Scared Monkeys Discussion Forum

The Advocate
 
December 15, 2008 Monday
 
Fear grips Jefferson Davis Parish in wake of deaths *** Some residents say young women's killer may be at large
 
JENNINGS - The teenager had been missing only a few days when talk about her disappearance turned toward fears that she had become the seventh victim.

Normally, the disappearance of a 17-year-old could mean many things.

But not here.

The past three years have changed the mindset of people in rural Jefferson Davis Parish, an area with a population of less than 32,000 in southwestern Louisiana. Now, when a girl like Brittney Ann Gary goes missing, everyone fears the worst.

She had known four of the previous six victims, and when the search began, it was not for Gary, but rather for her body.

Everyone knew exactly where to look.

They returned to the areas where each of the past six bodies turned up, floating in rural canals or dumped along rural roadways in the parish.

It was just a matter of time.

Nearly two weeks later, on Nov. 15, they found Gary's decomposed body about a half-mile south of La. 1126 on Keystone Road, about 3 miles from where the first remains were discovered in 2005.

She had become what everyone feared: the seventh name on a growing list that had previously contained:

Loretta Lynn Chaisson, 28, found May 20, 2005, in a canal.

Ernestine Daniels Patterson, 29, found 17 days later in a canal six miles away.

Kristen Gary Lopez, 21, found March 18, 2007, in a rural canal south of Welsh. Lopez was Gary's cousin.

Whitnei Charlene Dubois, 26, found May 12, 2007, on a rural road just south of Jennings.

Laconia Shontel "Muggy" Brown, 23, found May 12 on a rural road in Jennings.

Crystal Shay Benoit Zeno, 23, found decomposed Sept. 11 off LaCour Road in rural Jeff Davis Parish.

A big challenge

"Having multiple victims with no actual crime scene other than a disposal scene has presented very big challenges as far as picking up where the crime occurred," Sheriff Ricky Edwards said. "There are very difficult obstacles that we have to overcome."

The main one appears to be tracking down that special lead that can break a case open.

During a recent city meeting, Jennings Police Chief Johnny Lassiter spoke softly as he talked about the victims, only one of which has turned up in the city limits, to a crowd of concerned residents.

"I can't tell you it's going to be solved anytime soon. ... It's going to take a break in the case," he said.

Authorities have brought in outside help, including the FBI and its behavioral analysts, State Police, the Louisiana Attorney General's Office, and other local agencies.

Serial killer?

Many people here consider it the work of a serial killer or killers, but authorities have refused to characterize it that way.

Edwards said the term is a label applied to cases by the media.

The FBI uses the term and recently even issued a report on "Serial Murders," which provided a historical and authoritative voice aimed at developing a national consensus on the subject.

Edwards' reasoning behind not linking the bodies to the work of the same person or persons is rooted in the difficulty of grouping the deaths into clear categories.

There were two bodies found in 2005, two in 2007 and three so far this year.

Two victims were black women. Five were white women.

Only three have been ruled homicides, with two of them dying from having their throats cut. The cause of death in the remaining five have not been released or determined, but all are being treated as homicides.

Toxicology reports found drugs in many of the victims' systems, but in varying levels of toxicity.

Some were found nude or only partially clothed, while others were clothed but missing certain garments.

Most of the bodies were found within two or three miles of one another, but one was dumped well outside of that range.

The strongest connection appears to be the relationship between the victims themselves.

The women ran in the same social circles and lived similar lifestyles.

Most lived their lives on the city's streets or in its crack houses. Many engaged in prostitution and had records including theft, assault, robberies and, in one instance, a rape charge that was later dropped.

Gary's mother said her daughter was an exception.

The young woman had cleaned up her drug habits and had never been a prostitute, her mother said.

But Gary did know the last four of the other victims and was a cousin to Lopez.

All four were involved in those activities, authorities said.

The women were mostly social outcasts living in Jennings, a small city of about 11,000 people.

Public apathy?

Some have taken offense to labels applied to the women, namely that they lived "high-risk lifestyles."

There is also concern that their lifestyles and the fact that the majority lived within the city's economically depressed south side have led to public apathy about the crimes.

"Regardless of the lifestyles, those girls are all of our daughters, and were it not but for the grace of God we could be caught in similar bondages," said the Rev. Gerald Perkins, a minister at Union Baptist Church in Jennings.

But the victims' lifestyles have shaped the investigation into their deaths.

In many cases, they were women who regularly climbed into the cars of strangers.

They could disappear for a few days or even a week without prompting fear or concern from family members or friends.

But Gary's case was different.

On the evening of Nov. 2, she left on foot for a trip to a nearby Family Dollar Store.

A surveillance tape shows her making a purchase and then leaving the store headed in the direction of her home.

Her mother, Teresa Gary, reported her missing the next day.

It was the first time authorities had a beginning and an end point from which to work.

If that information has provided authorities with new developments, they have remained quiet.

The lack of evidence - despite seven unsolved deaths - has led to rumors that the killings are the work of someone within law enforcement or at least someone with a knowledge of forensics.

Jefferson Davis Parish District Attorney Michael Cassidy discounts the involvement of a police officer but said the killer or killers are likely familiar with how crimes are investigated.

"Just someone who knows some law-enforcement techniques and avoids being detected," Cassidy said. "It's hard to believe you would be able to avoid detection in our small area."

Edwards said investigators have worked through rumors of the possibility that a law enforcement officer is involved and nothing has come from them.

Rumors, little evidence

There are other rumors, too.

There was speculation early on that the first two victims, Chaisson and Patterson, were killed by Mexican migrant workers after the two women allegedly robbed a group of workers in town, according to court records.

Some believe that at least two of the victims, Patterson and Lopez, may not have any connection with the others. Arrests were made in both those cases but the charges were not pursued.

In Patterson's case, the court records detail extensive work on the investigation.

Detectives conducted multiple interviews over several weeks; took fiber samples from the trunk of a car that might have carried her body; and removed, piece by piece, a porch where the girlfriend of one of the two suspects said Patterson's body had been placed in a trash bag soon after her death.

Fibers from the vehicle and wood from the porch turned up no DNA or blood evidence.

Cassidy said the lack of physical evidence left him with a case supported only by the uncorroborated statement of the girlfriend, "who did not actually see the death and did not actually see the body."

