Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. local news and culture. 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. While what happened in Jefferson Davis Parish is a snarled web of power dynamics and deep-rooted corruption, Brown believes its symptomatic of a kind of system-wide brokenness that applies all over the country. Brothers Cameron and Colby Burroughs were arrested and charged with capital murder. And, as Brown writes, all eight of the victims snitched for local law enforcement about the Jennings drug trade.. pg.acq.push(function() { let gads_event; Jefferson Davis County Sheriff's Deputies have arrested and charged one with murder in the death of Jarriyon Davis. 56 total Bessemer. The murders and investigations feature in several media offerings. [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. Members of the Jones County Sheriffs Department assisted in the arrest. Two men were held for second-degree murder, though the charges were later dropped. Davidson has since been sentenced to death for the crime. }); 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. }); }); We are reaching out to you in hopes that you will make an announcement to the citizens in your . JDCSO investigators said that the shooting occurred around 7 p.m. Friday on Mississippi 42 between Carson and Prentiss. The two were killed on White Rogers Road. He dropped the lawsuit in December, after losing the race. Phone. 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. The incident happened on Zion Hill Church Road. . Drug busts would reveal kilos of cocaine and crack, and thousands of pills. One of them described how Barry would cruise the seedy south side for prostitutes with his wife, after which they would drug the pickup with a spiked drink and bring her home to their sex room. Worse, the malicious undercurrent that had killed the eight women and silenced the witnesses was threatening to come for him next. View Official Website. Anaya, Steven. Suspicious of his colleagues, Ewing sent the tapes to a regional FBI office, only for them to be relayed to supervisors on the taskforce. Alexander, Jeffrey Kirk. An attempted murder-suicide left two people dead and one injured in an early morning shooting last Wednesday in the county. Jeff Davis County, Texas eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Menudo Star Says Jos Menendez Assaulted Him. Published 11:17 am Wednesday, September 23, 2020. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Everything that Im talking about in this book is not confined to Louisiana., But where shows like True Detective lean heavily on the built-in spookiness of the swamp, Brown almost instantly does away with the tropes you came for in favor of a more powerful idea. In one instance, the Times noted, the chief investigator bought a pickup truck from an inmate known to be friends with one of the victims. Dark Truth Behind 8 Sex Workers Murdered in the Bayou A gendas. Johnson is being charged as an adult. [2] The victims also shared in common traits such as poverty, mental illness, and histories of drug abuse and sex work. [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. [1][2], Author and investigative reporter Ethan Brown has revealed how police investigations have been plagued by missteps in the sheriff's office, contributing to lost or missing evidence. To Brown, something didnt seem right, so in mid-2011 he spent a week in the parish, talking to residents and people who knew the victims, even though he didnt have a story in mind at the time. Published 6:26 am Thursday, December 16, 2021. Another point to be noted is the drug epidemic in the city given its location off a major highway. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ Me and my husband hurt, said Alice Abram. 8 years on and zero answers. A raid of Richards' home in 2009 found weapons, cash, and drugs in his possession. 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. Four people were in a vehicle when shots were fired, hitting two of the individuals, JDCSO said. (WDAM) - A shooting in Jefferson Davis County left one dead and one injured, investigators with the Jefferson Davis County Sheriff's Office said.. With a lack of evidence, a narrow list of suspects, the heavy involvement of the police in prostitution and drugs, the Jeff Davis 8 case looks to be more the work of a complex cover-up than the work of a serial killer. The backlash spooked him. },false) 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. 9 Famous Disturbing Missouri Homicides window.adsContainer = {"position2":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Above_Next_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position3":{"code":"Article_Mobile_300x250_ATF_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position4":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position5":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle1_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position6":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle2_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position7":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle3_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position8":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle4_Rel","max_width":300,"max_height":250},"position9":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle5_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position10":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle6_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position11":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle7_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position12":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle8_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position13":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle9_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position14":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle10_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position15":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle11_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250},"position16":{"code":"Article_Mobile_Middle12_Rel","max_width":320,"max_height":250}} I met him around sunset one evening and I woke up the next morning to the news that hed been murdered a few hours earlier.. 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. Between 2005 and 2009, eight women from. 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. The Abrams' son, Stephen Abram, was murdered, along with a friend Patrick Hartzog, in December 2017. One of the prime suspects was drug addict, pimp, and former strip-club proprietor Frankie Richards who was known to brag about his violence and conquests in bed. The most notorious person from each of Alabama's 67 counties 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. The investigator was fined and removed from the case and placed in charge of evidence at the Parish sherriff's office. 4. [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). 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. 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. 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. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center, Jefferson County District Attorney's Office, https://www.bhamwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=List_of_homicides_in_2023&oldid=201245, March 14: Timothy R. Davidson, 62, was died at, March 19: Djuante Nyjuwan Dickers, 23, died at. Further digging revealed multiple witnesses who alleged that Boustany was not only present at the Boudreaux Inn on multiple occasions, but was a client of at least three of the victims. Jefferson Davis County, MS Violent Crime Rates and Maps [2][6] Most of the victims knew each other well. Parents of Stephen Abram spoke with the Jefferson Davis County Board of Supervisors at its meeting Monday concerned over unsolved murders in the county. The three men, all 18 years old, were taken into custody at their. Mississippi Crime Statistics }); Hed spent years compiling the story, but by the fall of 2013 it was languishing in editorial limbo at a mens magazine. Don't Expect to Hear From Former Sheriff Ricky Edwards on 'Murder in Most of the bodies were found in such a state of decomposition as to make the actual cause of death difficult to determine. 