Dark Minds (2012) Movie Script

Reporter: MAY 20, 2005

CHANGED JENNINGS FOREVER.

ON THAT DAY, THE FIRST

OF EIGHT JENNINGS FEMALES

TURNED UP DEAD.

Woman:

I'M ASKING ANYONE OUT THERE.

IF YOU HAVE SEEN BRITTNEY,

PLEASE,

I'M BEGGING YOU,

PLEASE, CALL ME.

Reporter #2: LAW-ENFORCEMENT

AGENCIES SAY THE KILLER

IS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA.

Man: THESE LADIES DID NOT

DESERVE TO DIE.

THEY WERE DUMPED JUST OUT HERE

IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, NUDE.

WHEN THEY FLIPPED HER OVER,

HER FACE WASN'T THERE NO MORE.

WHEN THEY FOUND MY SISTER,

MY SISTER WAS LAYING ON

THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

Narrator: EIGHT WOMEN FOUND DEAD

IN AND AROUND

JENNINGS, LOUISIANA, DEEP

IN THE HEART OF CAJUN COUNTRY.

Lewis:

THE WAY THE BODIES ARE FOUND

AND THE WAY

THERE'S SO MANY SIMILARITIES,

IT JUST HAS THOSE HALLMARKS

OF SOMETHING THAT'S ORGANIZED

AND VERY KIND OF METICULOUS.

EVERYONE WITHIN THIS

WHOLE PARISH IS LIVING IN FEAR.

Narrator: WITH ALL THE CASES

STILL UNSOLVED 10 YEARS LATER,

DEEPLY HELD SUSPICIONS

ARE TEARING THE COMMUNITY APART.

Man #2:

JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH POLICE,

IF YOU HAD BEEN HERE,

A GIRL WOULDN'T HAVE DIED!

EVERYTHING IS ABOUT MONEY,

DRUGS, MURDER.

Man #3: YOU'RE MESSING WITH

SOME POWERFUL PEOPLE HERE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND HERE

SCARED TO TALK TO Y'ALL.

WHO YOU THINK IT IS?

ALRIGHT.

Cormier: YOU KNOW, I HEAR PEOPLE

ALL THE TIME

SAYING THIS PERSON DID IT

OR THAT PERSON DID IT.

I DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION

TO PROVE THAT.

I WOULD, LIKE,

CUT YOU LIKE THAT.

Narrator: NOW IN THIS 4-HOUR

SPECIAL EVENT,

EXCLUSIVE AND INTIMATE ACCESS

TO THE VICTIMS' FAMILIES

TAKES YOU DEEP INSIDE

THEIR SEARCH FOR ANSWERS.

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.

I WANT TO KNOW WHY IT HAPPENED.

I WANT TO KNOW

WHO DID IT,

AND I WANT TO KNOW

WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU

PUT HER RIGHT HERE?

THE ETHANOL LEVEL

WAS .421.

BUT SHE DIDN'T DRINK.

SHE JUST DIDN'T.

SHE NEVER DID.

THE EXPLOSIVE STORY

OF A TOWN FULL OF SECRETS

AND SHOCKING ALLEGATIONS.

YOU WANTS TO KNOW THE TRUTH,

DON'T GO BY WHAT NO STREETS SAY

BECAUSE THE STREETS LIE.

ALL THE STREETS LIE

FOR THE POWER OF THAT DRUG.

Narrator:

WHO KILLED THE JENNINGS 8?

Drake: OH, YEAH.

IT'S SO HOT HERE.

YOU KNOW HOW A DOG SWELLS

IN THE HEAT IN THE ROAD?

THAT'S HOW OUR BODY DO HERE.

WE LOVE CRAWFISH, BUT THEN WE

GET STEAMED LIKE THE CRAWFISH.

[ LAUGHS ]

YES, INDEED.

Hoag:

WE MAKE A JOKE DOWN HERE

THAT THERE'S THREE

DIFFERENT LOUISIANAS.

THERE'S NORTH LOUISIANA, WHICH

IS THE PROTESTANT BIBLE BELT,

AND THEN THERE'S NEW ORLEANS

THAT EVERYBODY THINKS

IS LOUISIANA,

AND THEN THERE'S GOD'S COUNTRY

OVER HERE.

Drake:

THIS IS A SMALL COMMUNITY.

EVERYBODY KNOW EVERYBODY.

YOU COULD COME IN TOWN AND SAY,

"HEY, I'M LOOKING

FOR SO-AND-SO."

"OH, THEY LIVE OVER THERE,

SUCH-AND-SUCH STREET."

Narrator:

PART OF JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH,

JENNINGS SITS IN THE SOUTHERN

CORNER OF LOUISIANA,

172 MILES FROM NEW ORLEANS,

DEEP IN CAJUN COUNTRY.

[ ZYDECO MUSIC PLAYS ]

LIKE MANY SMALL TOWNS

ACROSS AMERICA,

CHURCH AND FOOTBALL

REIGN SUPREME.

[ MARCHING BAND PLAYING ]

[ WHISTLE BLOWS ]

AND A LOT DEPENDS ON WHAT SIDE

OF TOWN YOU HAPPEN TO LIVE ON.

Peck:

THERE'S A DISTINCT DIFFERENCE

ON EACH SIDE OF THE TRACKS.

THE NORTH SIDE, YOU HAVE

THE MIDDLE TO UPPER CLASS,

AND THEN ON THE SOUTH SIDE,

YOU HAVE THE WORKING CLASS

AND SOME OF THE POOR.

Lewis: KIND OF THE HAVES

AND THE HAVE-NOTS

IS A GOOD WAY TO PUT IT.

Narrator: WHILE IT'S HAD

ITS SHARE OF STRUGGLES...

AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN,

HURRICANES, DRUGS...

THINGS WERE ONCE

PRETTY QUIET HERE.

JENNINGS IS A TOWN WHERE YOU

MAY HAVE A COUPLE OF MURDERS

A YEAR ON A BUSY YEAR,

IF YOU WANT TO CALL IT THAT.

THERE'S A LOT OF FIGHTS.

YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GET DRUNK

ON A SATURDAY NIGHT,

AND THEY HAVE A FIGHT

OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

MAYBE THEY TEAR UP

SOME PROPERTY,

SOME DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

I'M CERTAINLY NOT GONNA SAY

ANYTHING BAD

ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT,

BUT NO DEPARTMENT THAT HAS LIVED

UNDER THAT KIND OF CONDITION

FOR DECADES

IS GONNA SUDDENLY BE PREPARED

FOR THIS VERY ORGANIZED,

VERY SCARY SERIES OF CRIME.

I'M A JOURNALIST

WHO CAME HERE TO WRITE

ABOUT ROTARY CLUB MEETINGS

AND, YOU KNOW,

THE OCCASIONAL GUY GETTING

HIS HAND IN THE COOKIE JAR

OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

I HAD NO WAY TO BE PREPARED

FOR THIS,

AND I HAD NO WAY TO UNDERSTAND

JUST HOW FAR-REACHING IT

WOULD SPREAD INTO THE COMMUNITY.

Narrator:

BETWEEN 2005 AND 2009,

THE BODIES OF EIGHT YOUNG WOMEN

WERE DUMPED IN

AND AROUND JENNINGS.

MORE THAN 10 YEARS LATER,

THE CASES ARE STILL NOT SOLVED,

SO POLICE ARE RELEASING

VERY LITTLE INFORMATION.

TIRED OF WAITING FOR JUSTICE,

TWO FAMILY MEMBERS

ARE ON A MISSION

TO FIND THE TRUTH

ON THEIR OWN.

Taylor: THERE'S THREE RIGHT

THERE THAT NEED TO BE DRIED,

BUT THESE AND THE REST

OF THOSE SHIRTS

ARE ALL WE HAVE,

AND THERE ARE

THOSE TWO ORDERS,

TWO OR THREE ORDERS

IN THE BACK.

Jones: I WAS BORN IN JENNINGS,

AND I'VE LIVED HERE

ALL MY LIFE.

I LIKE THAT IT'S A SMALL TOWN

AND THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS

EVERYBODY.

I THINK THERE'S NOT ENOUGH

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

OUT HERE FOR ADULTS,

AND MOST PEOPLE ARE

LIVING CHECK TO CHECK.

RAY'S WOULD BE RIGHT

ACROSS THE TRACKS,

WHICH WOULD BE

THE SOUTH SIDE OF TOWN.

YOU SEE A LOT MORE

ON THIS SIDE OF TOWN.

IT'S MORE... AS FAR AS PEOPLE

ARE MORE OPEN

AS TO WHAT THEY'RE DOING

ON THIS END.

TO BE HONEST WITH YOU,

WE SEE A LOT OF DRUG DEALS

IN THE PARKING LOT RIGHT HERE,

AND WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF

SOLICITING IN THE WASHATERIA,

SO, I MEAN, WE GET TO SEE

OUR SHARE OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

Narrator:

WHILE SOUTH SIDE JENNINGS

CAN SOMETIMES BE TOUGH,

BRITTANY JONES AND TAYLOR DUBOIS

HAVE MADE A GOOD LIFE

FOR THEMSELVES,

AND THEY'VE DONE IT TOGETHER.

AND YOU WANT TO WASH

THOSE DARKS,

OR ARE YOU LEAVING

IN THOSE DARKS?

NO, NOT...

IT'S NOT A FULL BAG.

Jones: TAYLOR AND I ARE PROBABLY

CLOSER NOW THAN WE EVER WERE.

WE'VE BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH OVER

THE YEARS SINCE LOSING WHITNEI.

THERE ARE MANY, MANY DAYS

WHERE WE STAND

AT THIS IRONING BOARD.

THESE IRONING BOARDS

HAVE HEARD MANY THINGS.

WE SOLVE SO MANY PROBLEMS

HERE, THOUGH.

EXACTLY.

IF SHE DOESN'T KNOW

THE ANSWER TO SOMETHING,

THEN I HAVE IT,

AND IF I DON'T KNOW

THE ANSWER TO SOMETHING,

THEN SHE HAS IT,

AND WE JUST FIGURE IT OUT.

SHE TAKES THE SLACK OFF ME,

AND I TAKE THE SLACK OFF OF HER,

SO IT MAKES IT

SO MUCH EASIER.

RIGHT, SISTER?

THAT'S RIGHT.

Narrator:

BUT IT'S THE THIRD MEMBER

OF THIS TIGHT-KNIT SISTERHOOD

WHOSE ABSENCE IS KEENLY FELT.

WHITNEI DUBOIS

AND HER SISTER, TAYLOR,

WERE ADOPTED AS CHILDREN

BY BRITTANY'S GRANDPARENTS.

WHITNEI AND I HAD ALWAYS SAID

WE WERE SISTERS

BECAUSE IN SCHOOL, WHEN...

IT WAS EASIER TO...

IT WAS HARD TO EXPLAIN

TO CHILDREN

THAT WHITNEI AND TAYLOR

WERE MY AUNTS.

WE WERE SO CLOSE IN AGE,

AND IT WAS JUST...

SO WE GREW UP TELLING PEOPLE

WE WERE SISTERS,

AND IT WAS JUST...

IT WAS EASIER TO EXPLAIN

THAT WAY,

AND WE WERE RAISED THAT WAY.

WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP,

ME, TAYLOR, AND WHITNEI,

WE DID EVERYTHING TOGETHER.

WE WERE TEENAGERS.

WE MADE MANY,

MANY TRIPS TO WALMART

SO THAT WE COULD BE SNEAKY

AND MEET BOYS

AND DO ALL THAT STUFF

THAT TEENAGERS DO

THAT WE WEREN'T ALLOWED TO DO

BECAUSE WE WEREN'T ALLOWED TO GO

ANYWHERE, SO WE'D GO TO WALMART.

Narrator: BUT IN MAY 2007,

THAT SISTERHOOD WAS SHATTERED.

Jones: IT WAS A SATURDAY.

WE WERE HAVING

A GRADUATION PARTY,

AND THE FAMILY HAD PLANNED A

HUGE CELEBRATION AT MY IN-LAWS'.

EARLIER THAT MORNING,

THERE WERE RUMORS

THAT A BODY HAD BEEN FOUND,

BUT NOBODY KNEW WHO IT WAS.

Man #4:

THERE WERE SEVERAL COP CARS,

A FEW OTHER PEOPLE

STANDING UP OVER THERE,

AND AS I DROVE DOWN TO THE END,

THEY SAID

THERE WAS A CRIME SCENE.

Reporter #3: WHAT INVESTIGATORS

FOUND AT THE INTERSECTION

OF BOBBY AND EARL DUHON ROAD

IS THE BODY OF A WOMAN.

A SOURCE CLOSE TO

THE INVESTIGATION TELLS 7 NEWS

THAT THE WOMAN'S BODY WAS NUDE.

Man #4:

I HEARD IT WAS A WOMAN.

DON'T KNOW THE AGE

OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT,

JUST THAT THE BODY

WAS ON THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.

Jones: THAT ENTIRE DAY, I KEPT

ASKING EVERYBODY HAD THEY HEARD

FROM WHITNEI,

HAD ANYBODY SEEN WHITNEI.

IT WAS ABOUT 3:00, 3:00

OR 4:00 IN THE AFTERNOON,

AND MY GRANDMA CALLED.

AS I'M ON THE PHONE WITH HER,

SHE SAID,

"WAIT, BRITTNEY.

HOLD ON A SECOND."

SHE SAID, "SOMEBODY IS KNOCKING

AT THE DOOR."

Narrator: BRITTNEY'S FATHER,

MIKE, WAS LIVING

WITH HER GRANDMOTHER

AT THE TIME.

Mike:

A KNOCK CAME ON THE DOOR,

AND THERE WERE A CORONER

AND TWO DETECTIVES THAT CAME.

