.

East Baton Rouge Parish County Murders

East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, currently boasts a population of more than 436,000, making it the most populous parish in the entire state. While there’s no sure way to know exactly how many East Baton Rouge Parish murders have taken place in the past few years, we can take a look at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reports, which are issued every year, and give the public access to their archived reports from previous years. In East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, there were 14 homicides in 2016, 14 homicides in 2017, 11 homicides in 2018 and 18 in 2019. Based on these numbers, we can note that the number of homicides is inconsistently rising slowly as years pass by, yet remain fairly stable.

In most murders, investigators are able to collect sufficient East Baton Rouge Parish murders evidence in order to bring their suspected perpetrator to East Baton Rouge Parish homicide trials. The most common types of evidence that are most often included in homicide trials are usually completely dependent on the nature of the crime. For example, common types of evidence found at crime scenes include DNA evidence, such as saliva, blood, and hair, as well as other types of evidence, such as weapons and fingerprints. Baton Rouge crime scene photographs are often used to paint a picture for the judge and jury to show them the details of the crime. The most common type of evidence included in homicide trials is overwhelmingly East Baton Rouge Parish crime scene photos, which are most commonly shown to the jury in order to show them any details of the crime and its surrounding scene.


Baton Rouge, Louisiana Murders

Due to its relatively large size and population, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, murders are seemingly more common than those in most other Louisiana cities. Several recent and decades-old murders in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, have been solved or have seen some resolution, yet law enforcement continues to look into and investigate the remaining murders that are unsolved. It is expected that until these murders are solved, and sometimes even after a case is solved, Baton Rouge murders discussion will actively continue on social networking platforms such as Reddit, Facebook, and Websleuths. These popular websites are home to countless discussions where users commonly speculate and share potential details regarding Baton Rouge murders pictures, Baton Rouge murders crime scene photos, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, murders autopsy photos. Crime scene photos as well as autopsy photos are rarely released to the public, even after a homicide trial comes to an end, and the case is solved.

In the last few years, DNA technology, which has been advancing at a rapid rate, has led to the resolution of hundreds, if not thousands, of cold cases from around the world. With a simple search online, you can find several case examples where Baton Rouge murders DNA, or DNA from crimes in other areas of Louisiana was used to solve the various cold cases in the state. For example, some of these cases include the 1985 murder of Tina Kristynik, the 1994 murder of “Baby Jane Doe,” the 1984 murder of Gary Kergan, and the 1999 murder of Kassie Federer, among many others.


Louisiana Serial Killers

Louisiana has been faced with more than its fair share of Louisiana killers throughout the state’s past. Many of the most famous Louisiana serial killers can easily be spotted among any form of serial killer list, including Louisiana serial killer list, and list of serial killers in Louisiana. The two most notorious Louisiana serial killers, who are most frequently found on these lists are: Daniel Harold Rolling, also known as “The Gainesville Ripper,” who murdered 8 individuals in Florida and Louisiana from 1989-1990; and Ronald Joseph Dominique, also known as “The Bayou Serial Killer,” who murdered 8-23 people from 1997-2006. Another found on these lists is the most prolific of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, serial killers: Derrick Todd Lee, also known as “The Baton Rouge Serial Killer,” who murdered at least 7 individuals from 1998-2003.


Crimes in Louisiana

If you would like to look further into the statistics regarding crimes in Louisiana, various law enforcement as well as investigation agencies both publish yearly reports, which show the data and statistics of the various crimes in that particular region. Additionally, the Federal Bureau of Investigation issues a Uniform Crime Report annually, which details all of the crimes in most counties and cities, in each state, including a report for crime in Louisiana.

Unfortunately, the number of Louisiana homicide and true crime stories in Louisiana seem endless. Once again, according to Project: Cold Case, there were approximately 28,952 murders in Louisiana alone between 1980 and 2019. In better news, roughly 18,910 of those murders have been solved, yet leaving approximately 10,042 unsolved murders in Louisiana as of the website’s last update. Nonetheless, many of the various Louisiana law enforcement and investigating agencies will not give up in their efforts to resolve all of Louisiana’s true crimes, no matter the number of resources or amount of time it may take them.

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Additional Louisiana Cold Cases