The Lopez case also lacked physical evidence and was supported by the statement of one witness.

Cassidy said the investigation fell apart after that witness changed her story, not once, but four times.

"Her credibility - I'm not going to say diminished. It was gone," he said.

Cassidy said it is unlikely that the initial suspects in the Lopez and Patterson cases could be involved in all of the homicides.

Of the three men targeted in the investigations, two were jailed on unrelated charges at the time of other deaths, and one is believed to have long since left the area.

Fear remains

Officials have said they feel like they are getting closer each day, although it's unclear what is shaping those feelings.

In the meantime, a growing sense of uneasiness and distrust continues to build, especially among people who knew the victims.

Laconia Brown's sister, 26-year-old Kendra Brown, cannot help but worry.

She knew Brittney, who was close friends with her sister, and worries that, because Brittney and Lopez were both related, whoever is responsible for their deaths could return for another member of her family.

"I'm scared," Brown said. "I've got three children. They could be coming to get one of the next family members. They could be looking at our faces."

Murdered women found in Jefferson Davis Parish

1. Loreta Lynn Chaisson, 28, found May 20, 2005.

2. Ernestine Daniels Patterson, 29 found June 6, 2005.

3. Kristen Gary Lopez, 21, found March 18, 2007.

4. Whitnei Charlene Dubois, 26, found May 12, 2007.

5. Laconia Shontel "Muggy" Brown, 23, found May 12, 2008

6. Crystal Shay Benoit Zeno, 23, found Sept. 11, 2008.

7. Brittney Ann Gary, 17, found Nov. 15, 2008 
 
Color photos: Color mugs of murdered women found in Jefferson Davis Parish including Laconia Shontel "Muggy" Brown; Whitnei Charlene Dubois; Brittney Ann Gary; Crystal Shay Benoit Zeno Color graphic: List of murdered women found in Jefferson Davis Parish with map showing where Jennings is located (Advocate map) (Text Attached)
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/36149329.html

If anyone here is interested in following this case further here's a link with more details http://jdpkiller.wordpress.com/.

Thank you and Welcome!

Thanks Nut  :2waver:

I hope people will start following the case.....it's pretty interesting.  These people need some media and internet coverage....seems like when the media gets interested it puts a little more pressure on LE to stay diligent with their investigations.  It also allow the families to get their stories out.

Thanks again for the welcome.

Quick O/T question....is it possible to edit a post?  I made a typo and didn't see where I could edit it.

Thanks

Only Admin and Mods can edit. I searched for an error and didn't see any.

Posted on January 9, 2009 by g8trgirl

The family of possible serial killer victim Laconia “Muggy” Brown will hold a march and a memorial service on Saturday, Jan. 24 in remembrance of their loved one.  Brown’s was the fifth body found in a string of seven unsolved homicides of Jeff Davis Parish women stretching back to 2005.

http://jdpkiller.wordpress.com/

Photos of victims
http://jdpkiller.wordpress.com/victims/

Many times (NOT ALWAYS) when a serial killer is responsible, there will be a physical likeness between victims. I do not see that here.

I don't see one either......the only similarity may be in that they were petite, young (17-29) and ran in the same circle and/or related to one another.  Of course, there is the drug factor linking them but I think that is secondary.  Race is not a factor.  The killer is not targeting (that we know of) males or older women.

The killings are serial in nature yet there appears to be more to it.  Question is.....what is it?

Body Found in Acadia Parish
Posted: Aug 20, 2009 05:42 AM

   Body Found in Acadia Parish



The body of an unidentified woman has been found off Interstate 10 in Acadia Parish, near the Jeff Davis Parish line, and now the investigation begins to identify her.

Someone did report a missing woman to Jennings Police around 1:30 Wednesday afternoon. During that investigation, the Acadia Sheriff's Department received a call from workers cutting the grass near mile marker 73 that a body was found down an embankment off the interstate.

Police also are trying to determine how she died.

Authorities are wary that this could be associated with 7 other unsolved deaths out of Jeff Davis Parish.

"Unless we can determine this is not associated with other 7 bodies, then we will be the lead investigators" Said Acadia Parish Sherriff Wayne Melancon.

"Call it precautions, call it proactive in making sure, we're jumping the gun and assuming that it is, so we can be further ahead in investigation when we get details in this one" Said Jeff Davis Parish Sherriff Rickey Edwards.

Seven women have been found dead, dumped on the side of rural roads in Jeff Davis Parish, within the last few years. Not one of those cases has been solved.
http://www.klfy.com/global/story.asp?s=10961117 (http://www.klfy.com/global/story.asp?s=10961117)

Woman's body found in Acadia
 
JEFF MOORE • JEFFMOORE@THEADVERTISER.COM • AUGUST 20, 2009

EGAN — Investigators were working to determine whether the body of an unidentified woman found along Interstate 10 Wednesday could be linked to a string of unsolved killings in Jefferson Davis Parish.

Acadia Parish Sheriff's Office Maj. Keith Latiola said a maintenance crew cutting grass along the interstate discovered the body around 2:30 p.m. between mileposts 72 and 73.

The body was located at the bottom of a hill near the Egan Ballpark on the north side of the interstate.

A large, blue tarp covered the body as deputies waited for federal investigators to arrive at the scene.

FBI officials out of New Orleans were on their way to recover the body, which was to be taken to the Calcasieu Parish Coroner's Office for an autopsy.

There were no missing persons reported in Acadia Parish as of Wednesday, but a woman was reported missing in Jennings just an hour before the body was found.

The Jennings Police Department said the missing woman is Necole Guillory, a white female about 27 years old.

"Naturally, because of the female missing in Jeff Davis (Parish), it's a possibility that the body found here in Acadia could be her," Latiola said.

Jefferson Davis Parish officials are still searching for suspects in the unsolved deaths of seven women from 2005 to 2008.

Each of the women's decomposed bodies were found in public, rural areas of the parish within days of disappearing.

A task force composed of eight local, state and federal enforcement agencies is investigating the killings.

Task force agents were on the scene Wednesday to determine whether the body discovered Wednesday could be tied to the earlier killings.

"It's way too early to tell," said Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff Ricky Edwards. "But we're not ruling that out."