MY MOTHER OPENED THE DOOR,

INVITED THEM IN

BECAUSE THEY SAID

THEY HAD TO SPEAK WITH US.

WHEN SHE GOT BACK ON THE PHONE,

SHE SAID, "THE COPS ARE HERE,

AND THEY SAID

I HAVE TO HANG UP WITH YOU."

AND I'M LIKE, "WHAT?

WHY ARE THE COPS THERE?"

AND SHE'S LIKE, "I'M GONNA

CALL YOU BACK," AND SHE HUNG UP.

Mike: I REMEMBER MY MOM COMING

INTO THE ROOM AND SAYING,

"BABY, THERE'S TWO DETECTIVES

AND THE CORONER HERE.

THEY WANT TO TALK TO US.

I BELIEVE IT'S ABOUT WHITNEI,"

AND SHE WAS CRYING.

SHE WAS CRYING.

Jones: WHEN I GET THERE,

I WALKED IN THE KITCHEN.

THEY TOLD ME THAT THE BODY

THAT HAD BEEN FOUND

THAT MORNING WAS WHITNEI,

AND, UH...

...I REMEMBER FALLING,

AND, UM, I JUST...

I HIT THE FLOOR.

IT TOOK ME A SECOND TO REALIZE

WHAT THEY WERE SAYING.

AFTER THE DETECTIVES LEFT,

AND WE ALL SAT AND CRIED.

MY DAUGHTER, BRITTNEY, WENT

AND BROKE THE NEWS TO BEYONCE,

WHICH IS WHITNEI'S DAUGHTER.

Jones: BEYONCE WAS 4,

AND... SHE HAD A CARD IN HER HAND

THAT SHE HAD MADE FOR HER MOM

AT SCHOOL FOR MOTHER'S DAY.

[ SNIFFLES ]

AND I SAT HER ON MY LAP,

AND I EXPLAINED TO HER ABOUT

WHEN PEOPLE GO TO HEAVEN,

AND I TOLD HER

THAT HER MOM WAS IN HEAVEN.

I'M PRETTY TOUGH WHEN IT COMES

TO ALL THE REST OF IT.

I'VE GRIEVED, AND I'VE BEEN

THROUGH THE EMOTIONAL PROCESS

OF IT ALL,

BUT I CAN NEVER, EVER TALK

ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED

WITH BEYONCE

WITHOUT CRYING.

CHILDREN DON'T DESERVE TO

GROW UP WITHOUT PARENTS.

BEYONCE IS 16,

SO NOW SHE'S OLDER

WHERE SHE UNDERSTANDS

THE SPECIFICS.

MY ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO FIND OUT

WHAT HAPPENED

AND SOLVE IT BEFORE

BEYONCE IS OLD ENOUGH

TO GO LOOKING

FOR THE ANSWERS HERSELF.

TAYLOR AND I COULD SAVE HER

FROM THE HORROR STORIES

AND THE NEGATIVITY.

WHITNEI'S BODY

WAS FOUND RIGHT HERE.

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THIS ROAD

WAS PAVED...

IT WASN'T.

...LIKE, AT ALL.

I HATE THE PAVEMENT.

IT'S, LIKE,

YOU'RE TRYING TO...

COVER SOMETHING UP.

...COVER SOMETHING UP

OR MAKE SOMETHING

GO AWAY OR SOMETHING.

LIKE, THE PAVEMENT

JUST KILLS ME.

I THINK IT'S UNIMAGINABLE

THAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW

OR DON'T TALK

BECAUSE THIS TOWN

HAS NEVER OPERATED

THAT WAY.

PEOPLE ARE COVERING UP

SOMETHING,

AND IT'S OBVIOUSLY HUGE.

Narrator: IN MAY 2007,

WHITNEI DUBOIS' FAMILY

IS DEVASTATED

TO LEARN OF HER DEATH.

EVEN THOUGH LAW ENFORCEMENT

GIVES THEM

VERY LITTLE INFORMATION,

THE LOCATION

WHERE WHITNEI'S BODY IS FOUND

IMMEDIATELY

RAISES THEIR SUSPICIONS.

STANDING OUT HERE,

I'M THINKING TO MYSELF LIKE,

"WHY RIGHT HERE?

LIKE, WHAT LED

TO THIS PARTICULAR AREA

RIGHT HERE?"

WHAT MADE THEM SAY, "OKAY,

WE'RE GONNA DUMP HER

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD

BUT NOT THE SIDE"?

Taylor: SOMEBODY DID THAT

ON PURPOSE,

SO THAT WHOEVER CAME

RIGHT HERE

WAS LIKE, [ GASPS ]

"A PERSON!"

IF I HAD TO DESCRIBE

WHAT I REMEMBER SEEING

IN THE PICTURE

WAS HER LAYING

IN THE FETAL POSITION

WITH HER BACK END

FACING THIS WAY,

ALMOST LIKE

SOMEONE HAD JUST

PUSHED HER

OUT OF A VEHICLE,

YOU KNOW,

AND THAT'S HOW SHE LANDED.

AND SOMEONE HAD TO HAVE

PUT HER HERE.

SHE DIDN'T WALK HERE,

SO WHY WOULDN'T

THAT PERSON SAY SOMETHING?

YOU'RE GONNA DIE WITH THIS

ON YOUR CONSCIENCE?

HOW DO YOU SLEEP

AT NIGHT?

NONE OF IT ADDS UP.

Narrator: TOXICOLOGY TESTS

REVEAL A HIGH LEVEL OF DRUGS

AND ALCOHOL IN WHITNEI'S SYSTEM,

BUT THE CORONER CAN'T DETERMINE

THE CAUSE OF DEATH.

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.

I WANT TO KNOW WHY IT HAPPENED.

I WANT TO KNOW

WHO DID IT,

AND I WANT TO KNOW

WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU

PUT HER RIGHT HERE?

BUT THE MOST SHOCKING FACT

ABOUT WHITNEI'S DEATH

IS THAT IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME

A WOMAN'S NAKED BODY

HAS BEEN DUMPED

ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF TOWN.

THE STORY OF THE JENNINGS 8

STARTS 2 YEARS EARLIER.

MAY 20, 2005 CHANGED

JENNINGS FOREVER.

A FISHERMAN SPOTS A BODY

FLOATING IN

THE GRAND MARAIS CANAL,

ABOUT 5 MILES OUTSIDE

JENNINGS.

THE WOMAN IS LATER IDENTIFIED

AS 28-YEAR-OLD

LORETTA CHAISSON LEWIS.

SHE'S BEEN MISSING FOR 3 DAYS.

Reporter #1: LORETTA CHAISSON

WAS THE FIRST

OF EIGHT WOMEN TO DIE

IN A TRAGIC SERIES

OF SUSPICIOUS DEATHS

IN JEFF DAVIS PARISH.

NICK AND CHAD CHAISSON SAY

THEY WERE CLOSEST IN AGE

TO THEIR BIG SISTER, LORETTA.

MOM CALLED ME.

I WAS DRIVING AT THE TIME.

SHE SAID,

"LORETTA IS MISSING."

AN OFFICER HAD COME BY.

LORETTA HADN'T BEEN SEEN

IN A FEW DAYS.

"MOM," I SAID,

"SHE ALWAYS TURNS UP."

ALWAYS LEAVING.

SHE SAID, "NO."

SHE SAID, "THIS TIME,"

SHE SAID, "SHE ALWAYS CALLS.

SHE ALWAYS CALLS ME."

MOM WAS CRYING, AND IT WAS

JUST A FEW HOURS LATER

WHEN THEY FOUND HER.

Narrator:

THE MEMORY OF LORETTA'S DEATH

IS JUST AS PAINFUL TODAY

FOR HER TWO BROTHERS.

TO GET THAT PHONE CALL,

YOU'RE NEVER PREPARED FOR IT,

AND YOU NEVER EXPECT IT,

AND WE DIDN'T EXPECT IT.

Chad: SHE KNEW EVERYBODY.

MOST PEOPLE LIKED HER.

THERE AIN'T A DAY

THAT GOES BY

I DON'T THINK

ABOUT HER, YOU KNOW.

IT'S JUST... NOT GROWING UP

WITH HER IS, LIKE, WOW.

YOU KNOW,

I'M 40 YEARS OLD,

AND I WANTED

TO SEE MY SISTER

BE THIS OLD, YOU KNOW.

I DIDN'T GET TO SEE HER 30s.

IT WAS JUST...

SHE WAS 28.

I KNOW.

LORETTA WAS THE OLDEST,

THEN IT WAS ME,

AND THEN NICK WAS...

SHE WAS A GOOD BIG SISTER,

YOU KNOW.

SHE WAS...

FEISTY BUT SMARTASS.

YEAH.

COULDN'T DO...

SHE WAS A FEISTY

LITTLE SMARTASS, BUT...

BUT SHE HAD A BIG HEART.

SHE WAS THERE

FOR US ALL.

HER... SHE'D DO ANYTHING

NOW

TO MAKE US HAPPY.

SHE'D DO FOR ANYBODY,

HER KIDS ESPECIALLY.

YEAH.

HER KIDS WOULD COME

FIRST ALL THE TIME.

SHE'D COME BACK

WITH LOADS OF TOYS.

SHE ALWAYS DID

FOR HER KIDS.

Narrator: LORETTA WAS DETERMINED

TO GIVE HER TWO SONS

THE KIND OF LIFE

SHE NEVER HAD GROWING UP.

MY MOM AND DAD,

THEY WENT THROUGH

A DIVORCE.

AFTER THAT, I THINK,

THAT'S WHEN...

THAT'S WHEN OUR LIFE

JUST...

YEAH.

...WAS DESTROYED.

WE WERE YOUNG, DIDN'T HAVE

BOTH PARENTS ANYMORE.

WE WERE RUNNING AROUND.

THAT'S WHEN WE WERE TAKING

ADVANTAGE AND GETTING...

YOU KNOW,

DOING WHAT WE WANTED.

LORETTA FELL INTO THE WILD SIDE

PRETTY EARLY.

WE WERE YOUNG.

WE WERE, LIKE, 13, 14,

SHE'S SNEAKING OUT THE WINDOW.

SHE FELL

IN THE WRONG CROWD.

SHE'D DRINK A LOT

AND THEN TO THE CRACK

AND COCAINE,

AND ONCE SHE GOT ON THAT,

SHE GOT ADDICTED

AND JUST COULDN'T

GET AWAY FROM IT.

LORETTA CHAISSON LEWIS

WAS FOUND HERE.

I KNEW HER WELL.

Narrator: RICKY EDWARDS

WAS THE SHERIFF

OF JEFFERSON DAVIS PARISH

AT THE TIME OF THE DEATHS.

SHE WAS A GOOD PERSON,

A VERY GOOD PERSON.

MADE SOME POOR DECISIONS

IN HER LIFE.

HER FATHER, I KNOW HIM.

I KNOW MOST OF THESE PEOPLE

BECAUSE, AS WE SAY,

JENNINGS IS VERY SMALL

AND FAIRLY CLOSE-KNIT.

IT'S VERY PERSONAL

WHEN SOMETHING TRAGIC

LIKE THAT HAPPENS.

ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOU DO

TO TRY TO HELP PEOPLE,

AND THEY ARE STILL IN

CONTROL OF THEIR LIVES.

WE CAN'T MAKE SOMEBODY

DO SOMETHING

THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO DO.

YOU SECOND-GUESS AND THINK,

"MAYBE I COULD HAVE

DONE SOMETHING DIFFERENT,"

BUT YOU JUST GO ON,

AND YOU DO YOUR JOB

AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU TRY

TO FIND OUT WHO'S RESPONSIBLE.

Narrator:

IT'S NO SECRET IN SOUTH JENNINGS

THAT LORETTA STRUGGLED

WITH ADDICTION,

AND WHILE HER CAUSE OF DEATH

WAS RULED UNDETERMINED,

SHE HAD DRUGS IN HER SYSTEM,

LEADING MANY TO BELIEVE

SHE OVERDOSED.

I'VE KNOWN LORETTA SINCE

SHE WAS PROBABLY A TEENAGER.

ALL LORETTA'S LIFE,

SHE WAS A FREE SPIRIT.

FROM VERY YOUNG,

LORETTA WAS WILD AND CRAZY,

SO I REMEMBER WHEN

LORETTA'S BODY WAS FOUND.

MY MIND DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY

THINK HOMICIDE.

NO ONE KNEW WHAT HAPPENED.

I JUST ASSOCIATED MAYBE

A DRUG OVERDOSE

WITH WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO HER

BECAUSE HER HISTORY OF DRUG USE

WAS PRETTY WELL-KNOWN,

SO I JUST ASSUMED

THAT THAT'S ALL IT WAS

UNTIL PEOPLE STARTED REALIZING

THAT SHE WAS ACTUALLY DUMPED,

THAT SHE HAD TO HAVE

BEEN THROWN THERE.

I'VE ACTUALLY FISHED THERE

BEFORE WITH MY HUSBAND,

SO I KNEW THE LOCATION,

AND IT'S NOT LIKE

IT WAS SOMEWHERE

WHERE SHE WAS WALKING

OR SAT DOWN.

IMMEDIATELY, YOU KNOW

IT WASN'T JUST AN OVERDOSE.

THERE WAS SOME TYPE

OF FOUL PLAY INVOLVED.

Narrator: IT'S MAY 2005,

AND THE BODY OF 28-YEAR-OLD

LORETTA CHAISSON LEWIS

HAS BEEN FOUND ON THE OUTSKIRTS

OF SMALL TOWN JENNINGS

IN LOUISIANA.

WELL, WITH LORETTA,

IT WAS SOMETHING

THAT WAS TOTALLY DIFFERENT

THAN WHAT LAW ENFORCEMENT

HAD SEEN HERE BEFORE.