Jessica Easterly DurningNanette Krentel Wesley MorganClinton NelsonDonald BrownGregory HillsDarren BrownCedric BrownAnthony Brown Jr.Letroyed BrownWillie BrownKevin BrownNorman BriscoeLeon BrierLouis BrooksMarcus BrownDiamonique LewisJoshua BrooksBrishen DorseyNorris BristerRandy DoranBruce CucchiaraErica HuntDwayne AtkinsBob Austin JrWilda Mae BenoitOner ReveraKeith TindaleDan Bettencourt JrWilfred BellWilbert Bell JrRudy Benavidez-ZamoraMoises Betancourt MontoyaDarrell Bell SrLawrence BrownTerry Brown Jr.Martinez BrownOliver Brown Sr.Carl Bridgewater Sr.Justin SimmsMonique SmithJumyrin SmithShandon Barnes, Jr.Darius BazileSterling BlackmonMalik BraddyDonald AlexanderGeorge AlonzoDonald Barge, Jr.Bernard BreauxMario Breedlove SrJerome HamptonRenetta LoweKenan BreaudFelicia HughesBryant BrastfieldDarrick BrasleyChristopher WatsonTerence BoulltJoshua BowmanSteve Brackens IIIEric Brasley SrLavon BoothChristopher Bordere, Sr.Willie BoudreauxTerrell BondsMajor Bonner IIIRoxann BondJuan BoltonKerwin Borden SrGiggie BlountHarold AnthonyClarence Becknell JrDonovan CummingsLorenzo DixonDontreal ElebyDavid WalkerGary AdamsRobert AtkinsArturo Armenta JrAldorrien BerryGerald BatisteBobby BasquineMorris Bates, Sr.Glenquel EmersonDarome HiltonTerrance Barber, Jr.Harold Augustus, IIIAdrian BaldaufDarren BanksLaTevin BankstonDarvell BarraJamal PhilipsTimothy ArmstrongSteven Augustin-JonesTyrone BrumfieldCortdarryl ArmstrongKyrisha ArmstrongRyan ArmwoodLester AdamsDwayne AlphonseRene AlvarezBrodrick AndersonDavid AndersonStephen AndersonGerald AndryDoris AntwineEric Jr ArbuthnotBrandon AdamsTrayvel AitesDenard AlexanderDerrick AlexanderTerrance AlfordNolan AlofipoChristine MarcelinGabriel CaporinoAshley EiffertRandi MebruerLe-Thuy TranKylie HartmanBrian HatfieldRaylene HelsleyAmanda SouthernCaroline WorsleyEmino MurraySandra StricklinJake LatiolaisBrandi MaisonneuveJonathan TuckerAlex Elder JrEarnest BenoitJoseph BatisteTova BarnettUlysses Batiste, Jr.Crystal BealDonald Atkins IIShane Aucoin, Jr.Stacy BahamJohn BahamRaymond ArruebarrenaTravis AllenPearl AllenConstance AndersonMarshall AgborBabette AlbertiPeggy AlexanderMohammed AlghannamAbdul AlexanderEarl AustinCarolyn BachandAlan BourqueChristopher BrewerChristopher BrownRobert BrowningCharles CatlettHannah ClementKeith DavisClarence DellisElter DeshotelSandra DunnEthan FennellBelinda ForbesJulia GarciaDarrell GeroldSabrina GibsonCorey GilbertBilly GingeryBertha GouldNorma GrahamGregory GranthamMichael GreenCurtis HamiltonSharon HensleyJames JannetteJimmy JohnsonGary KerganPaul LambertDavid LiJimmy LongTroy MarksEddie MartinJace MartinJoseph MccartanDorthy MccathranNathan McgrawJohn MestayerJessica MortimerTerri MozzeCharles MullerTracey MurphyDennis OdumEduardo OrtizEunhe ParkRondreiz PhillipsWelton PierceTaranika RaymondMichael ReynoldsCatherine RobersonEmrick RogersCourtney RogersLouise RomeroSulmi RosalesRobert Ross JrClarence RuffinRolando SchweikertSusan ScottFaye SelfKenneth SmithChad SteinerGene StewartDavid StewartBradley StracenerGlenn TankersleyRuby TaplinJesse TaylorBa ThanhRebecca TompkinsThomas TuckerJames WarrenShrita WatsonMarion WattsAnnie WattsCheryl WilliamsLillian WilliamsRaven WilliamsFredrick WiltzWillis WycheDavid YeagerLonda YoungMichael AdamsJohn AdamsDanis AguileraJacquelyn LandryDeShanna GrayJose CabreraHenry Lawrence Jr. Tameka AndersonIrma BylerRonald BreauxCurtis TurnerJames DowdenTimothy Tarver Jr.Adrian PlanellsRenata WhiteheadGiang PhanEdward HergertRegina RowellEmma HendersonNan Liu NanYlenia CarrisiNelda HardwickStephanie SmithTeresa WiseWilliam Newman, Jr.Joseph EdwardsMarsha LonixMichael CookeJerry LucasAshton WashingtonWilliam JarreauMary RodermundWilliam GoodwinMark GiddensIda BascoMorris Mayfield Sr.Heather RoweKlaus-Peter SchreiberJustice GuidrozJoe WrightJames WigginsArthur ParrishArrilla Webb-VaulBambi BrantleyShetocquie BurksDavid HardyRonald MortonMichael HammondAlejandro BocanigerJinwei GaiCarrol FischerTroy LambertPamela WatsonJames 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BurrisHeather HollidayMari Ann FowlerEdna FreemanLeroy Kelley, Sr.Louis Boggs SrDoris Brown SrAdrian Cox JrJohn Davis JrDavid Gibson JrHenry Mccoy SrLanis Serie SrGregory Vice Jr