Edit:  Add link per cartfly: http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090820/NEWS01/908200314/-1/NEWSFRONT2/Woman-s-body-found-in-Acadia 

Oops I did it again: (oh, muffybee...can you fix this for me again? Thanks in advance!!!::MonkeyAngel::)  Fixed-YW.  MB

The link for the above story:
http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090820/NEWS01/908200314/-1/NEWSFRONT2/Woman-s-body-found-in-Acadia (http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090820/NEWS01/908200314/-1/NEWSFRONT2/Woman-s-body-found-in-Acadia)

Murder documentary to film in La.
JULY 28, 2009

JENNINGS (AP) — A documentary film crew from Switzerland is heading to Jefferson Davis Parish in September to do a film on the unsolved deaths of seven women found dumped in rural parts of the parish during the last four years.

There is speculation that the women were targeted by a serial killer or killers. Officials have not linked the deaths, other than to say that the women all knew each other or appeared to have mutual acquaintances.

The film crew is scheduled to arrive in Louisiana in early September, near the one-year anniversary of the discovery of Crystal Shay Benoit Zeno's body — the sixth woman dumped in the parish.

Two months later, a family search party found the body of 17-year-old Brittany Ann Gary, who had been missing for several days.

No word yet whether body found is that of missing woman

Updated: Aug 20, 2009 1:34 PM EDT

LAKE CHARLES, LA (KPLC) -Officials in Jeff Davis and Acadia Parishes are not saying whether they believe the body found along Interstate Ten near Egan may be the woman reported missing earlier. But we are learning more about 27 year old Necole Guillory.

Jennings Police say Guillory was arrested in 2006 for possession of marijuana and cocaine.

Guillory was reported missing to Jennings polcie scarcely an hour before the body of a dead woman was found. Guillory was reported missing by her mother at 1:30 in the afternoon on Wednesday. Police say she had been missing since Sunday.

It was an hour later when the body of a woman was found along I-10 in Acadia Parish.

At last word Necole Guillory was still considered missing.

As to the body found, Jeff Davis Sheriff Ricky Edwards issued a statement on where things stand.. He says: "As the victim has not been positively identified and we are still in the initial stages of the investigation, it would be premature at this stageand possibly detrimental to the investigation to make any statements or draw any conclusions."

As well, authorities are not saying whether the body is connected to the seven bodies of women dumped in various areas of Jeff Davis Parish since 2005. The dead woman's body is at the Lake Charles Coroner's office where work is underway to determine the victim's identity. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause and manner of death.

http://www.kplctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10963691

PRESS RELEASE
[url] http://www.klfy.com/global/story.asp?s=10961117/url]

UPDATE

The Multi-Agency Investigative Task Force comprised of the Acadia, Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff's Offices, Jennings Police Department, 15th and 31st Judicial District Attorney's Offices,  LA State Police, LA Attorney General's Office and the FBI, is continuing to investigate the recent series of homicides of women who resided within Jennings, LA.  To date, the Task Force has thoroughly pursued the leads generated by public response.

On Wednesday 08/19/2009, another female homicide victim was discovered in Acadia Parish.  The body found has been positively identified as Necole Guillory, the young lady that was reported missing to Jennings Police Department on Wednesday.  ::MonkeyNoNo::

This most recent, unfortunate discovery has prompted the Task Force to request the public's continued assistance and vigilance. Our first goal is public safety, which necessitates the gathering of as much information as possible.

The Task Force has reason to believe that there may be individuals who have information pertinent to this investigation, who have yet to come forward. We are appealing to these people specifically, and the general public, to contact the Task Force with any information they believe may pertain to this investigation and/or the people, facts and circumstances surrounding these murders.

Additionally, the Task Force is asking the public's assistance in identifying possible suspects through observations of changes in their behavior. Violent offenders often exhibit some noticeable behavioral changes following the commission of a crime. Often, members of the community will unknowingly be associated with the offender of a crime, and may observe behavioral changes in that person. While they will recognize the changes, and may even question the offender about such changes, they may not recognize the relationship between such behavioral changes and the offender's involvement in the crimes. The following are behaviors and characteristics that the offender may exhibit:

In reaction to heightened public awareness and intensive law enforcement investigation, the offender has changed his method of operation. For instance, the most recent victim's body was discarded off to the side of Interstate 10 in Acadia Parish. Previous victims' bodies were discarded off to the side of smaller, rural roads.

The offender is likely to pay very close attention to the police investigation, media coverage and even private discussions pertaining to this series of murders.

The offender is likely to have displayed increased nervousness in the time periods immediately following the murders and the body discoveries.

The offender may have increased his use of drugs and/or alcohol to contend with the nervousness and experienced stress resulting from increased awareness and vigilance of both the police and the public.

     In the time period immediately following the murders and the body discoveries, the offender may have altered       his daily routine. He may have left the area temporarily; he may have been absent from work, cancelled appointments and/or social engagements.

The offender may have changed his mode of transportation, e.g., changed his vehicle, sold or claimed to have sold his vehicle, cleaned or had his vehicle cleaned, possibly including the vehicle's interior.

The offender is someone with significant ties to the Jennings and Jefferson Davis Parish area. He has demonstrated a strong familiarity with the area, and is someone known to residents there.

The offender may have been seen in the area of Jennings where these young ladies disappeared from.  He may have been, and perhaps is still frequenting the area.

The Task Force encourages anyone with information to contact them at (337) 824-6662.

EVEN IF IT IS THOUGHT THAT THE INFORMATION IS UNIMPORTANT OR HAS BEEN REPORTED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT PREVIOUSLY, PLEASE CALL: YOURS MAY BE THE CALL THAT SAVES
LIVES!

Eighth victim -- Jenning woman's body found along Interstate 10 in South Louisiana
Gannett Louisiana News • August 21, 2009
JEFF DAVIS PARISH — The discovery of a murdered Jefferson Davis Parish woman's body discarded along Interstate 10 has left residents here experiencing some all too familiar feelings.

"It's scary," Lake Arthur resident Marion Bouler said. "I don't even like going to Jennings any more."

The body was found Wednesday near Egan between Crowley and Jennings and Jeff Davis Sheriff Ricky Edwards has identified the body as 26-year-old Necole Guillory. Bouler attended elementary school with Guillory and lives next door to where Guillory's family once lived.

Hers is the eighth in a string of mysterious deaths of young Jennings women since 2005.

A Multi-Agency Investigative Task Force made up of nine agencies, including the Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff's Offices and the FBI are investigating what they call the "series of homicides of women who resided within Jennings."