THAT'S NOT A NORMAL SITUATION

WHERE YOU HAVE A BODY,

YOU KNOW, DOWN

IN A WATERWAY.

IT HAPPENS, BUT IT'S NOT

A NORMAL OCCURRENCE.

Narrator: WITH LITTLE EVIDENCE

OTHER THAN THE TOXICOLOGY REPORT

SHOWING DRUGS IN HER SYSTEM,

THE MOST OBVIOUS POSSIBILITY IS

THAT LORETTA MAY HAVE OVERDOSED,

BUT HER BROTHERS

HAVE HEARD OTHER STORIES.

THEY HAD ONE STORY

THAT SHE WAS BEAT UP,

THEN THEY COME,

"OH, WELL, I PROMISE YOU.

SHE DIDN'T HAVE

NO MARKS ON HER.

SHE WASN'T BEAT UP.

SHE WASN'T CHOKED."

AND THERE WAS THE ONE THEORY

THAT SHE WAS KILLED

IN A MOTEL ROOM,

SMOTHERED BY A PILLOW,

BUT THAT WAS ONE

OF THE MANY STORIES,

YOU KNOW, WE HEARD.

SO REALLY AND TRULY,

WE STILL DON'T KNOW

EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.

WE JUST KNOW

WHERE SHE ENDED UP.

I DIDN'T WANT TO BELIEVE

THAT IT WAS ANYTHING

MORE THAN AN O.D.

YEAH.

BECAUSE, I MEAN,

THE THOUGHT OF MY SISTER

HAVING TO BE SCARED

FOR HER LIFE

AND THAT IT WAS, YOU KNOW,

COMING TO AN END,

I JUST COULDN'T...

I COULDN'T THINK

OF IT LIKE THAT.

Narrator: ALL LORETTA'S BROTHERS

HAVE TO GO ON

IS THE LAST TIME THEY SAW HER

SHORTLY BEFORE SHE WENT MISSING.

SHE WAS AT A LOCAL GAS STATION

ALONG WITH A WELL-KNOWN FIXTURE

OF THE SOUTH JENNINGS

UNDERWORLD.

FRANKIE RICHARD PULLS UP.

LORETTA GIVES ME A HUG.

SHE SAYS SHE LOVES ME.

SHE GETS IN THE CAR

WITH FRANKIE.

I HAVEN'T SEEN HER SINCE.

I AIN'T NEVER SEEN HER.

FRANKIE RICHARD, A KNOWN

DRUG USER AND DEALER,

IS A CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE

AROUND TOWN.

I'M NOT A VERY

JUDGMENTAL PERSON.

I DON'T LIKE TO BE.

I DON'T LIKE TO JUDGE PEOPLE,

BUT I JUST THINK

HE'S THE, YOU KNOW...

HE'S NO GOOD.

THAT'S MY OPINION.

BUT NOTHING DIRECTLY LINKS

FRANKIE TO LORETTA'S DEATH,

AND THE CAUSE

IS ULTIMATELY RULED

AS UNDETERMINED

ON THE AUTOPSY REPORT.

STILL, NICK CAN'T SHAKE

THE BELIEF

THAT THERE'S MORE TO IT

THAN AN OVERDOSE.

SHE WAS NUMBER ONE,

AND THEN THEY WENT FROM THERE,

AND ALL THESE OTHER GIRLS

JUST DIED.

IF YOU CAN'T TELL

THAT SOMETHING AIN'T RIGHT,

THEN...

I DON'T KNOW.

SOMETHING

JUST ISN'T RIGHT.

SOMETHING AIN'T RIGHT.

Woman #2: ALL I KNOW IS THEY

FOUND A GIRL DOWN THE ROAD.

THAT'S ALL I KNOW.

Reporter #4:

THE PARTIALLY NUDE BODY

OF ERNESTINE DANIELS FOUND...

Reporter #5: THE BODY OF

ERNESTINE MARIE DANIEL PATTERSON

WAS FOUND IN A CANAL OFF

HIGHWAY 102.

SHE DISAPPEARED.

ERNESTINE, SHE WAS FOUND

IN ANOTHER IRRIGATION CANAL

THAT WAS APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES

SOUTH OF WHERE LORETTA WAS.

Narrator:

BOTH OF THE WOMEN'S BODIES

HAD BEEN DISPOSED OF IN A CANAL,

BOTH WITH DRUGS

IN THEIR SYSTEMS,

BUT THIS TIME, THERE'S NO DOUBT

ABOUT THE CAUSE OF DEATH.

ERNESTINE'S THROAT

HAS BEEN SLIT,

AND HER BRUISED HANDS SUGGEST

A BRUTAL STRUGGLE.

TRAUMA TO THE BODY

WAS DEFINITELY DIFFERENT,

BUT YOU ALWAYS PUT THAT

IN THE BACK OF YOUR HEAD,

THAT THEY COULD BE CONNECTED,

AND JUST BEING THE WAY

THEY WERE DISPOSED OF,

DUMPED, WE KIND OF FIGURED

THAT WE HAD SOMETHING

THAT WE NEEDED TO CONNECT

THE DOTS REAL QUICK.

Narrator: ERNESTINE'S DEATH,

LIKE LORETTA'S,

IS A SHOCK TO THE COMMUNITY

AND DEVASTATING FOR HER FAMILY.

SHE WAS A CARING, LOVING PERSON.

SHE WAS FUN TO BE AROUND,

TO TALK TO.

YEAH.

SHE STAYED IN CHURCH

ALL THE TIME, GOING TO CHURCH.

YEAH, WE WENT TO CHURCH

A WHOLE LOT.

TWO OR THREE TIMES

A WEEK.

I CAN'T REST AT NIGHT.

IT HURTS A LOT.

IT BOTHERS ME.

IT HURTS.

SHE JUST HAD A GOOD HEART.

SHE WAS A CHRISTIAN.

SHE HAD FIVE KIDS,

AND, I MEAN,

SHE WAS A GOOD, LOVING PERSON.

AFTER THE SECOND ONE, WE HAD

BROUGHT OUTSIDE AGENCIES IN

TO LOOK AT TO SEE

IF THEY WERE RELATED,

EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A BLACK

FEMALE AND A WHITE FEMALE.

WE ARE GOING TO SOLVE THIS,

AND THIS PERSON OR PERSONS

WILL BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.

Narrator:

BUT JUST TWO MONTHS LATER,

HURRICANES KATRINA AND RITA

RIP THROUGH LOUISIANA.

Cormier: IN AUGUST OF 2005,

HURRICANE KATRINA

HIT IN NEW ORLEANS,

AND A LOT OF PEOPLE

FROM THAT AREA EVACUATED.

ONE OF THE PLACES

THEY CAME WAS HERE, IN JENNINGS.

THAT TOOK A TOLL

ON LAW ENFORCEMENT

AND FIRST RESPONDERS TO DEAL

WITH THAT EMERGENCY SITUATION

AND TRY TO TAKE CARE

OF THOSE PEOPLE.

NOW, OBVIOUSLY, A HOMICIDE IS

A VERY HIGH-PRIORITY

INVESTIGATION,

BUT WHEN WE HAVE TO RESPOND

TO IMMEDIATE SITUATIONS

AS LAW ENFORCEMENT,

FIRST RESPONDERS,

SOMETIMES INVESTIGATIONS

HAVE TO WAIT

UNTIL WE GET EVERYBODY TAKEN

CARE OF AND SECURE AND SAFE,

AND THEN WE GO BACK

TO DOING INVESTIGATIONS.

Narrator: IN DECEMBER 2005,

SIX MONTHS

AFTER ERNESTINE'S MURDER,

INVESTIGATORS

FINALLY GET A BREAK

WHEN WITNESSES POINT THEM

TO TWO SUSPECTS,

LAWRENCE NIXON AND HIS FRIEND

BYRON CHAD JONES.

I DON'T KNOW BYRON CHAD JONES.

LAWRENCE NIXON WENT TO SCHOOL

WITH TAYLOR,

SO I KNEW LAWRENCE NIXON.

HE WAS ACTUALLY

AN EXTREMELY AWESOME

FOOTBALL PLAYER

IN JENNINGS HIGH,

PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST

THAT THEY EVER HAD.

SO THERE WEREN'T

TOO MANY PEOPLE OUT HERE

WHO DIDN'T KNOW WHO HE WAS.

Narrator: WITNESSES TELL POLICE

THEY SAW NIXON AND JONES

PARTYING WITH ERNESTINE

THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED

AND THAT THINGS

MAY HAVE TURNED VIOLENT.

THEY SAY JONES AND NIXON

WERE SEEN LATER

THAT NIGHT COVERED IN BLOOD

THEN MOVING A LARGE AND HEAVY

TRASH BAG FROM NIXON'S PORCH

INTO THE TRUCK

OF A WHITE CAR.

Cormier:

I CAN'T GET INTO SPECIFICS.

JUST THERE WAS ENOUGH

INFORMATION

THROUGH THE INVESTIGATION

THAT WE WERE ABLE TO OBTAIN

WARRANTS ON LAWRENCE NIXON

AND BYRON CHAD JONES,

AND THEN THEY WERE

INDICTED IN 2006.

Narrator:

BOTH MEN PLEAD NOT GUILTY,

BUT THE CASE SUFFERS A SETBACK

WHEN FORENSIC TESTING

OF NIXON'S PORCH

FAILS TO FIND

ANY EVIDENCE OF BLOOD

AND THEN A STUNNING REVERSAL.

Cormier: THERE WAS A WITNESS

THAT RECANTED HIS STATEMENT,

HAD A DIFFERENT STATEMENT

TO SOME DEGREE,

HAD DIFFERENT INFORMATION,

SO THEN IT, YOU KNOW,

IT CREATES A LEGAL ISSUE

BECAUSE YOU'RE TRYING

TO DETERMINE,

"OKAY, WELL, WHICH STATEMENT

IS THE ACCURATE STATEMENT?"

Narrator: UNRELIABLE WITNESSES

AND A LACK OF EVIDENCE

RESULTS IN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY

DROPPING THE CHARGES

FOR ERNESTINE'S MURDER.

IN LOUISIANA, THE DISTRICT

ATTORNEY PROSECUTES A CASE

WHEN HE BELIEVES THAT

THE EVIDENCE SUBMITTED INDICATES

THAT HE CAN PROVE THAT CASE

BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT.

Lewis: THE TWO WERE HELD IN JAIL

FOR SEVERAL MONTHS

BEFORE THE CHARGES WERE

DISMISSED WITHOUT PREJUDICE,

SO THAT IF MORE INFORMATION

CAME FORTH LATER,

THEY COULD BE RE-ARRESTED.

YOU KNOW, WE GET THAT A LOT

IN EVERY INVESTIGATION.

"WELL, I KNOW WHO DID IT."

WELL, SOMETIMES,

WE KNOW WHO DID IT, TOO,

BUT THE D.A. WON'T BE ABLE

TO PROVE

THEY DID IT BASED

ON WHAT WE HAVE,

SO IT KIND OF COMES

TO AN IMPASSE.

Narrator: WITH THE INVESTIGATION

BACK TO SQUARE ONE,

ERNESTINE'S FAMILY

AND LOCAL RESIDENTS

ARE LEFT FRUSTRATED AND ANGRY.

Jessica: I KNOW THEY SAY

THEY'RE ARRESTING THEM,

BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE

NO EVIDENCE, NO PROOF.

THEY LET THEM GO.

NO EVIDENCE, NO NOTHING,

NO TRACE.

Narrator: AS THE MONTHS PASS

WITHOUT ANY NEW INFORMATION,

THE TOWN SETTLES BACK INTO THE

EASY RHYTHMS OF SOUTHERN LIFE,

THEN ALMOST TWO YEARS LATER,

THE HORROR CONTINUES.

I REMEMBER FINDING OUT

THAT THE POLICE

WERE PULLING A BODY

OUT OF THE WATER.

Narrator:

IT'S BEEN 21 MONTHS

SINCE THE BRUTAL MURDER

OF ERNESTINE PATTERSON

AND THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH

OF LORETTA LEWIS.

THE SMALL TOWN OF JENNINGS

HAS TRIED TO MOVE ON,

BUT ANOTHER DEVASTATING

DISCOVERY MAKES IT CLEAR

THAT THE NIGHTMARE IS NOT OVER.

Reporter #6:

THE BODY OF 21-YEAR-OLD

KRISTEN ELIZABETH GARY LOPEZ

WAS FOUND IN THE PETITJEAN CANAL

SOUTH OF WELSH.

Narrator: KRISTEN LOPEZ HAS BEEN

MISSING FOR 12 DAYS

WHEN HER BODY IS FOUND FACEDOWN

IN A CANAL IN A SECLUDED AREA

ABOUT 14 MILES SOUTH

OF JENNINGS.

Cormier: THE FIRST TWO CASES

HAPPENED IN 2005,

AND THEN YOU GO THROUGH,

YOU KNOW, SOME TIME.

2006, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY CASES,

AND THEN THIRD VICTIM,

KRISTEN GARY LOPEZ COMES UP,

AND, ONCE AGAIN,

IT'S A FEMALE FOUND IN WATER.

Lewis:

THERE WERE SUCH CLOSE TIES

BETWEEN THE WAYS

THE BODIES WERE FOUND,

IN BODIES OF WATER,

IT WAS KIND OF LIKE,

"WOW, THAT'S REALLY MESSED UP."

Narrator:

KRISTEN IS COMPLETELY NUDE

EXCEPT FOR A WHITE SOCK

ON HER RIGHT FOOT.

AS WITH LORETTA,

HER BODY IS TOO DECOMPOSED

TO DETERMINE

HER CAUSE OF DEATH,

BUT TOXICOLOGY SHOWS SHE ALSO

HAD DRUGS IN HER SYSTEM.