15 Tennessee Murders That Will Keep You Up At Night According to investigative journalist Ethan Brown, Richards was known to all eight of the victims and had often partied or done drugs with the girls. 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. Amid a tight battle for a Senate seat, Boustany filed a defamation lawsuit against Brown and his publisher. 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. (The US average is 35.4) NOTE: The city of Jefferson Davis, Mississippi does not have FBI Crime Statistics. Law enforcement failed to make any arrests and barely had a list of suspects. 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. Davis, 24, was found dead on Highway 84 at Lucas Nov. 14 in what was originally thought to be a hit-and-run. 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. eventAction: 'render' Where Is Acquitted Murderer Candy Montgomery Now? In 2002, Anaya was found guilty of killing a Denver restaurant patron in April 1999. 56) Worst Crimes Ever (Ep. [3][4] Other victims were Ernestine Marie Daniels Patterson, 30; Kristen Gary Lopez, 21; Whitnei Dubois, 26; Laconia "Muggy" Brown, 23; Crystal Shay Benoit Zeno, 24; and Brittney Gary, 17. Copyright 2022 WDAM. Click to reveal 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. 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. 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. 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. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. We hurt. Then, after a massive public records request about the inn, Brown found that it was co-owned by a Martin P. Guillory, a field representative for Boustany. 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. Denver. hitType: 'event', Derrick Miller, a detective with the Jefferson Davis Parish sheriff's office, spoke with investigators . The September 2016 release of Murder in the Bayou: Who Killed the Women Known as the Jeff Davis 8? Jefferson Davis County, MS Murder Rates and Murder Maps 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. [1] Two people were held on murder charges for months before being released due to issues with evidence. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), Investigators are planning to speak with other possible people of interest in the case to see if more arrests are possible. 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. March, 1992. 2330 Columbia Ave, Prentiss, MS 39474. The two were killed on White Rogers Road. fleshed out the reporting featured in his Medium article and delivered a new bombshell: A field representative for Louisiana Congressman Charles Boustany owned a notoriously seedy Jennings hotel where Boustany allegedly had sex with three of the victims. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), 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. We hurt that someone took our only sons life., It is going to be three years in December and we have no answers., What can yall do to help the sheriffs department. All Rights Reserved. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7c0ef6dd7e3c8296 But he also got less than ideal attention. Join the Westword community and help support [1] However, Brown's recent investigative work exposing connections between victims, suspects, and the police casts doubt on the theory that the Jeff Davis 8 is the work of a serial killer. gads_event = event; Inscoe was arrested by Mississippi Bureau of Investigation agents in Jones County on Sunday, Sept. 11 around 3 p.m. MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. eventAction: 'click_ads' 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. He also denied that Boustany was aware of Guillorys stake in the inn. that nobody has to live that way again. Where do I rest my head today? 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. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation also is investigating. Academy Slaps Down New Rules After Andrea Riseborough, Tom Cruise, Michelle Yeoh Controversies We want to hear it. Its got some magical realism to it, with the power to represent the dark and unknowable and maybe a little sinister parts of our country. Brown was shocked after all, this was the murder of someone intimately connected to other homicide victims. On the surface, much about this case feels like classic Louisiana corruption. And most compelling, Brown writes, is that most if not all of the Jeff Davis 8witnessed other murders. 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. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. The victims were either intimately connected and/or related. [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. [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. Jefferson County. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), [2], Brown's investigative work reveals many tangled connections between victims, suspects, and the police. Brown got a book deal and got to work quickly on fleshing the investigation out. Notifications can be turned off anytime from browser settings. Once authorities arrived on the scene, they discovered that Davis had also been wounded with multiple gunshots. The families were kept uninformed about the progress of the case and some even said that the task force that had been set up to help find the killer refused to take tips. The Jefferson Davis parish sheriff, Ivy Woods, posted a note on the departments official website, calling Brown an author of fiction stories, and decrying the article for insinuating corruption in our Sheriffs Office. The notes still up there, under the heading, From the Desk of Sheriff Woods. (In an emailed comment to Rolling Stone regarding Murder in the Bayou, Jefferson Davis Chief Deputy Christopher Ivey says that Brown speculates on many of the instances [in the book] based on information he obtained from people he admits he doesnt trust, adding that the cases have not been forgotten. Could this really be chalked up to police incompetence? 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. Were sure youve never seen anything like this in your life. And these were cops.. According to family and friends of the victims, many of the girls had served as police informants and had seemed scared or anxious before they died. Arguello, Damian M. Adams County. 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?'. Jefferson County Food & Safety Report April 30, 2023 at 2:25 a.m. The rate of violent crime in Jefferson Davis County is 1.98 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. 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. 1 dead, 1 injured in Jefferson Davis County shooting, One dead, one wounded Friday night in Jefferson Davis County shooting, 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. } Davis, 24, was found dead on Highway 84 at Lucas Nov. 14 in what was originally thought to be a hit-and-run. Bell eventually pleaded guilty to all four murders and was sentenced to LWOP. [3] The two female inmates who stated the Sheriff's Office disposed of evidence in the Lopez case alleged that the evidence was discarded at the behest of Richard. ga('ads.send', { eventAction: 'load' Two were transported to a local hospital, where one was later pronounced dead, JDCSO said. You can take that however you want to.. Deshotel was a street player in town who had dated two of the Jeff Davis 8 victims. }); 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. } 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. JEFFERSON DAVIS COUNTY, Miss. Gruesome murder of an Illinois family remains unsolved as the main 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.