Law officers are asking for public vigilance and requesting information about the murders.

"The offender is someone with significant ties to the Jennings and Jefferson Davis Parish area. He has demonstrated a strong familiarity with the area, and is someone known to residents there," Edwards said in the release. "The offender may have been seen in the area of Jennings where these young ladies disappeared from. He may have been, and perhaps is still frequenting the area."

Anyone with information about the murders can contact the Task Force at 824-6662.

Despite the outreach to the community, some say it is not enough.

Gail Brown, 22, is frustrated that police have not found a suspect in the murders. Her sister LaConia Shontel "Muggy" Brown's body was found doused in bleach in 2005 on a gravel road on the edge of Jennings' city limits.

"It just hurts," she said. "This is the eighth girl and they never found who killed Muggy."

The puzzling deaths began in May 2005 when fisherman discovered the body of 28-year-old Loretta Lynn Chaisson floating in the Grand Marais drainage canal a couple miles southwest of Jennings. After that, Ernestine Marie Daniel Patterson, 29; Kristen Elizabeth Gary Lopez, 21; Whitnei Charlene Dubois, 26; Brown, 23; Chrystal Shay Benoit, 24; and Brittney Gary, 17, were all found dead in rural areas of Jeff Davis Parish.

Gary's body was discovered on Nov. 15, 2008, nearly two weeks after she went missing.

"In reaction to heightened public awareness and intensive law enforcement investigation, the offender has changed his method of operation. For instance, the most recent victim's body was discarded off to the side of Interstate 10 in Acadia Parish," Sheriff Edwards said in a release. "Previous victims' bodies were discarded off to the side of smaller, rural roads."

Although all the dead women used drugs -- most commonly crack cocaine -- and sometimes traded sex for drugs, spent time in jail, knew each other and were disposed of in similar ways, authorities hesitate to say a serial killer is responsible for their deaths.

Guillory's childhood friend Bouler knew most of the victims and said Guillory likely knew all the women. She also lived a similar lifestyle.

Guillory was arrested and convicted of possession of crack cocaine in 2007 and served 20 months in prison for the crime, according to court documents.

She was released earlier this year and at the time of her death, she had a warrant for her arrest. She had violated probation by not keeping in contact with her probation officer.

She had a long list of arrests dating to 2001, including theft, burglary, aggravated assault, aggravated assault of a police officer, resisting arrest, possession of drug paraphernalia and simple criminal damage. Most of the cases were dismissed.

Although Guillory is last known to have lived in Jennings, she grew up in Lake Arthur and only attended school through seventh grade, according to court documents.

Guillory would have been 27 next week. Her last known address was in the Acadian Apartments in Jennings.

Darlene Daigle, a 14-year resident of the apartments, lived near Guillory's apartment. Daigle often sat outside and talked to Guillory, calling her "very outgoing."

Childhood friend Bouler agrees with Daigle.

"She was a very nice girl," she said. "I know these girls did drugs. I know. ... They do not deserve to be killed and something should have been done about this. Eight girls and nobody knows nothing."

http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20090821/NEWS01/90821009

Latest killing raises old fears in Jennings
TINA MARIE MACIAS • TMACIAS@THEADVERTISER.COM • AUGUST 23, 2009

It is a nightmare the sisters of LaConia "Muggy" Brown had hoped no one else would have to experience — the murder of a loved one.

In early 2008, 23-year-old Brown was the fifth Jennings woman to die among mysterious circumstances. Since Brown's death, three other women have gone missing and been found days later, missing clothes and mostly dumped in public but rural areas of Jefferson Davis Parish.

The most recent victim, 26-year-old Necole Jean Guillory, was found Wednesday in a grassy area near Egan off of Interstate 10 in Acadia Parish. Her death has been ruled as a murder by probable asphyxia, Acadia Parish Coroner Mark Dawson said.



The mysterious deaths of eight Jennings women in four years has left a community on edge, desperate for answers.

"I feel terrible," Kindra Brown said. "I don't think (the police) are doing their job. It's been a year and three months since my sister's been gone. We don't even know if they're coming up with evidence."

After 17-year-old Brittney Gary's body was found in November — the seventh murder — the Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff's Office assembled a multi-agency investigative task force that includes the Acadia, Calcasieu and Jeff Davis parishes sheriff's offices, Jennings Police Department, the 15th and 31st Judicial District Attorneys' offices, Louisiana State Police, Louisiana Attorney Gen-eral's Office and the FBI.

The task force has pursued leads and tips offered by the public, but is still without a suspect.

When the task force was formed, Jeff Davis Sheriff Ricky Edwards promised that they would create a reward fund for tips that lead to arrests and launch a Web site about the crimes.

The Web site has still not been launched. Edwards did not return phone calls and e-mails requesting comment Friday.

In January, the sheriff's office announced that a $35,000 reward was set up for tips leading to the arrest and conviction of a murderer.

The amount would be prorated per murder.

But Gail Brown, another one of Muggy's sisters, says that reward is too little too late.
"They have to offer a lot more for people to talk," she said. "They're scared."

The small, poor parish of Jefferson Davis Parish has a lot to be proud of. Its high school ACT exam was one of the few in the state to improve this year.

It has one of the lowest dropout rates in the state and is ranked the fifth best school system in the state by the state Department of Educa-tion.

The murdered women are the minority in town, a mix of black and white women who fell through the cracks, dropped out of high school and hung out on the southside of Jennings, where most of the crime in Jeff Davis Parish occurs.

Gail Brown said she has noticed an increase in police on the south side, where she lives, but believes they are targeting the wrong people.

"They're arresting all the drug dealers on Main Street, but they're not looking for who killed my sister," she said.

All the dead women were known to live high-risk lifestyles that included drug use and sometimes selling sex for drugs.

Guillory had been arrested several times and served time for possession of crack cocaine.

Despite the women's high risk lifestyles, friends and families say that should not diminish the urgency of the investigation. Guillory had four children and Muggy Brown had one.