Jones: SHE HAD BEEN MISSING

FOR SO LONG.

THE CONDITION HER BODY

WAS IN WAS NOT A SECRET.

WE LIVE IN LOUISIANA,

SO OUR WEATHER CONDITIONS

INTENSIFY THAT,

AND WHERE HER BODY WAS,

THERE WAS ALLIGATORS.

SHE WAS MY BABY.

Jones: I FELT SORRY FOR HER MOM.

AS A MOTHER, YOU NEVER WANT

TO BURY YOUR CHILDREN,

AND YOU NEVER WANT

YOUR CHILDREN TO SUFFER.

OH, I WAKE UP WITH HER

ON MY MIND.

I GO TO BED WITH HER ON MY MIND.

SHE'S MY LIFE.

I MEAN, SHE'S GONE,

AND I HAVE NO CLOSURE,

NO ANSWERS.

IT'S JUST HARD, I MEAN.

Jones:

SHE WAS A VERY SWEET GIRL.

SHE WAS A SOCIAL BUTTERFLY.

SHE WAS EVERYWHERE, AND SHE

CAME FROM A VERY GOOD FAMILY,

AND SHE WAS VERY LOVED,

AND SHE SHOWED IT.

SHE WAS... YOU COULD TELL.

SHE WAS GENUINELY A GOOD FRIEND

TO EVERYBODY SHE CAME

IN CONTACT WITH.

Narrator: HANNAH CONNER WAS ONE

OF KRISTEN'S CLOSEST FRIENDS,

A WOMAN SHE CONSIDERED FAMILY.

KRISTEN WAS...

SHE WAS A REAL SWEET PERSON.

SHE WAS A REAL...

ALWAYS A KID AT HEART, YOU KNOW,

SO IT REALLY BROKE US

WHEN WE FOUND OUT

THAT SOMEBODY

HAD DONE THAT TO HER.

SHE WAS THROWN AWAY, YOU KNOW,

JUST LIKE SHE WAS NOTHING,

JUST THROWN AWAY

TO BE EATEN ON.

IT WAS JUST HORRIBLE.

SORRY.

KRISTEN ALWAYS HAD

THIS INNOCENCE ABOUT HER.

SHE WASN'T OUT TO GET NOBODY.

SHE WASN'T OUT TO HURT NOBODY.

SHE WAS A GREAT PERSON.

MY DAD AND HER DAD WERE REAL

GOOD FRIENDS GROWING UP.

KRISTEN'S MOM, WHO I VIEWED

AS AN AUNT,

THEY WERE JUST PART OF OUR

LITTLE FAMILY UNIT, YOU KNOW.

Narrator: PART OF THIS FAMILY

UNIT INCLUDED

HANNAH'S FATHER, BILLY CONNER,

AND HIS HALF-BROTHER,

FRANKIE RICHARD,

THE SAME FRANKIE RICHARD

WHO ALSO KNEW THE FIRST VICTIM,

LORETTA LEWIS.

Conner: WE ALWAYS HAD BIG,

MASSIVE BIRTHDAY PARTIES.

MY GRANDMA WOULD BARBECUE.

WE'D HAVE, LIKE, A MILLION KIDS

IN THE BACKYARD PLAYING TAG.

WE'D DO RELAY RACES.

WE'D JUST RUN AROUND WITH

BALLOONS IN BETWEEN OUR LEGS

AND TRY TO SEE

WHO COULD GET THE FURTHEST.

WE HAD A BLAST.

WE HAD A GREAT FAMILY-ORIENTED

TIME, YOU KNOW.

Narrator:

BUT DESPITE THE GOOD TIMES,

MEMBERS OF BOTH FAMILIES

WERE BATTLING ADDICTION.

Conner:

IT WAS PRETTY WELL-KNOWN

THAT SHE WAS REALLY BAD

ON DRUGS.

WE PRETTY MUCH ALL WERE.

IT'S JUST WHAT WE WERE

SURROUNDED BY.

THAT'S WHAT WE KNEW.

YOU KNOW, WE SEEN

OUR PARENTS DO DRUGS.

ALL OF OUR FRIENDS

ENDED UP TURNING TO DRUGS, TOO.

Narrator: AND EVERYONE'S

FAVORITE PLACE TO PARTY

WAS BILLY CONNER'S CAMPER

PARKED NEXT

TO FRANKIE RICHARD'S HOUSE.

Conner:

MY FATHER, HE WAS A GOOD MAN.

HIS PLACE WAS KIND OF

LIKE THE SAFE ZONE,

I ALWAYS FELT, AND I THINK A LOT

OF THE GIRLS FELT THAT WAY.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF GIRLS THAT

WENT AND VISITED WITH MY DAD

AND PARTIED WITH MY DAD,

THAT'S WHERE THEY WENT.

Narrator: KRISTEN WAS OFTEN SEEN

AT BILLY'S TRAILER,

BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE

SHE WAS HEADING

THE LAST TIME HANNAH SAW HER.

Conner:

THE LAST TIME I HAD SEEN HER,

SHE ASKED ME FOR A RIDE

TO HER FRIEND'S HOUSE.

SHE ALWAYS NEEDED A RIDE OR

NEEDED TO BORROW SOME CLOTHES,

YOU KNOW,

OR JUST SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SHE GOT IN A VAN.

I REMEMBER HER TELLING ME

SHE HAD JUST GOT

BEATEN UP RECENTLY.

SOMEONE HAD ACTUALLY BEAT HER UP

WITH A PAIR OF BRASS KNUCKLES,

AND SHE PICKED UP HER SHIRT,

AND SHE HAD BRUISES

ON HER CHEST, ON HER BELLY.

AND THEN I DROPPED HER OFF,

AND THAT WAS THE LAST

I'VE SEEN OF HER.

Interviewer: DID SHE SAY WHY

SOMEBODY HAD BEATEN HER UP?

THEY CAUGHT HER STEALING.

THEY CAUGHT HER STEALING SOME

MONEY OR SOMETHING FROM THEM.

DID SHE TELL YOU

WHO IT WAS?

NO.

Narrator: SHORTLY AFTER HANNAH

LAST SAW HER,

KRISTEN'S PARENTS FILE

A MISSING PERSONS REPORT.

Conner:

HER MOM HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR HER

AND HADN'T BEEN ABLE

TO FIND HER.

I WAS JUST THINKING HER MOM

MIGHT HAVE

JUST BEEN BEING

A LITTLE PARANOID

BECAUSE OF THE OTHER GIRLS

THAT HAD COME UP MISSING.

I, YOU KNOW, I REALLY

JUST THOUGHT

SHE WAS JUST

ON A BENDER SOMEWHERE.

YOU KNOW, IT WAS NOTHING UNUSUAL

FOR HER

TO BE MISSING

FOR A COUPLE DAYS, YOU KNOW.

MAYBE SHE HAD JUST LEFT TOWN,

MET SOME GUYS AND LEFT TOWN

WITH THEM AND WAS COMING BACK.

Narrator: THOUGH THE CORONER

CANNOT DETERMINE

THE CAUSE OF KRISTEN'S DEATH,

IT IS TREATED AS A HOMICIDE.

Cormier: ANY TIME YOU HAVE

A SUSPICIOUS DEATH

OR A DEATH THAT

YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH

OR YOU DON'T HAVE

CREDIBLE INFORMATION

TO DISCOUNT A HOMICIDE,

YOU'RE TRAINED TO WORK

EVERY DEATH AS A HOMICIDE.

Narrator: AND THE SIMILARITIES

BETWEEN THE WOMEN'S DEATHS

STOKE INCREASING ANXIETY

AMONG THE PEOPLE OF JENNINGS.

THE WAY THE BODIES ARE FOUND

AND THE WAY THERE'S

SO MANY SIMILARITIES,

IT STRIKES THE NORMAL PERSON AS

BEING A VERY ORGANIZED SYSTEM.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THEM

ARE FOUND IN SIMILAR MONTHS,

YOU KNOW, MARCH AND MAY.

THE CONDITIONS OF THE BODIES

WHEN THEY'RE FOUND,

THEY'RE ALL FOUND OUT

IN THE OPEN.

THEY'RE ALL FOUND OUT

IN THE OUTDOORS.

IT JUST HAS THOSE HALLMARKS

OF SOMETHING THAT'S VERY KIND

OF METICULOUS AND EVOLVING.

AT THAT POINT,

EVERYONE STARTED TO BELIEVE

THAT WE HAD AN ISSUE HERE.

SOMETHING IS WRONG.

THEY'RE BEING TARGETED.

THE COMMUNITY WAS

BASICALLY OUTRAGED.

Conner: THE WHOLE TOWN,

IT HAD A FEAR

AND PARANOIA FOR EVERYBODY.

I WAS TERRIFIED TO GO WALK

ANYWHERE ALONE AT NIGHT.

I WAS SCARED, YOU KNOW,

IF I'D SEEN THE SAME TRUCK

DRIVE BY ME MORE

THAN THREE TIMES

WHEN I'M WALKING DOWN THE ROAD.

I'D BE ON THE LOOKOUT.

Jones: THEY HAD NEVER SEEN

ANYTHING LIKE THIS

BEFORE OUT HERE.

WE HAD NEVER HAD

THIS MANY MURDERS

IN SUCH A SHORT

PERIOD OF TIME.

Conner: NOT ONLY WERE YOU SCARED

OF THESE STRANGE MEN

DRIVING AROUND TOWN,

YOU ALSO HAD A FEAR

OF TRUSTING ANYBODY.

Narrator: WITH THREE WOMEN FOUND

DEAD IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS,

THE SMALL TOWN OF JENNINGS

IS IN THE GRIP OF RISING PANIC.

TWO MONTHS AFTER

KRISTEN LOPEZ'S BODY

IS DUMPED

IN THE PETITJEAN CANAL,

NEWS OF ANOTHER

TERRIBLE DISCOVERY

SPREADS THROUGH THE TOWN.

Reporter #3: WHAT INVESTIGATORS

FOUND AT THE INTERSECTION

OF BOBBY AND EARL DUHON ROAD

IS THE BODY OF A WOMAN.

Narrator: ON MAY 12, 2007,

POLICE VISIT

THE DUBOIS FAMILY HOME

TO TELL THEM THAT 26-YEAR-OLD

WHITNEI DUBOIS

HAS BEEN FOUND NAKED,

DEAD AND DUMPED.

SHE IS THE FOURTH VICTIM,

BUT THE SITE

WHERE SHE WAS DUMPED

IS NOTABLY DIFFERENT

FROM THE OTHER WOMEN.

Cormier:

SHE WAS FOUND ON A ROADWAY.

THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT

THAN THE OTHER VICTIMS.

IT'S THE FIRST VICTIM

THAT ACTUALLY PUT IN MORE

OF A PUBLIC PLACE

WHERE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY,

THERE'S MORE CHANCE

OF THE BODY BEING FOUND,

ESPECIALLY QUICKER

THAN IT WOULD BE

IF YOU PUT IT IN A WATERWAY

LIKE THE OTHERS WERE.

AS AN INVESTIGATOR, YOU START

TRYING TO DETERMINE

IS THERE ANY MEANING TO THAT?

WE DEFINITELY KNEW THAT WE HAD

SOME KIND OF ANOMALY HERE

THAT WAS HAPPENING,

AND WE SCRAMBLED TO TRY TO

PUT ALL THE PIECES TOGETHER.

Narrator: WHITNEI'S BODY

WAS FOUND

ABOUT 5 MILES OUTSIDE JENNINGS

AND CLOSE TO WHERE THE PREVIOUS

THREE VICTIMS WERE FOUND.

I THINK THIS WAS MORE CONFIDENT

ON THE KILLER'S PART,

THAT HE FELT VERY COMFORTABLE IN

WHAT HE WAS DOING AT THE TIME.

Narrator: WHILE INVESTIGATORS

WORK TO ESTABLISH

THE POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS

BETWEEN THE CASES,

WHITNEI'S FAMILY

TAKES THE INITIATIVE,

TRYING TO PUT

THE PUZZLE PIECES TOGETHER.

WE STARTED DIGGING FOR

OUR OWN INFORMATION

PROBABLY

ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.

IMMEDIATELY, YEAH.

WE WERE KIND OF ABLE TO PUT

A SERIES OF EVENTS TOGETHER.

BETWEEN WEDNESDAY

AND THURSDAY,

ABOUT MIDNIGHT,

SHE WENT

TO MY GRANDMOTHER'S,

AND SHE WAS HUNGRY.

MY GRANDMA FED HER.

SHE WANTED TO STAY THERE

AND SPEND THE NIGHT,

BUT MY GRANDMA

TOLD WHITNEI

THAT SHE COULDN'T SPEND

THE NIGHT THERE,

AND HER AND MY GRANDMOTHER

HAD AN ARGUMENT,

AND SHE LEFT WALKING.

HER NEXT STOP WAS BILLY

AND FRANKIE'S HOUSE.

THE WAY THAT LOCATION

IS SET UP

IS FRANKIE

AND BILLY'S MOM

LIVES IN THE HOUSE

RIGHT THERE IN FRONT,

AND THEN IN THE BACK

BEHIND THE DRIVEWAY

IS A SMALL CAMPER,

AND THAT'S WHERE

BILLY CONNER LIVES.

BILLY WAS A NICE GUY.

BILLY WAS A VERY

KIND-HEARTED MAN,

SO I'M PRETTY SURE

WHITNEI KNEW

THAT SHE COULD GO

TO BILLY'S,

AND SHE HAD A PLACE

TO LAY HER HEAD

AT LEAST FOR THE NIGHT.

I'M ASSUMING SHE WAS LOOKING

FOR DRUGS AS WELL,

AND BILLY WAS THE GO-TO.

JUST LIKE LORETTA,

ERNESTINE AND KRISTEN,

WHITNEI WAS STRUGGLING

WITH DRUG ADDICTION.

Taylor: I KNEW THAT SHE DABBLED

WITH THE PILLS,

AND I KNEW THAT

SHE SMOKED MARIJUANA,

BUT IT WASN'T

AN EVERYDAY THING,

LIKE,

IT WASN'T A "GOT TO HAVE."

WHEN SHE HAD BEYONCE,

SHE HAD A C-SECTION,

AN EMERGENCY C-SECTION.

HER INCISION AT THE END

HAD STARTED TO GET RED,

AND SHE WAS

IN A LOT OF PAIN.

I REMEMBER TAKING HER TO THE

DOCTOR, AND HE LOOKED AT IT,

AND HE SAID, "I THINK

IT'S GETTING INFECTED."

SHE WAS PRESCRIBED

PAIN MEDICINE THEN.

IT GOT TO THE POINT

WHERE SHE DIDN'T START HER DAY,

AND SHE DIDN'T FUNCTION,

WITHOUT SOME MEDICINE.

THAT'S PROBABLY WHEN I KNEW

SHE HAD A PROBLEM.

WHITNEI DISTANCED HERSELF

A LOT FROM US

AFTER SHE GOT REALLY HEAVY

INTO THE DRUGS BECAUSE...

I THINK...

...SHE WAS ASHAMED.

...IN HER WORLD,

SHE MAY HAVE NOT BEEN HAPPY,

BUT SHE KIND OF PORTRAYED

TO US...

YEAH.

...THAT SHE WAS SO THAT

WE WOULDN'T...

I KNOW THE LAST TIME

I SAW HER...

...QUESTION OR...

...SHE WAS VERY HAPPY.

HER AND HER BOYFRIEND

HAD PLANS TO BUY A HOUSE,

GET OFF THE DRUGS,

AND BASICALLY,

IN THEIR MIND,

THEY HAD A HAPPILY-EVER-AFTER

PICTURE PLANNED.

BUT HAPPILY EVER AFTER

NEVER CAME.

ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTER BRITTNEY

SAW HER,

WHITNEI DUBOIS IS FOUND DEAD.

AS WITH LORETTA AND KRISTEN,

FRANKIE RICHARD IS

ONE OF THE LAST PEOPLE

TO SEE WHITNEI ALIVE.

I MET WHITNEI RIGHT HERE

IN THE DRIVEWAY.

SHE WAS GOING

TO MY BROTHER'S CAMPER,

HAD A FRIEND THAT WAS

SITTING RIGHT HERE WITH ME.

ME AND MY FRIEND LEFT.

WE WENT DOWN HERE,

DOWN THE ROAD WHERE HE STAYED,

AND WHEN WE GOT BACK

RIGHT HERE,

WHITNEY WAS OVER THERE

BY THE STOP SIGN,

RIGHT OVER THERE

BY HOBART AND McKINLEY,

AND THAT WAS THE LAST TIME

I SEEN WHITNEI.

THAT'S THE STORY

THAT I'VE ALWAYS HEARD,

THAT SHE WENT

TO THE CAMPER

AND THEN DISAPPEARED

INTO THIN AIR,

AND THEN TWO DAYS LATER,

SHE'S ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

WITH NO CLOTHES ON.

AND THAT'S WHERE

THE PROBLEM LIES.

THERE'S BIG PATCHES

MISSING IN BETWEEN.

I DON'T KNOW WHO DONE IT.

I WISH I DID KNOW,

BUT I DON'T KNOW.

FRANKIE HAS ALWAYS BEEN

A NO-GOOD CREEP TO ME.

I'VE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING

GOOD ABOUT HIM.

I'VE NEVER SEEN HIM

DO ANYTHING GOOD.

I LIKED BILLY.

I ALWAYS DID.

I SPOKE TO BILLY

AFTER WHITNEI DIED.

BILLY CRIED, AND HE TOLD ME,

"I WOULD NEVER HURT YOUR SISTER.

I WOULD NEVER DO THAT.

I LOVED YOUR GRANDPARENTS.

I WOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING

TO HURT THEM,"

AND HE SEEMED SINCERE.

Narrator:

BILLY CONNER DIED IN 2014

WITHOUT SHEDDING

ANY FURTHER LIGHT

ON WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT.

WHITNEI'S DEATH RAMPS UP

THE PRESSURE ON LAW ENFORCEMENT

EVEN HIGHER TO PROTECT

THE WOMEN OF JENNINGS

AND MAKE AN ARREST.

IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT

YOU WOULD THINK

THAT WOULD HAPPEN IN A

SMALL COMMUNITY LIKE JENNINGS.

IT HAS CAUSED CONCERN.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS NUMBER FOUR.

THIS IS SOMETHING

THAT'S GOING ON.

WE NEED TO KEEP OUR EYES

OPEN MORE.

WE NEED TO KNOW

WHAT'S GOING ON.

Narrator: THREE DAYS AFTER

WHITNEI'S BODY IS DISCOVERED,

POLICE FINALLY GET A BREAK

IN THE KRISTEN LOPEZ CASE.

Reporter: THIS IS A "7 NEWS"

SPECIAL REPORT.

WE'RE BLESSED THAT SOMEBODY

HAS COME FORWARD.

Peck: JEFF DAVIS PARISH

SHERIFF RICKY EDWARDS

SAYS A TIP FROM INFORMANTS

GAVE INVESTIGATORS

ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO ARREST

TWO PEOPLE WITH LOPEZ'S MURDER.

Narrator: ONE OF THOSE ARRESTED

IS NO SURPRISE

TO THE SOUTH JENNINGS COMMUNITY.

IT'S FRANKIE RICHARD,

WHO IS ALREADY IN JAIL

ON AN UNRELATED CHARGE.

MR. RICHARD

WAS INCARCERATED MONDAY

ON A RAPE THAT HAD OCCURRED

EARLIER THAT DAY.

Narrator:

BUT THE OTHER ARREST COMES

AS A SHOCK TO THE COMMUNITY

AND THE SUSPECT HERSELF.

Peck: 22-YEAR-OLD HANNAH CONNER

WAS ARRESTED THIS MORNING

IN VERMILION PARISH.

I HEARD KRISTEN WAS MISSING,

SO I CONTACTED THE POLICE.

I THOUGHT I WAS TRYING

TO HELP THE SITUATION,

BEING THIS IS MY FRIEND,

YOU KNOW?

THIS IS SOMEBODY

I WAS CLOSE WITH,

AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW,

I AM BEING ARRESTED

FOR MURDER OF KRISTEN.

AFTER THAT, IT'S JUST A BLUR.

MY EMOTIONS WERE EVERYWHERE.

Narrator: THE POLICE INFORMANT

IS TRACEE CHAISSON,

KRISTEN'S GIRLFRIEND

AT THE TIME OF HER DEATH.

Peck:

THE STATEMENT OF TRACEE CHAISSON

TURNED THE EYES OF INVESTIGATORS

TOWARD FRANKIE

AND HIS NIECE, HANNAH CONNER.

WHILE BOTH FACE

SECOND-DEGREE MURDER CHARGES

FOR LOPEZ'S DEATH,

THEY'RE ALSO BEING INVESTIGATED

FOR POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT

IN THE DEATHS

OF LORETTA LYNN CHAISSON,

ERNESTINE PATTERSON,

AND WHITNEI DUBOIS,

WHOSE BODY

WAS FOUND SATURDAY.

Chaisson:

LORETTA WAS MY FIRST COUSIN.

KRISTEN WAS MY GIRLFRIEND,

AND THE REST OF THEM,

I KNEW FROM THE STREETS.

Conner:

TRACEE CHAISSON, YEAH,

WE HUNG OUT

IN SOME OF THE SAME CIRCLES,

SAME CIRCLES BEING MY DAD,

FRANKIE, KRISTEN.

YOU KNOW, WE KNEW

SOME OF THE SAME PEOPLE.

HER AND KRISTEN,

I THINK, AT ONE POINT,

WERE ACTUALLY AN ITEM,

BUT AS FAR AS BEING FRIENDS,

I CAN'T SAY

WE WERE EVER CLOSE ENOUGH

TO BE, LIKE, FRIENDS AND BUDDIES

AND HANGING OUT.

I REALLY COULDN'T TELL YOU

ANYTHING PERSONAL ABOUT HER,

YOU KNOW?

Narrator:

ON THE DAY OF HER ARREST,

JENNINGS POLICE BRING HANNAH

INTO THE INTERROGATION ROOM.

Conner: THEY TOOK ME INTO

THE INTERROGATION ROOM.

I DON'T KNOW

HOW LONG I WAS THERE.

THEY STARTED

ASKING ME QUESTIONS,

BOMBARDING ME

WITH QUESTIONS,

YOU KNOW, TIME LINE THIS,

TIME LINE THAT.

I WAS TERRIFIED.

HERE I AM.

I'M A YOUNG KID, EARLY 20s,

BUT I WAS DOING DRUGS,

AND I WAS PARTYING, YOU KNOW?

AND I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN

DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT,

BUT THE POSSIBILITY

OF NEVER GETTING OUT?

THAT'S WHAT WAS TERRIFYING,

JUST A LOT OF WORRY,

A LOT OF STRESS.

THEY ASKED, "WHO DID KRISTEN

HANG OUT WITH?"

THEY WERE ASKING ME

WHAT WAS THE LAST TIME

I SEEN HER.

HOW CLOSE WERE WE?

AND THEY KEPT ASKING ME

OVER AND OVER AND OVER

IF I WAS SCARED OF FRANKIE.

THEY WERE WILLING

TO DROP MY SENTENCE

FROM SECOND-DEGREE MURDER

TO A FIVE-YEAR

MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE

IF I TOLD THEM

THAT FRANKIE WAS INVOLVED.

YOU KNOW, I WAS THERE,

AND FRANKIE DID IT.

Narrator:

HANNAH CLAIMS SHE HAS AN ALIBI

ON THE NIGHT

KRISTEN WENT MISSING.

Conner: THE NIGHT IN QUESTION,

I WAS ACTUALLY THROWING

A BIRTHDAY PARTY AT MY HOUSE.

ME, MY BROTHER,

MY MOM, MY GRANDMA,

AND EVERYBODY DRINKING

AND HAVING A BLAST, YOU KNOW?

Narrator:

BUT TRACEE TELLS POLICE

A VERY DIFFERENT STORY.

TRACEE CHAISSON HAD SAID THAT...

TRACEE SAID THAT FRANKIE,

CONNIE, ME, TRACEE, AND KRISTEN

WERE ALL RIDING AROUND

GETTING HIGH TOGETHER.

FRANKIE AND KRISTEN

START FIGHTING,

AND FRANKIE BEAT KRISTEN UP.

HE HADN'T KILLED HER.

TRACEE WAS SCREAMING,

"NO, STOP!"

YOU KNOW, WHATEVER... LIKE,

SHE DIDN'T WANT THIS TO OCCUR,

AND I HELD KRISTEN UNDERWATER

AND, YOU KNOW, FINISHED HER OFF,

BUT, YEAH,

THAT WAS HER STORY.

THAT'S JUST WHAT

THE POLICE TOLD ME.

THEY BELIEVE THAT I WAS THERE

AND WHAT TRACEE SAID WAS TRUE,

BUT THEY WERE TELLING ME,

THERE'S NO REASON

FOR TRACEE TO BE LYING.

YOU KNOW, WHY WOULD

SOMEBODY LIE ON YOU

THIS BAD OF A LIE,

YOU KNOW?

THERE'S GOT TO BE

SOME KIND OF TRUTH IN IT.

DO... YOU KNOW?

THEY REALLY THOUGHT THAT

I WAS JUST PROTECTING FRANKIE,

I BELIEVE.

Narrator:

LIKE HANNAH, FRANKIE RICHARD

HAD A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP

WITH KRISTEN AND HER FAMILY.

Peck:

JUST BEFORE HER DISAPPEARANCE,

KRISTEN,

ALONG WITH TRACEE CHAISSON

AND A WOMAN NAMED CONNIE SILER,

VISITED UNCLE FRANKIE

IN HIS ROOM

AT THE JENNINGS BUDGET INN,

WHERE HE WAS STAYING.

Narrator:

FRANKIE ADMITS HE SAW KRISTEN

WITH TRACEE AND CONNIE

IN THE HOURS LEADING UP

TO HER DISAPPEARANCE.

YOU KNOW?

AND, YOU KNOW...

Reporter: LAST WEEK,

THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT

ARRESTED FRANKIE RICHARD

FOR SECOND-DEGREE MURDER.

WITNESSES SAY

THE 52-YEAR-OLD WAS SEEN

WITH THREE OF THE FOUR GIRLS

SHORTLY BEFORE THEY DIED.

HE IS INVOLVED IN THE LAST

DAYS OF THEIR LIVES.

NOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

I'M STILL NOT SURE, BUT THAT'S

WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO INVESTIGATE

AND FIND OUT.

Reporter: ...WHERE A NEW POLL

SHOWS POSSIBLE

REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL

CANDIDATE MIKE HUCKABEE

COULD CHALLENGE

PRESIDENT OBAMA.

FRANKIE RICHARD...

HIS NAME SEEMS TO BE

ON EVERYBODY'S LIPS.

ANYWHERE YOU GO,

"YOU NEED TO TALK

TO FRANKIE RICHARD.

WE THINK HE'S INVOLVED."

WELL, WE GOT IN TOUCH

WITH FRANKIE RICHARD.

FRANKIE, YOUR NAME

KEEPS COMING UP

FOR WHATEVER REASON

IN THIS INVESTIGATION,

AND SOME PEOPLE

WOULD CALL YOU A SUSPECT.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE

TO SAY ABOUT THAT?

I THINK

IT'S CRAZY, YOU KNOW?

I KNEW ALL THE GIRLS.