"I know how they're feeling," Kindra Brown said of Guillory's family. "We're sorry that another girl was murdered. I feel the same way that her family feels, and we're hurt too."

http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090823/NEWS01/908230348/Latest-killing-raises-old-fears-in-Jennings&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL][url]http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090823/NEWS01/908230348/Latest-killing-raises-old-fears-in-Jennings&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL (http://[url)[/url]

TIMELINE IN CASE

May 17, 2005: Loretta Lynn Chaisson, 28, is last seen. Her body is found in the Grand Marais drainage canal three miles west of La. 26, just off La. 1126 three days later. No official cause of death is ever determined, but high levels of alcohol and drugs were found in her body.

June 18, 2005: The body of Ernesteine Marie Daniel Patterson, 29, is found in a canal off La. 102, just six miles away from the location of Chaisson’s body. Her death is later ruled as a homicide by a slit throat.

March 8, 2007: Kristen Elizabeth Gary Lopez, 21, goes missing. Ten days later her body is found in the Petitjean Canal, 10 miles south of Welsh. No official cause of death is ever determined, but high levels of alcohol and drugs were found in her body.

May 12, 1007: The body Whitnei Charlene Dubois, 26, is found just south of Jennings in the same vicinity as the other victims, but on a rural road instead of a canal. The cause of her death was never determined, but high levels of alcohol and drugs were found in her body.

May 28, 2008: LaConia Shontel “Muggy” Brown, 23, is last seen by her grandmother, hours before her body was found in the middle of East Racca Road near a police shooting range on the edge of Jennings’ city limits. Her death is ruled as a homicide, but how she was murdered has not been made public.

Sept. 11, 2008: The body of Crystal Shay Benoit Zeno, 24, is found, in a dry canal a couple miles southeast of Jennings but because of the advanced state of decomposition, it took nearly two months to identify her. Her death is ruled as a homicide, but how she was murdered has not been made public.

Nov. 2, 2008: Brittney Gary, 17, disappears after walking to a nearby Family Dollar Store to purchase minutes for her cell phone. Gary is known to have done drugs and knows all the victims, including her cousin Lopez and best friend Brown.n

Nov. 15, 2008: A family search party finds Brittney Gary’s body in the grass off Keystone Road, a half-mile south of La. 1126 and about four miles south of Roanoke.

Wednesday: Necole Jean Guillory, 26, is reported missing in the morning and that afternoon her body is found I-10 between Crowley and Jennings. Her death is ruled as a murder.

Friday: Acadia Parish Coroners Office says Guillory died of asphyxia.

http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090823/NEWS01/908230348/Latest-killing-raises-old-fears-in-Jennings&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL][url]http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090823/NEWS01/908230348/Latest-killing-raises-old-fears-in-Jennings&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL (http://[url)[/url]

I could be wrong, but IMO Ms. Guillory's murder is not connected. Possibly made to look that way by the perp. Not a copy-cat -- just not connected.

There has not been much of a "public outcry" regarding these crimes locally. I guess people are not interested in the deaths of these women because of their "life style" of doing drugs, prostitution etc. almost as if these girls deserved what they got.

I do not feel this way but often wonder why people think that way. They certainly did not deserve to die and be thrown out like trash.

The are this is in is a small rural town without much of a police force. (think Andy Griffin and Barney Fife...) Someone needs to go in and completely clean house on the drug/illicit activity going on in that town.

Supposively the FBI is involved..... But very little seems to be happening in the case which is completely unexcusable IMO.

I think people in the "area" may know more but are scared to talk.

I don't feel that way either. I do know many people do...it is sad. A good example is comparing Ted Bundy's co-ed victims to the victims of Gary Ridgway/Green River Killer. The public responded quite differently to those.  ::MonkeyNoNo:: I don't have a professional answer, but my opinion is, well, pure prejudice and ignorance is what drives people to react or not react the way they do. Victims are victims, regardless of lifestyle/etc. The only thing that should matter is  ::MonkeyJustice::  ::MonkeyGavel::

Jennings killings focus of Web site
Task force investigates 8 deaths

Tina Marie Macias • tmacias@theadvertiser.com • September 2, 2009

The multiagency task force looking into the murders of eight Jennings women has launched a Web site for the public to relay tips to investigators.
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The Web site is www.jeffdaviscrimes.net (http://www.jeffdaviscrimes.net), Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff Rickey Edwards said in a news release Tuesday.

"We believe that there are individuals who have information that have not come forward," Edwards said in the release.

Since 2005, Loretta Chaisson Lewis, Ernestine Daniels Patterson, Kristen Gary Lopez, Whitnei Dubois, Laconia "Muggy" Brown, Crystal Benoit Zeno, Brittney Gary and Necole Jean Guillory have gone missing and turned up dumped in fields and canals.

It is believed that one person is responsible for the killings.

Some victims' family members have said they are frustrated by the lack of suspects and contact with local law enforcement.

Soon after 17-year-old Gary's body was found in November, officials promised a Web site.

Guillory, 26, was found dead last month. Edwards could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Some residents also are taking their fight online.

A group about the Jennings killings on the social-networking Web site Facebook.com had more than 500 members Tuesday.

"Cease fire in Jefferson Davis Parish" is a group "for people who want to get information about supporting nonviolence" in Jeff Davis according to the group description.

Creators of the group are encouraging members to call community leaders every Monday to keep the killings fresh in their minds. Members are also encouraged to contact high-profile activists like Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton, as well as prominent TV personalities who discuss crime on their shows.

Anyone with information about the eight murders can contact the Task Force through the Web site or the tipline at (337)824-6662.

"Even if you think the information is not important or has already been reported previously, please call: Your information may be the call that saves lives," Edwards said in the release.

People providing information may remain anonymous.

The task force is comprised of law enforcement investigators from the Acadia, Calcasieu and Jefferson Davis Parish sheriff's offices, Jennings Police Department, 15th and 31st District Attorney's Offices, state police Region 2 investigations, state attorney general's office, and the FBI.
http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090902/NEWS01/909020324&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL (http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090902/NEWS01/909020324&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL)

(http://kplc.images.worldnow.com/images/11227556_BG1.jpg)

Jeff Davis victims in national spotlight
Posted: Sep 29, 2009 8:18 PM EDT Updated: Sep 30, 2009 12:03 PM EDT

By Theresa Schmidt - bio | email

LAKE CHARLES, LA (KPLC) - National publicity is something some family members are striving for as they push for a break in the case of the Jeff Davis eight, the women from Jefferson Davis Parish whose deaths remain a mystery. This weekend the family got some of what they want.