EVERY LAST ONE OF THESE GIRLS,

I'VE GOTTEN HIGH WITH.

Woman: I MEAN,

ARE YOU A CRACK ADDICT?

AM I A CRACK ADDICT?

I'VE SMOKED CRACK

FOR 20 YEARS.

NOW, WAS THEY HOOKED

ON CRACK?

YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SAY

THEY WAS HOOKED ON CRACK,

BUT WE ALL GOT HIGH.

Peck:

I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT OUT

OF ALL THE INTERVIEWS WE DID,

HIS WAS PROBABLY

THE MOST TELLING,

AND HE WAS THE MOST HONEST

AND THE MOST DIRECT.

HE ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS FROM,

DID HE DO DRUGS WITH THE GIRLS?

DID HE KNOW THE GIRLS?

DID HE SLEEP WITH THE GIRLS?

- NO.

HAVE YOU EVER HAD SEX

WITH ANY OF THESE GIRLS?

YES, I HAVE.

HOW MANY OF THEM?

UH...[ SIGHS ]

ALMOST ALL OF THEM.

Peck:

ON THE SURFACE, IT SEEMS LIKE

HE DOESN'T HAVE A LOT TO HIDE,

BUT YOU CAN'T DENY

THAT PEOPLE WOULD SAY,

"YEAH. HE'S INVOLVED,"

'CAUSE HE KNEW

EVERY ONE OF THESE GIRLS,

SOME OF WHICH HE SAW

DURING THE FINAL HOURS

BEFORE THEY WERE...

THEIR BODIES WERE DISCOVERED.

SO, YOU CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER.

DO I THINK HE DID IT?

I DON'T KNOW.

Narrator: POLICE HAVE ARRESTED

FRANKIE RICHARD

AND HANNAH CONNER

AFTER INFORMANT

TRACEE CHAISSON

ALLEGES THEY KILLED

HER GIRLFRIEND, KRISTEN LOPEZ,

BUT 10 DAYS AFTER THE ARRESTS,

THE CASE TAKES A DRAMATIC TURN.

I WAS RELEASED BECAUSE

TRACEE RECANTED HER STATEMENT

AND SAID THAT

SHE LIED ABOUT EVERYTHING

THAT SHE HAD SAID WAS DONE.

I PUT FRANKIE RICHARD

AND HANNAH CONNER IN JAIL

FOR ABOUT A WEEK,

AND I COULDN'T LIVE WITH MYSELF,

SO AND I WENT BACK

AND TOLD THEM THAT I LIED.

I MADE UP A STORY

SO THE JENNINGS POLICE WOULD...

JENNINGS DETECTIVES

WOULD LEAVE ME ALONE.

SHE GAVE AN INTERVIEW

SAYING THAT SHE MADE

SOME MISLEADING STATEMENTS,

BUT THE DETAILS OF IT,

I DON'T WANT TO DISCLOSE

'CAUSE IT'S STILL ONGOING.

ANYTIME YOU HAVE ANY WITNESS

THAT CHANGES THEIR STATEMENT,

THAT ALWAYS CAUSES ISSUES.

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE

WHICH INFORMATION IS ACCURATE?

AND THAT'S WHAT'S FRUSTRATING.

Narrator:

TRACEE CHAISSON IS CHARGED

WITH ACCESSORY AFTER THE FACT,

BUT THE CHARGE IS LATER DROPPED.

NO CHARGES ARE BROUGHT

AGAINST CONNIE SILER.

HANNAH CONNER

IS RELEASED FROM JAIL

AFTER TRACEE

RECANTS HER STATEMENT,

BUT FRANKIE REMAINS INCARCERATED

UNTIL THE RAPE CHARGE

IS DROPPED,

AND INVESTIGATORS ARE LEFT

WITH NO CLEAR PATH TO THE TRUTH.

THE TRUTH IS, I KNOW NOTHING.

I DON'T KNOW NOTHING.

THE TRUTH IS, I DON'T...

I DON'T KNOW WHO IT IS.

Narrator:

BUT FRANKIE SAYS THAT SOMETIME

AFTER KRISTEN WAS KILLED,

TRACEE CAME TO HIM

WITH A SHOCKING CONFESSION

ABOUT WHO REALLY KILLED KRISTEN.

YOU KNOW?

I'M TRULY SORRY FOR

WHAT I SAID AND WHAT I DID,

BUT IF I KNEW SOMETHING...

I'D LOVE TO SIT DOWN

AND TALK TO TRACEE.

WHY WOULD SHE EVEN GIVE A STORY

ABOUT HERSELF BEING THERE

IF SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO?

TO ME, IT DOESN'T

MAKE ANY SENSE.

WAS SHE THERE?

I WONDER ABOUT THAT

ALL THE TIME.

Jones:

I NEVER SAW TRACEE AS A MURDERER

OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT,

BUT I DID KNOW THAT TRACEE

HAD A HISTORY OF DRUG ABUSE

AND HAD BEEN IN AND OUT OF JAIL

AND HAD SEEN AND DONE

A WHOLE LOT IN HER LIFETIME.

GET THE [BLEEP] OUT MY FACE,

AND DON'T COME BACK.

Narrator:

EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE BEEN

CLEARED OF THE CHARGES,

SUSPICIONS ABOUT

HANNAH AND FRANKIE

STILL RUN HIGH IN JENNINGS.

I WAS NEVER THE SAME

AFTER THAT, YOU KNOW?

I COULDN'T GO INTO TOWN AND...

[EXHALES SHARPLY]

...WITHOUT HAVING THIS FEELING

OF DREAD AROUND ME, YOU KNOW?

I KNEW EVERYBODY LOOKED AT ME AS

A MURDERER FROM THAT POINT ON.

I MOVED AWAY FROM JENNINGS.

STILL TO THIS DAY,

I CAN'T EVEN GO IN THAT TOWN.

JENNINGS IS NOT A HAPPY PLACE

FOR ME ANYMORE.

Caiman: WE'VE LOST FRIENDS,

I MEAN, EVERYTHING.

MY LITTLE SISTER WAS CRYING

IN SCHOOL BEHIND IT STILL

BECAUSE GIRLS WERE SAYING

THAT MY DADDY WAS A KILLER

AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

SO WHAT THE PUBLIC, AND

WHAT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND

IS WHEN THEY SAY,

"OH, FRANKIE KILLED THEM GIRLS,"

OR...

BUT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND.

IT DOESN'T AFFECT HIM.

IT AFFECTS OUR LIVES.

IT AFFECTS THE WAY WE LIVE.

THAT REALLY AFFECTED ME,

YOU KNOW?

IT REALLY, REALLY, REALLY HURT.

YOUR FATHER IS GETTING ACCUSED

OF KILLING SOMEBODY.

HOW DO YOU TAKE THAT AS A KID?

YOU KNOW, LIKE, DO YOU BELIEVE

THAT HE ACTUALLY DID IT?

IS HE CAPABLE OF IT?

YOU KNOW, LIKE, IS THIS

SOMETHING THAT HE REALLY

COULD'VE HAD SOMETHING

TO DO WITH?

LIKE, NOBODY WANTS TO EVEN HEAR

THAT ABOUT THEIR FATHER.

I REMEMBER BEING IN SIXTH GRADE

AND THE KIDS PICKING ON ME

ABOUT MY DAD

SUPPOSEDLY BEING A KILLER,

AND I REMEMBER FIGHTING

AND GETTING KICKED OUT OF SCHOOL

FROM SIXTH GRADE

THROUGH NINTH, EACH YEAR.

YOU ALL RIGHT?

YEAH.

WE DIDN'T KNOW NO BETTER.

WE DIDN'T DO NOTHING,

BUT WE WAS BEING TARGETED

BECAUSE OF WHO OUR FATHER WAS

AND BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE

HE WAS INVOLVED WITH.

Caiman:

ONE THING I ALWAYS REMEMBER,

EVERY TIME I'D ASKED HIM

IF HE'D EVER KILLED SOMEBODY,

HE WOULD TELL ME,

"SON, THERE'S SECRETS

A MAN SHOULD TAKE

TO HIS GRAVE WITH HIM,

AND LATER ON IN LIFE,

YOU'LL LEARN

WHAT I MEAN BY THAT."

Lauren: HOPEFULLY, ONE DAY

IF HE DOES SPEAK ABOUT IT,

I WISH HE WOULD, JUST TO GIVE

SOME KIND OF JUSTICE

TO THESE GIRLS, I MEAN,

'CAUSE THEY DIDN'T DESERVE IT.

THAT'S MY DADDY, AND I LOVE HIM.

DO I BELIEVE HE DONE IT?

NO.

DO I BELIEVE HE KNOWS SOMETHING?

YES, I DO.

EVERYBODY KNOWS SOMETHING.

NOBODY WANTS TO TALK.

[ TRACK BELL RINGING ]

[ OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYS ]

Narrator: IT'S BEEN A YEAR SINCE

THE MYSTERIOUS DEATHS

OF WHITNEI DUBOIS

AND KRISTEN LOPEZ

AND THREE YEARS

FOR ERNESTINE PATTERSON

AND LORETTA LEWIS.

FOUR WOMEN FOUND DUMPED

IN THE SMALL TOWN

OF JENNINGS, LOUISIANA,

AND POLICE ARE STILL

NO CLOSER TO FINDING ANSWERS.

WE HAVE SOMEBODY OUT HERE

THAT IS KILLING THESE WOMEN.

WE HAD NEVER

HAD THIS MANY MURDERS

IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

Narrator:

THEN ON MAY 29, 2008,

THE NEWS

EVERYONE HAS BEEN DREADING.

[ OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYS ]

Peck:

A ROUTINE PATROL DOWN RACCA ROAD

TURNS UP A GRUESOME DISCOVERY

EARLY THURSDAY MORNING

BY JENNINGS POLICE.

Officer: WE GOT APPROXIMATELY

A MILE DOWN THE ROAD

AND DISCOVERED THE BODY

OF A BLACK FEMALE

WHO HAS NOT YET BEEN IDENTIFIED

LAYING IN THE MIDDLE

OF THE ROAD.

Peck: AUTHORITIES SAY

THEY HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE

SHE WAS MURDERED ELSEWHERE

AND DUMPED HERE,

WHERE SHE WAS FOUND

PARTIALLY NUDE AROUND 3:00 A.M.

Narrator:

THE NEXT DAY, OFFICIALS

RELEASE THE NAME OF THE VICTIM.

LACONIA BROWN,

ALSO KNOWN AS MUGGY,

WAS 23 YEARS OLD

AND LIVED IN JENNINGS

WITH HER GRANDMOTHER

AND YOUNG SON.

YOU WANT

TO GO SEE HER?

Bessie: THAT NIGHT,

WE WAS HAVING A GOOD TIME,

AND WE WAS BARBECUING.

SHE LEFT ABOUT 12:30.

I SAID, "LACONIA,

WHERE YOU GOING?"

SHE SAID, "MAMA, I'M GOING TO

A BIRTHDAY PARTY AT THE DAW,"

AND SHE SAID, "I'LL BE BACK."

SHE GOT ON HER KNEES.

SHE KISSED JAHEIM,

AND SHE KISSED ME.

SHE SAID, "MAMA, I LOVE YOU,"

AND SHE SAY, "I WANT YOU

TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

AND TAKE CARE OF JAHEIM."

SO I SAID,

"GIRL, YOU BETTER BE HERE,"

AND SHE SAID,

"YES, MA'AM, MAMA.

I'M-A BE HERE MYSELF,"

AND SHE LEFT,

AND SHE NEVER RETURNED

BACK HOME.

LACONIA BROWN,

ALSO KNOWN AS MUGGY...

THIS IS THE AREA

RIGHT HERE

IN WHICH SHE WAS FOUND.

FACING DOWN,

HEAD THIS WAY TO THE...

FACING NORTH.

SHE WAS FULLY CLOTHED,

NOT QUITE AS DECOMPOSED

AS THE OTHER ONES WERE,

BUT THERE WAS

SOME DECOMPOSITION ON HER.

Bessie: THEY FIND

THE BODY ON RACCA ROAD,

AND WHEN I WENT THERE TO GO SEE,

THE POLICEMAN TOLD ME,

"NO, YOU CAN'T GO BACK THERE."

THEY HAD BEAT HER SO BAD,

THEY WOULDN'T LET THE FAMILY

LOOK AT THE BODY,

BUT I STILL WANTED TO SEE.

Narrator:

AUTOPSY RESULTS REVEAL COCAINE

AND ALCOHOL IN HER SYSTEM,

AND SIMILAR

TO ERNESTINE PATTERSON,

LACONIA'S THROAT WAS SLIT.

INCISED WOUNDS TO THE NECK

WERE PART OF THE CAUSE OF DEATH.

Narrator:

SEVEN CUTS TO HER NECK AND THREE

CUTS BEHIND HER RIGHT EAR.

POLICE WONDER IF THEY'RE

STARTING TO SEE A PATTERN.

Cormier: ONCE AGAIN, YOU HAD

A FEMALE FOUND ON A ROADWAY.

THE VICTIMS WERE IN WATER,

AND NOW, THEY'RE ON A ROADWAY,

SO DOES THAT MEAN ANYTHING?

OR IS THAT JUST

WHAT THE PERSON...

THEY'RE TRYING TO BE

A COPYCAT-TYPE SITUATION,

OR IS THAT JUST WHAT

THEY CAME UP WITH, YOU KNOW?

BOTH OF THE BLACK FEMALE VICTIMS

HAD INCISED-TYPE WOUNDS,

AND SO DOES THAT MEAN

ANYTHING, YOU KNOW?

YOU DON'T KNOW.

IT'S JUST SOMETHING

YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT IT

AND KEEP IN MIND

WHEN YOU'RE GOING THROUGH

YOUR INVESTIGATION.