They are eight women whose paths crossed and family members grow increasingly impatient as they seek justice. They hope a national platform such as CNN will help spur the interest that will lead to tips that will solve the cases... Mike Dubois is the brother of Whitnei Dubois-- the 4th woman who died in May 2007. Said her brother, not long after the young woman was found.  "She is a human being and she didn't deserve to die like she did. She had her problems but she's still a human. She wasn't an animal."

As he said on CNN he wants an outside independent agency with greater resources and technical capabilities to come in. "This is larger than the Jeff Davis Parish or the Jennings Police Department can handle and it's obvious that this is still going on today and I believe we will have still more murders yet to come because I think it's bigger than they are."

Dubois is one of the family members who've hired private investigator Kirk Menard also participated in the national broadcast. He talked about the surveillance video of the latest victim, Nicole Guillory, who was photographed as part of his undercover investigation into the activities of associates of the victims. The family released the video hoping it would lead to someone remembering seeing her. As well he told CNN that he believes some will talk to private investigators him who are not willing to speak to law enforcement. "One advantage that we have that law enforcement doesn't seem to have is, whereas they have access to forensics and DNA we have access to several sources on the streets that we can gather information and pass it on to the task force and law enforcement."

 Menard and Dubois expected further interviews in the national forum in the days ahead.

Some family members take issue with the sheriff's refusal to characterize the case as the work of a serial killer.  In response, Sheriff Ricky Edwards says, "As our investigation continues it is obviously not complete because we have not brought anybody to justice the analysis of our investigation at this time concludes that right now we believe that we have one offender common among all of them but that is inconclusive at this time as to say that we can say it's only one. Until we get further developments to keep it at one or lead others into it we're going to continue to say that we are investigating it booth as individuals and collectively as one offender.

http://www.kplctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11227556

http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20091029/NEWS01/910290326
Officials confirm serial killings

Tina Marie Macias • tmacias@theadvertiser.com • October 29, 2009
Officials investigating the deaths of eight Jefferson Davis Parish women called the murders the work of a serial killer for the first time Wednesday.

Since 2005, Loretta Chaisson Lewis, Ernestine Daniels Patterson, Kristen Gary Lopez, Whitnei Dubois, Laconia "Muggy" Brown, Crystal Benoit Zeno, Brittney Gary and Necole Jean Guillory all went missing. Their bodies later were found in fields and canals.

It long has been believed that one person is responsible for the killings, but Sheriff Ricky Edwards always has stopped short of calling the deaths serial killings.

"As we have stated in previous releases, it is the collective opinion of all agencies involved in this investigation that these murders may have been committed by a common offender," he said in a release. "For that reason, the label 'serial murder' is applicable. However, we have not used that label when referring to this investigation because it does not benefit us in our goals to identify and apprehend the offender, nor does it prevent further loss of life. Labels are sometimes confusing and are subject to misinterpretation."

Edwards and representatives from six agencies of the 15-member multiagnecy investigative team held a news conference to give an update on the investigation.

Edwards did not take questions at the news conference, nor did he return multiple phone calls requesting an interview Wednesday.
The victims likely knew each other and were all known to live or hang out on the crime-ridden south side of Jennings. Brittney Gary and Kristen Gary Lopez were cousins. All were known to use crack cocaine and sometimes sell themselves for the drug.

The investigative team has not identified a lead suspect, but have considered several suspects or persons of interest, according to a release. Investigators have followed nearly 1,000 leads and interviewed 500 people.

"Some of the information received in the course of this investigation has lead to progress in other unrelated cases, such as narcotic and burglary cases."

(http://media.2theadvocate.com/images/guillory+121609.jpg)

Baton Rouge Police Department detectives Sgt. Chris Johnson, left, and Cpl. Larry Maples, right, transport Jeffery Lee Guillory, 43, of Lafayette into an awaiting vehicle outside police headquarters in Baton Rouge Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009. Guillory is a suspect in the deaths of three women dating back as far as 10 years.

Published: Dec 17, 2009

Baton Rouge Police first identified serial killer suspect Jeffery Lee Guillory in Sylvia Cobb’s 2001 murder in 2006, police said at a press conference today.

He was connected to the murders of Renee Newman in 2008 and Florida Edwards earlier this year, Sgt. Don Kelly said.

Guillory, 43, was arrested Wednesday. However, he has been in jail on unrelated charges from Lafayette and Baton Rouge since January 2008.

Guillory, who was last known to live in Lafayette, was originally identified as a possible suspect in Cobb’s killing when his fingerprint was found at her murder scene, police have said,

On Sept. 15, 2006, Guillory was arrested in Baton Rouge on drug, alcohol and traffic related charge, Kelly said. Twenty-four to 48 hours later, his fingerprints matched those found on a Budweiser Lite beer can recovered at Cobb’s murder scene, he said.

Authorities interviewed Guillory the same day about Cobb, Newman and Edwards. At the end of the interview, they collected his DNA.

However, police did not think they had enough evidence to arrest Guillory in Cobb’s death, and they released him, Kelly said.

Police had no contact with Guillory in 2007, he said.

Additional testing by the State Police Crime Lab in August 2008 led them to contact Baton Rouge Police. Guillory’s DNA matched DNA found at Newman’s crime scene in 2002, Kelly said. In March 2009, police tied his DNA to evidence left at Edwards’ murder scene in 1999.

Since 1999, a total of 10 women — including Edwards, Cobb and Newman — have been stabbed, strangled or beaten in a 4-square-mile area east of downtown, according to The Advocate’s archives.

Police formed a task force in 2000 to investigate whether six of the killings, which came over a 10-month period in 1999 and 2000, might have been committed by one person, but disbanded the task force without a conclusion.

Most of the victims were black women between the ages of 29 and 46. Most were found naked or partially naked in or near parks or vacant buildings. And, most had criminal records that included arrests for prostitution or drugs.

Edwards was found strangled on Sept. 3, 1999, inside the old Dynasty Lounge in the 1100 block of North Boulevard after police received an anonymous call alerting them to the body, police have said.

Newman was found strangled on April 11, 2002, in some landscaping near the back of the old Maison Blanche/Goudchaux’s building in the 1600 block of Laurel Street, police have said.

She was last seen alive the day before when she got a phone call and left her North Boulevard home.

Newman was dressed when she was found and there is no evidence she was raped, police said at the time. Investigators don’t know if she was robbed.