THE DISCOVERY OF THE LATEST BODY

COMES AS DISTURBING NEWS

TO THE FAMILY MEMBERS

OF THE OTHER MURDERED WOMEN.

THEY SAY THERE'S NO DOUBT

IN THEIR MINDS

THAT THE MURDERS

ARE SOMEHOW CONNECTED.

IT'S QUITE DISTURBING

FOR A SMALL TOWN LIKE THIS

TO HAVE THAT

MANY YOUNG WOMEN MURDERED.

THERE'S NO OTHER WORD

BUT MURDERED,

AND JUST DUMPED

LIKE THEY'RE NOBODIES.

Narrator:

TO HER FAMILY, LACONIA WAS MORE

THAN JUST THE FIFTH VICTIM.

SHE WAS A GRANDDAUGHTER,

MOTHER, AND SISTER.

Kindra: MUGGY, SHE WAS LOVING.

SHE WOULD BE THERE

TO COMB MY HAIR.

SHE WOULD BE THERE

TO RUN OUR BATHWATER.

SHE WOULD BE THERE

TO TIE OUR SHOE.

IF WE GET WHOOPED,

SHE WOULD BE THERE.

"OH, COME ON, MY SISTER.

YOUR SISTER LOVE YOU.

IT'S GONNA BE OKAY."

SHE ALWAYS WANTED US

TO BE HAPPY,

KEEP GOING, NEVER GIVE UP.

Bessie: I REALLY

MISS LACONIA A WHOLE LOTS.

I PRAY TO GOD, WHOEVER DONE IT

THAT THEY WOULD TELL US WHY.

Kindra: I'M NOT GONNA

GIVE UP ON MY SISTER.

I'M-A FIGHT 'TIL

I CAN'T FIGHT NO MORE.

I STILL LOVE HER, AND

I'M STILL GONNA PUSH THIS

UNTIL THE END,

UNTIL WE REALLY FIND OUT

WHO REALLY DID THIS TO HER.

THAT'S SOMEBODY'S CHILD.

YOU'D NEVER

TAKE NOBODY LIFE, NEVER.

Narrator:

AS LACONIA'S FAMILY GRIEVES,

ANOTHER LOCAL WOMAN SHARES

AN OMINOUS PREMONITION

WITH HER MOTHER.

SHE'S LIKE,

"WELL, WHAT IF I'M NEXT?

WHAT IF I AM

THE NEXT ONE MURDERED?"

AND SHE WAS.

Narrator: MAY 2008,

THE BODIES OF FIVE WOMEN

HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED

OVER THREE YEARS NEAR THE SMALL

LOUISIANA TOWN OF JENNINGS.

Reporter: LACONIA BROWN

IS THE FIFTH WOMAN

TO BE FOUND DEAD

IN THE RURAL AREA OF JENNINGS.

POLICE CHIEF JOHNNY LASSITER

SAYS THEY HAVEN'T DETERMINED

THE MOTIVE

OR A SUSPECT AT THIS TIME.

Lassiter: WE'RE FOLLOWING UP

WITH SEVERAL LEADS.

WE'RE KIND OF NARROWING

DOWN THE FIELD,

AND HOPEFULLY,

WE'LL SOON BE ABLE

TO NARROW IT DOWN TO ONE PERSON.

Narrator: JUST FOUR MONTHS

AFTER THE TERRIBLE DISCOVERY

OF LACONIA BROWN,

THE SMALL-TOWN POLICE FORCE

IS STRUGGLING

TO INVESTIGATE

THE FIVE SUSPICIOUS DEATHS

WHEN ANOTHER

HARROWING CALL COMES IN.

Edwards: I WAS COMING BACK

FROM LAKE CHARLES.

WE HAD HURRICANE IKE ON THE WAY

WHEN WE GOT THE REPORT

AND HEADED THIS WAY.

THERE WAS A LOT

OF DECOMPOSITION,

WHICH MADE IT

HARDER TO IDENTIFY.

HUNTERS WHO WERE COMING OUT HERE

TO DO SOME HUNTING

SMELLED SOMETHING REALLY BAD

AND REPORTED IT TO US.

I CAN SHOW YOU DOWN

IN THIS RAVINE, RIGHT IN HERE.

[ INSECTS CHIRPING ]

Cormier: THE BODY WAS FOUND

IN A WOODED AREA.

DOES THAT MEAN THAT THIS

IS TOTALLY SOMETHING DIFFERENT,

OR IS THIS SAME PERSON, PERSONS

JUST CHANGING THINGS UP

OR JUST A SEQUENCE OF EVENTS,

AND THAT'S HOW

THEY ENDED UP HAPPENING?

Narrator:

OFFICIALS SET UP A COMMAND POST

TO PROCESS THE CRIME SCENE.

Cormier: THAT WAS THE WORST CASE

OF DECOMPOSITION

OF ALL THE VICTIMS.

YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE DIFFERENT

LEVELS OF DECOMPOSITION,

AND THE MORE TIME AND THE MORE

A BODY IS EXPOSED TO ELEMENTS,

MORE AND MORE CHANGES OCCUR.

BASICALLY,

YOU'RE LOOKING AT A BODY

THAT WAS

A SKELETAL-TYPE REMAINS.

Narrator: MEANWHILE, SARAH

AND BRIAN BENOIT'S DAUGHTER

HAS BEEN MISSING

NEARLY TWO WEEKS,

BUT THAT WASN'T UNUSUAL

FOR 24-YEAR-OLD CRYSTAL.

WHEN WE MOVED TO JENNINGS,

SHE STARTED GETTING IN

WITH THE CROWDS

THAT WERE DOING THE DRUGS,

EVEN AS AN EIGHTH-GRADER

AND FRESHMAN.

THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE DOING.

THERE WAS A LOT OF PROSTITUTION

GOING ON AT THAT TIME ALSO,

AND THEN SHE DISAPPEARED

WITH THEM,

TWO WEEKS,

THREE WEEKS AT A TIME.

THE LAST PLACE

SHE WAS HEARD FROM WAS...

SHE WAS AT PHILLIPS 66

AND MADE A PHONE CALL

TO THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.

SUPPOSEDLY AT THAT TIME,

SHE WAS TRYING

TO SAY WHO WAS DOING IT

AND REALLY COULDN'T SAY

THE NAME, BUT SHE WAS SCARED.

AND THIS IS HER AND I IN

A BEDROOM OF THE GRANDMA'S HOUSE

WHEN SHE WAS A BABY,

AND THIS WAS

FROM HER 5th BIRTHDAY.

SHE LOVED BARBIES,

AND THIS IS HER

FOR HER FIRST COMMUNION.

SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BIPOLAR

AT THE AGE OF 12,

AND, YOU KNOW, SHE ALWAYS LOVED

EVERYONE ELSE BUT HERSELF,

AND SHE HAD BEEN

RUNNING AWAY FROM HOME

AND BEEN HANGING AROUND

THE SAME CROWD

THAT PRETTY MUCH

PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT TODAY

IN THESE INVESTIGATIONS,

AND SHE WOULD START DOING

THE DRUGS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

CRYSTAL HAD A VERY SECURE LIFE,

YOU KNOW?

SHE WAS ALWAYS WELCOME

TO BE HERE WITH US AS A FAMILY.

SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO BE OUT THERE.

SHE COULD'VE BEEN HERE,

BUT, YOU KNOW,

THE DRUGS JUST PULLS YOU AWAY

FROM YOUR FAMILY,

AND IT CONSUMES EVERYTHING.

WE KNOW SHE KNEW KRISTEN,

AND WE KNOW SHE KNEW LORETTA,

YOU KNOW,

AND SHE SAID SHE KNEW ERNESTINE.

SHE KNEW MUGGY.

SHE'S LIKE,

"WELL, WHAT IF I'M NEXT?"

"WHAT IF I AM THE NEXT

ONE MURDERED?"

Narrator: A WEEK AFTER

THE HEARTBREAKING DISCOVERY,

DENTAL RECORDS

FAIL TO IDENTIFY THE BODY.

SARAH AND BRIAN BENOIT

HOPE FOR THE BEST

BUT EXPECT THE WORST.

Sarah:

IN MY HEART, I KNEW, YES, BUT

I STILL WANTED THE CONFIRMATION.

BASICALLY, I SAT ON THIS CHAIR

AND WAITING FOR A RED TRUCK,

WHICH IS THE CORONER'S TRUCK,

TO TELL ME WHAT

THE DNA RESULTS WERE,

AND I'D JUST SIT HERE

DAY IN, DAY OUT,

AND I COULDN'T FUNCTION.

I COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ELSE.

I'D JUST SIT HERE AND WAIT.

Narrator:

AS THE BENOITS WAIT TO HEAR

IF THE UNIDENTIFIED BODY

IS THEIR DAUGHTER'S,

FRUSTRATION WITH

THE POLICE INVESTIGATION

MOTIVATES SEVERAL

OF THE VICTIMS' FAMILIES

TO HIRE A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR.

Menard: THE FAMILIES FELT

THAT AFTER THREE YEARS,

THE INVESTIGATION

WAS GOING SLOW.

THEY FELT LAW ENFORCEMENT

LACKED THE MANPOWER.

THEY KNEW THAT I HAD 30

INVESTIGATORS UNDER MY LICENSE

AS THIS IS ALL WE DO

AND FORMALLY RETAINED ME.

TWO DAYS LATER,

BRITTNEY GARY ENDS UP MISSING.

Narrator: ON NOVEMBER 2, 2008,

TWO MONTHS AFTER

THE UNIDENTIFIED BODY IS FOUND,

17-YEAR-OLD BRITTNEY GARY

DISAPPEARS.

BRITTNEY, A COUSIN OF

THE THIRD VICTIM, KRISTEN LOPEZ,

IS LAST SEEN

IN A JENNINGS DOLLAR STORE.

Reporter: A MISSING CHILD IS

ANY PARENT'S WORST NIGHTMARE,

AND TERESA GARY IS LIVING IT.

HER 17-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER,

BRITTNEY GARY, WENT MISSING.

SO FAR, CLUES ABOUT

HER DISAPPEARANCE

HAVE TURNED UP NOTHING.

Jones: WE KNEW IMMEDIATELY

BRITTNEY GARY WAS MISSING

BECAUSE SHE WAS A MINOR,

SO THAT HIT THE NEWS INSTANTLY.

IT WAS PRETTY MUCH...

IF THEY DON'T FIND HER SOON,

THEN SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED.

Narrator:

KIRK MENARD AND HIS ASSOCIATES

JOIN THE SEARCH

FOR THE MISSING TEEN.

LET'S GET THIS UNDER CONTROL,

PREVENT A KILLING.

THEN LET'S LOOK

FOR WHO'S DONE THIS.

Reporter: PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR

KIRK MENARD SAYS

AT THIS POINT

IN THE INVESTIGATION,

HE AND HIS ASSOCIATES

HAVE TO ASSUME THE WORST.

I WENT OUT WITH MENARD

AND HIS TEAM THURSDAY EVENING

AS THEY SEARCHED FOR BRITTNEY

IN THE RURAL AREAS

WHERE THE OTHER WOMEN

HAVE BEEN FOUND DEAD.

WE WANT CLOSURE.

THE VICTIMS' FAMILIES

WANT CLOSURE,

AND THAT'S WHAT

WE'RE WORKING ON.

Reporter: AS FAR AS TERESA GARY,

SHE SAYS SHE WON'T STOP

UNTIL HER DAUGHTER IS FOUND.

I KNOW THAT MY CHILD IS ALIVE

OUT THERE SOMEWHERE.

I KNOW THIS, AND I'M NOT

GONNA GIVE UP HOPE.

I KNOW SHE IS.

Narrator: TWO FAMILIES WAIT.

TWO FAMILIES HOPE

THAT THEIR DAUGHTER

IS NOT THE NEXT VICTIM.

[ WHISTLE BLOWS,

INDISTINCT SHOUTING ]

[ MARCHING BAND PLAYS ]

[ WHISTLE BLOWING ]

WE WERE AT A FOOTBALL GAME

ON MY HUSBAND'S BIRTHDAY...

[ MARCHING BAND CONTINUES,

WHISTLING CONTINUES ]

...AND WE'D SEEN

THE CORONER WALKING UP,

AND HE'S GOT TO CROSS

ALL THESE PEOPLE TO GET TO US,

AND EVERYBODY ELSE

STARING AT HIM,

FOR HIM TO COME TO TELL US

THAT IT'S OUR DAUGHTER.

[ DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS ]

[ INDISTINCT SHOUTING,

WHISTLE BLOWS ]

MY KIDS WAS THERE

WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL BAND,

AND WE HAD TO LEAVE, AND

I HAD TO LEAVE MY KIDS THERE.

COULD'VE WAITED 'TIL

WE GOT HOME, YOU KNOW?

Narrator:

THE DNA RESULTS CONFIRM

THE BENOITS' WORST FEARS.

THE BODY FOUND BY THE HUNTERS

IS THEIR DAUGHTER'S...

CRYSTAL BENOIT ZENO.

BUT THE STATE OF HER BODY MAKES

IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE CORONER

TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF DEATH.

[ INSECTS CHIRPING ]

Cormier: ONCE YOU HAVE

DECOMP OR, YOU KNOW,

ANY KIND OF ANIMAL ACTIVITY

OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT,

YOU NOW HAVE INTRODUCED

OTHER THINGS

INTO THE MEDICAL STANDPOINT.

WAS THIS CAUSED BY A PERSON,

OR WAS THIS

BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER,

THE DECOMP,

OR SOME ANIMAL ACTIVITY?

Reporter: HOW MUCH HEARTACHE

CAN ONE COMMUNITY STAND?

LESS THAN FOUR MONTHS

AFTER MUGGY'S DEATH,

ANOTHER FAMILY GOES THROUGH

THE SAME DEEP SORROW.