Cobb was found inside an abandoned house at 681 N. Acadian Thruway West after being reported missing a day earlier.

She was last seen four days before her death when she got into a red truck that had pulled up to her Baton Rouge home.

Authorities said Cobb had been dead three or more days by the time her body was found and that she died from a blow to the head.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/breaking/79543102.html?showAll=y&c=y

Police Suspect Louisiana Man Is Serial Killer
Monday December 21, 2009
A Lafayette, Louisiana man has been charged with the murder of three women in Baton Rouge dating back to 1999 and suspect that he may be involved in several other unsolved murders. Jeffrey Lee Guillory was charged with three counts of second-degree murder.
Guillory has been in jail since March 2008 on an unrelated bank fraud charge involving a stolen ATM card.

Guillory, 43, has officially been charged in the deaths of Florida Edwards, 36, in 1999, Sylvia Cobb, 36, in 2001 and Renee Newman, 46, in 2002. But he is suspected in more deaths in the Baton Rouge area.

Suspected in More Murders

In addition, investigators are looking into Guillory's possible involvement in several unsolved murders in Jefferson Davis Parish. Guillory is from Lafayette. Baton Rouge is east of Lafayette and Jeff Davis Parish is to the west, all connected along Interstate 10.

Guillory was originally linked to the murder of Sylvia Cobb by a fingerprint found on a beer can at the scene of the crime. Investigators used DNA evidence to link him to the murders of Edwards and Newman.

Authorities plan to test DNA evidence to see if Guillory can be linked to other cases.

http://crime.about.com/b/2009/12/21/police-suspect-louisiana-man-is-serial-killer.htm

(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/01/02/us/02serial_CA0/articleLarge.jpg)
The bodies of eight women have been found near Jennings, La., since May 2005, including Kristen Gary Lopez in this canal on March 18, 2007.

8 Deaths in a Small Town, and Much Unease

JENNINGS, La. — Every few months for the last four and a half years, someone driving the back roads here in Jefferson Davis Parish has come across a body.

They fit the same pattern: The bodies have been those of young women raised by extended families in the nearby towns of Lake Arthur and Jennings. At some point, the women lost their footing and succumbed to the undercurrent of drugs and prostitution that has been steadily eating away at the parish.

Since May 2005, there have been eight such discoveries in this quiet countryside of rice and crawfish farms in southwestern Louisiana. The most recent was in August.

The women appear to have been murdered, but most of the bodies were found in such a state of decomposition that the causes of death have not been determined. The victims were black and white, aged 17 to 30. Most knew one another or were even related, members of a small circle in a small town.

The deaths have caused considerable soul-searching among victims’ relatives here worried about the plague of drugs and prostitution that might have contributed to the women’s deaths. There has also been anger at what many local residents view as missteps by sheriff’s investigators, like lost or missing evidence, and fury at the possibility that a serial killer might be loose.

“Whoever is doing this, I don’t know how they sleep at night,” said Sarah Benoit, the mother of Crystal Benoit Zeno, a cheerful, mischievous 24-year-old whose body was discovered by hunters in a dry canal in September 2008. “I just don’t understand.”

Long a stopping-off point for drug traffickers along Interstate 10, Jennings, the parish seat, has a thriving crack trade, which turns many young men to crime and women to prostitution.

The sight of young women walking among the derelict houses on the south side of town once brought dismay to parents. Now a woman alone evokes dread.

“My girls won’t go anywhere unless someone’s with them,” Ms. Benoit said.

At Tina’s, a one-room bar where some of the victims used to come, rumors and theories abound. Law enforcement officials are treating the deaths as if they were murders committed by a “common offender” — a serial killer — but emphasize that is not a sure thing. It is not clear if the deaths are related or — because of decomposition — if they are all even murders.

Four people have been arrested or have had arrest warrants issued in connection with the deaths. Two were even held on murder charges for months before being freed because of evidence problems; the other two were never charged.

Frankie Richard was one of those two. A onetime owner of local strip joints, Mr. Richard (pronounced REE-shar) has a history of assault arrests. He admits to being a crack addict and claims to have had sex with most of the victims. He was among those last seen with Kristen G. Lopez, whose body was found floating in a canal on March 18, 2007.

A woman who was with Mr. Richard and Ms. Lopez at a cheap hotel just before Ms. Lopez disappeared told the police that Mr. Richard and his niece had killed Ms. Lopez. Soon after, the woman recanted her statement.

“I have my suspicion about who done it,” Mr. Richard, 54, said, sitting on the front porch of his childhood home on a chilly Sunday afternoon, still reeling from what his mother said was a three-day binge. “But I don’t want to pin the tail on no donkey because I don’t want false allegations to cause a family to go through what mine did.”

Mr. Richard was in rehab when one of the victims died, Sheriff Ricky Edwards said.

The pace of the investigation, and the apparent mistakes along the way, have tested the town’s patience. In 2007, the chief of detectives in the parish sheriff’s office made a deal to buy a pickup truck from an inmate in the parish jail, a woman he knew to be an acquaintance of one of the victims. A witness later said she saw Ms. Lopez in that same truck on the day of her disappearance, but by then the detective had washed and resold the truck.

The detective was fined and taken off the investigation. He now supervises the evidence room at the sheriff’s office.

Over time, dissatisfaction has turned to outright suspicion that the local police are involved in or are covering up the deaths. In a small town like Jennings, where law enforcement officers, victims and criminals are often related by blood and friendship, the police’s failings inevitably take on an ominous cast.

Some victims’ relatives who consider the police ineffective, or worse, have turned to Kirk Menard, a private investigator with a background in workers’ compensation and insurance fraud cases, but not in homicide. (Mr. Menard is perhaps uniquely qualified in one respect: his stepfather, who died last year, was the brother of Richard E. Hickock, one of the Clutter family killers profiled in Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood.”)

For months, Mr. Menard has been secretly videotaping women who fit the profile of the victims, hoping to catch license plates when the women get into strangers’ cars. This past June, he made a short video of Necole J. Guillory, 26, walking along the street. Two months later, her body was found by weeding crews along Interstate 10.

Sheriff Edwards acknowledges that many residents distrust the investigation, but said the dissatisfaction arose mainly out of frustration. In December 2008, he set up a task force of law enforcement officials from nearby parishes, the state police and the F.B.I. Several victims’ relatives said they were reassured by the diligence of the task force, which works out of a nondescript storefront in a rundown strip mall.

But for now, investigators are still hoping for a break.

“This person will screw up, the right person will come forward and give us some information, and we will be able to bring justice for these ladies,” the sheriff said.

The relatives have learned to grieve in uncertainty. Many of the victims had already faced more hardship than anyone should — violent men, rape, mental problems, addiction — but there had always been the hope that, with love and support, they could make it through intact.

“It’s the school of hard knocks that they never got a chance to graduate from,” said Sonya Benoit Beard, sitting at her kitchen table over a pool of photographs of her bubbly cousin Whitnei C. Dubois, 26, whose body was found at a rural crossroads in May 2007.

Melissa Gary, the mother of Ms. Lopez, said she woke up every morning wondering what had happened to her child. When she shows up for work at the truck stop casino by the highway, she says she wonders if she is coming face to face with the killer.

Or the killer could be a complete stranger. She just does not know. Nobody knows.

“There’s eight murders in Jeff Davis parish, and not one’s been solved,” Ms. Gary said, breaking down in tears.

“Something is wrong in this parish,” she said. “Something is wrong in Jeff Davis Parish.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/02/us/02serial.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/02/us/02serial.html)

from the link above........
(http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/01/02/us/02serial03/articleInline.jpg)

 ::MonkeyAngel::

Still NOTHING no leads....no updates......they were doing DNA testing on the LE....haven't heard anything back from that yet either.

http://www.klfy.com/Global/story.asp?S=11911094
Jeff Davis 8 Remembered

Posted: Feb 1, 2010 04:46 AM
Eight girls from Jeff Davis Parish captured the nation's attention when a they were murdered by a serial killer that remains on the loose.

To show law enforcement that they haven't been forgotten, family members held a march through Jennings Saturday in their memory.

Friends and family prayed together, as they remembered the eight women. Rather than walk the streets of Jennings with tears in their eyes, the group marched to the rhythm of some upbeat music.

The dozens of people involved in the march were walking not only to remember the eight women's lives, but to celebrate the birthday of Laconia "Muggy" Brown, who would be 25 this week.

Laconia left behind a little boy named Jaheim, who is now four years old.  Family members say he asks about his mother every day.

Those close to the victims still have many questions about what happened to their loved ones, and why no arrest has been made yet.

To whoever's behind the grisly deaths, family members have a few words they'd like to say.

"They don't have no right taking these girls life the way they did. That's somebody's loved ones, that's somebody's sister, that's somebody's mother" said Kindra Brown.

"Walk up to me and do what you did to this woman, these women, because of something they did in life, we all did wrong. We all have our ups and downs. But if this is your up, I will show you a down" said Emile Lyons.

Katie Johnson

Video  http://www.klfy.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=4504547&h1=Jeff%20Davis%208%20Remembered&vt1=v&at1=News%20-%20Hard%20News&d1=111167&LaunchPageAdTag=News%20-%20Hard%20News&activePane=info&rnd=15307777

Jeff Davis murder search alive on the Web

amcelfresh@theadvertiser.com • Death lives online.

 • January 8, 2011

     
Amanda McElfresh

Do a simple Google search for "murder forum" or "serial killer forum" and you'll get thousands of hits, leading you to a vast subculture of sites where victims' family members or crime buffs gather to talk about some of the most mysterious murders in the country.

A few of these sites and forums are devoted to the eight Jefferson Davis Parish women who have been found murdered since May 2005.

Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff Ricky Edwards confirmed that investigators keep an eye on message boards, blogs and online sites to see if any tips can be gleaned from the postings.

"We follow up on everything that's out there. We stay informed and do everything we can to bring justice for these victims," Edwards said. "We do monitor everything — news reports, blogs, anything that is out there."

For better or for worse, there's been little information about the murders released publicly over the past several months. The good news is that no homicides connected to the eight women's deaths have been reported since August 2009. But no suspects have been named, and all of the cases remain open.

That quietness spills over into the online community, since many blogs and forums see more traffic and postings when new information develops.

Still, the postings indicate that there are still family members searching for answers, individuals doing their own research and rumors running rampant throughout town.

But most of the blogs and forums are run by anonymous individuals, many of whom allow visitors to post theories, comments and information by using only a screen name.

In most cases, a handful of people post hundreds, even thousands of times.

On the Murder in Jeff Davis Parish forum, there's a separate message board for each victim, as well as discussion sections for other local murders, general Jeff Davis Parish crime and the efforts of law enforcement.

The forum administrator, who also runs a companion blog about the murders, exchanged several e-mail messages with The Daily Advertiser earlier this week, but, like most forum posters, is choosing to keep their identity private.

However, even though there are few real names associated with the online postings, what comes across is a strong desire to share even the smallest bits of information, ideas and theories in the hope that somehow, the mysteries can be unlocked.

"I'm sure most of you who read this blog, and the discussion forum, have noticed that ideas are posted and it's not too long after that, suddenly that idea becomes reality," someone with the screen name "livinginfearinjdp"

posted on the JDP Killer blog last May. "... So we are doing good here and making headway. As hard and heart-wrenching as it is for the families, friends, us living in the parish to rehash the same thing over and over, it is a necessity. We HAVE to keep speaking out!!!"

There's one official site, jeffdaviscrimes.net, created by law enforcement authorities in August 2009 "to expose each case to as many people as possible," according to its description.

"You may have information that could lead to an arrest and subsequent prosecution," the site implores. "In all of these instances, a criminal is free, and the families miss their loved one. It is the sincere hope of the law enforcement community that your tip could provide their families with much-needed closure."

The site provides a brief description of each victim, along with their photos, as well as general information on violent offenders and a link to contact investigators.

Edwards said the site has yielded a few tips, but he could not elaborate on what those are or how that information has been used in the investigation.

"It's been a bumpy road but I like where we all seem to be at now," the Murder in Jeff Davis forum administrator posted earlier this week. "There was NEVER any doubt where everyone's heart, soul and good intentions were, though. I'm just happy there's at least a few people still around at all."

  http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20110108/NEWS01/101080318/1002/Jeff-Davis-murder-search-alive-on-the-Web (http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20110108/NEWS01/101080318/1002/Jeff-Davis-murder-search-alive-on-the-Web)