WE PUT THE DATE OF HER BURIAL,

WHICH IS THE DATE THAT WE FELT

THAT SHE WAS LAID TO REST

AND AT PEACE.

Brian: IT'S BEEN ROUGH,

VERY, VERY ROUGH

BECAUSE WHEN SOMETHING

HAPPENS TO SOMEBODY ELSE,

YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE YOU

RELIVE IT AGAIN, YOU KNOW?

IT'S JUST BEEN HARD, AND...

I'M ANGRY, YOU KNOW?

AND I HAVE EVERY RIGHT

TO BE ANGRY,

BUT I HAVE TO TRY

TO HOLD MY PEACE WITH GOD.

IT'S JUST THAT

THERE'S SOMEBODY OUT THERE

THAT'S REAL SICK

THAT'S DOING THIS,

AND I THINK THEY NEED GOD

IN THEIR LIFE.

Narrator: AS THE SIXTH VICTIM

IS LAID TO REST,

17-YEAR-OLD

BRITTNEY GARY'S FAMILY

CONTINUES

THEIR DESPERATE SEARCH.

SIX WOMEN HAVE BEEN

FOUND DEAD NEAR JENNINGS,

AND TONIGHT,

THE SEARCH CONTINUES

FOR A MISSING TEENAGER.

Reporter: BRITTNEY GARY

HAS BEEN MISSING

FOR MORE THAN

10 DAYS NOW.

SHE WAS LAST SEEN BUYING MINUTES

FOR HER CELLPHONE

AT THE JENNINGS

FAMILY DOLLAR STORE.

BRITTNEY WAS RELATED

TO ONE OF THE WOMEN

FOUND DEAD

IN JEFF DAVIS PARISH

AND WAS FRIENDS

WITH OTHER VICTIMS.

Teresa: I MADE A PROMISE

THAT I WOULD FIND HER,

AND I WOULD NOT STOP

UNTIL I DID,

AND I'M NOT GONNA STOP.

MY DAUGHTER

WILL NOT BE NUMBER SEVEN.

I'M NOT GONNA LET THAT HAPPEN.

[ CRYING ]

Narrator: IT'S NOVEMBER 2008.

SIX WOMEN HAVE BEEN FOUND DEAD,

DUMPED ON THE RURAL ROADS

AND IN THE CANALS

AROUND JENNINGS, LOUISIANA.

ALL OF THE DEATHS

ARE SUSPICIOUS...

...AND MANY IN THIS SMALL

SOUTHERN TOWN FEAR

THAT THE DEATHS ARE CONNECTED.

THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON.

WE EITHER HAVE A SERIAL DUMPER.

WE COULD HAVE A SERIAL KILLER,

BUT AT THIS POINT,

WE ONLY HAVE THREE

OF OUR SIX VICTIMS

THAT HAVE ACTUALLY

BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A HOMICIDE.

Reporter: WHAT WOULD BE

A SERIAL DUMPER?

COULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT?

WELL, I REALLY DON'T KNOW

THAT'S THE TERMINOLOGY.

I GUESS WE'RE MAKING UP.

COULD BE THE SAME PERSON

THAT IS INVOLVED WITH THEM

GETTING OVERDOSED

AND JUST DUMPING

THEIR BODY SOMEWHERE ELSE.

RICKY EDWARDS SAID,

"WE MAY HAVE A SERIAL DUMPER,"

SO THE GIRLS OVERDOSED,

AND THEN SOMEBODY

IS DUMPING THE BODIES.

I THINK THAT'S A...

THE STUPIDEST THING

THEY COULD EVER SAY.

OVERDOSE IS JUST A COP-OUT,

IN MY OPINION.

I THINK IT'S JUST SOMETHING

THAT, "OH, WELL,

IT WAS JUST A BUNCH

OF DRUG ADDICTS WHO OVERDOSED."

LIKE, YOU KNOW,

PICK THIS RUG UP,

SWEEP IT UNDER THERE,

AND THEN WE'LL CALL IT A DAY.

THE CONNOTATION OF BEING DUMPED,

OF SOMEBODY WHO WAS JUST...

NOBODY HAD USE FOR ANYMORE,

JUST THROWN AWAY

AND JUST DISCARDED

TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD...

THAT'S HORRIBLE.

Narrator: NOW, THE GARY FAMILY

PRAYS THEIR DAUGHTER

HASN'T SUFFERED THE SAME FATE.

Reporter: 17-YEAR-OLD

BRITTNEY GARY IS LAST SEEN

ON SURVEILLANCE VIDEO

AT A STORE.

HER MOTHER, TERESA GARY,

PLEADS FOR ANYONE WITH

INFORMATION TO COME FORWARD.

SO I'M ASKING ANYONE OUT THERE,

IF YOU HAVE SEEN BRITTNEY,

PLEASE, I'M BEGGING YOU.

PLEASE CALL ME.

Lauren:

I WAS ABOUT 11 WHEN I MET HER.

HER MOM AND MY DADDY

WERE FRIENDS,

AND THEY DID DRUGS TOGETHER.

HER MOTHER AND HER MOVED

INTO MY UNCLE BILLY'S CAMPER,

AND FROM THERE,

IT BECAME, LIKE, A SISTERHOOD.

SHE WOULD WEAR MY CLOTHES.

SHE WOULD TAKE BATHS.

SHE WOULD EAT WITH US.

WE WOULD PLAY GAMES,

DO ALL THINGS THAT GIRLS DO,

GOSSIP, YOU KNOW?

SHE WAS LIKE A BIG SISTER.

WE COULD TALK TO EACH OTHER

ABOUT ANYTHING,

NO MATTER WHAT IT WAS,

PROBLEMS, SECRETS,

IT DIDN'T MATTER.

EVEN MY DRUG PROBLEM.

I USED TO SNORT POWDER.

WHEN I STOPPED

SNORTING POWDER...

WHEN ME AND MY HUSBAND

GOT A DIVORCE,

AND I MOVED TO FLORIDA,

I STOPPED SNORTING POWDER,

AND THAT'S WHENEVER

I TRIED CRACK COCAINE.

YEP.

THROUGHOUT THE YEARS,

IT'S BEEN AN ON-AND-OFF THING

FOR A GOOD WHILE.

Narrator:

LIKE HER MOTHER, BRITTNEY ALSO

STRUGGLED WITH DRUG ADDICTION.

Velvet: THE AVERAGE TEENAGER

STARTS SMOKING WEED,

WANTS TO DRINK EARLY,

WANTS TO SMOKE CIGARETTES,

YOU KNOW,

AND WANTS TO FIT IN,

AND I THINK THAT'S

WHERE IT ALL STARTED.

Teresa:

WHEN MY DAUGHTER WENT MISSING

ON NOVEMBER THE 2nd,

I TOLD HER ALL DAY, "NO,"

SHE COULDN'T WALK

TO THE DOLLAR STORE.

WHY DID I DECIDE TO LET HER GO?

HOW DO YOU NOT LET YOUR DAUGHTER

WALK FIVE BLOCKS

AND GET HER SOME MINUTES

AT THE DOLLAR STORE

IN BROAD DAYLIGHT?

YOU'VE BEEN TELLING HER, "NO,"

ALL DAY, YOU KNOW?

YOU'VE BEEN WORKING AND CLEANING

THE HOUSE ALL DAY LONG, AND...

...SHE WANTED TO GO GET

HER MINUTES FOR HER PHONE,

AND SHE WAS DONE,

AND THE STORE WAS ABOUT TO CLOSE

IN ABOUT 30 MINUTES.

SO, WHEN SHE LEFT TO GO

TO THAT DOLLAR STORE

TO PUT HER MINUTES ON HER PHONE,

AND SHE DID NOT ANSWER

THAT PHONE WHEN I CALLED HER,

SOMETHING WAS WRONG.

IT'S A MOTHER'S INSTINCT.

SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT.

Lauren:

THE LAST TIME I SAW BRITTNEY,

SHE WAS WALKING UP THE ROAD,

AND SHE WAS CRYING,

AND I ASKED HER WHAT WAS WRONG,

WHY WAS SHE CRYING.

AND SHE SAID IT WAS A DISPUTE

SHE HAD BETWEEN HER AND HER MOM.

THEY WAS ARGUING. WHATEVER.

SHE JUST WANTED TO GET AWAY

FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

I ASKED IF I COULD

GO WALK WITH HER.

SHE TOLD ME, "NO."

SHE WANTED TO BE ALONE.

SO I TOLD HER, "ALL RIGHT."

SHE SAID, "I'M GOING TO GET

A PHONE CARD. I'M COMING BACK."

MY AND MY LITTLE COUSIN ALI

WAS SITTING ON THE PORCH

AT THIS TIME.

SO WE TOLD HER, "ALL RIGHT."

BRITTNEY NEVER CAME BACK.

Schiering: THIS WEEKEND,

IT WILL BE TWO WEEKS

SINCE BRITTNEY GARY

WENT MISSING.

PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS SAY

THEY BELIEVE HER DISAPPEARANCE

IS LINKED TO THE DEATHS

OF SIX WOMEN

BECAUSE OF HER PREVIOUS

HIGH-RISK LIFESTYLE.

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS MAP.

EACH OF THE WOMEN WERE LEFT

IN RURAL JEFF DAVIS PARISH.

IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING,

YOU ARE URGED TO CALL

LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES

ABOUT THE DEAD WOMEN

AND THE MISSING TEEN.

"3 ON THE STREET" TONIGHT,

MEGAN SCHIERING, KATC TV...

Teresa: I GOT OUT THERE

EVERY DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY,

EVENING, NIGHT,

ALL HOURS OF THE NIGHT.

NO ONE FORMED A SEARCH PARTY.

I DID THAT.

HER SISTER, AUNTS, UNCLES,

BROTHERS, SISTER,

THE COMMUNITY, AND MY FAMILY.

Reporter: PEOPLE FROM ACROSS

THE FIVE-PARISH AREA

TEAMED UP ON HORSEBACK,

FOUR-WHEELERS AND ON FOOT,

SEARCHING JEFF DAVIS PARISH

FOR 17-YEAR-OLD BRITTNEY GARY.

WE LOOKED FOR SEVERAL DAYS.

I CAN REMEMBER

BEING IN THE VEHICLE

WITH MY NANNY,

MY OTHER COUSIN, AND HER MAMA.

WE'D ALL BE THERE

LOOKING FOR HER,

AND THEN I REMEMBER

WHEN THEY GOT THE PHONE CALL.

[ OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYS ]

Reporter:

IT BEGAN AS A DAY OF HOPE

BUT ENDED

WITH A GRUESOME DISCOVERY.

SATURDAY, A BODY WAS FOUND

OFF HIGHWAY 1126

ON KEYSTONE ROAD NEAR ROANOKE.

WE DO BELIEVE THAT

THIS IS THE IDENTITY THAT,

THAT BRITTNEY IS THIS PERSON.

Reporter: AUTHORITIES DO REPORT

TATTOOS ON THE BODY

ARE A MATCH

OF THOSE OF BRITTNEY GARY.

Narrator:

WITH THE NEAR CERTAINTY

THAT THE REMAINS DISCOVERED

ARE BRITTNEY'S,

THE SEARCH IS CALLED OFF.

Reporter: HER UNCLE

OFFERED A TEARFUL THANKS

TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE

WHO HELPED SEARCH FOR HIS NIECE.

I JUST WANT TO LET Y'ALL KNOW

HOW MUCH WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE

WHAT YOU'VE COME OUT

AND DONE FOR US,

AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SHE WAS LIKE THIS,

AND FROM WHAT YOU COULD SEE,

THERE WAS BLOOD AROUND HER.

HER CLOTHES IS RIPPED UP.

YEAH, I SAW IT.

I CAN REMEMBER IT

LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY.

I SAW IT, AND MY NANNY MADE ME

GET BACK IN THE VEHICLE

BEFORE THEY FLIPPED

HER BODY OVER.

THEY TOLD ME THAT WHEN

THEY FLIPPED HER OVER,

HER FACE WASN'T THERE NO MORE.

IT'S KIND OF TRAUMATIZING

'CAUSE, LIKE,

WHEN YOU SEE

SOMETHING LIKE THAT, LIKE,

I SEEN MY FRIEND LAID OUT DEAD.

DEAD.

SHE WAS A BEAUTIFUL PERSON.

SHE DIDN'T DESERVE

WHAT HAPPENED TO HER AT ALL,

AND I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND.

LIKE, WHY HER?

Reporter: JUST 17 YEARS OLD,

BRITTNEY IS THE YOUNGEST

ON A GROWING LIST OF VICTIMS

FOUND DEAD IN JEFF DAVIS PARISH

OVER THE PAST 3 1/2 YEARS.

AS INVESTIGATORS PRESS FORWARD

ON THIS UNSOLVED MYSTERY,

ANSWERS HAVE BEEN HARD

TO COME BY FOR THIS SMALL TOWN.

Velvet: I HAVE THIS...

I CALL IT MY BEANIE BOX.

AND THIS... I DON'T HAVE

ANY OF HER BELONGINGS,

BUT I HAVE STUFF FROM

HER FUNERAL LIKE A ROSE,

ANGEL WINGS.

THIS IS ONE OF THE DOVES,

A ROSE, CANDLES.

SHE HAD A CLOSED CASKET,

SO THIS WAS THE INSIDE OF IT.

I TOOK A PICTURE OF THAT,

HER AND HER 1st BIRTHDAY PARTY.

THIS IS ALL WE HAVE, YOU KNOW,

IS MEMORIES AND PICTURES.

OUR LIVES WILL NEVER

BE THE SAME.

I WAS...

17 YEARS OF MY LIFE,

IT WAS SPENT RIGHT NEXT

TO HER, YOU KNOW?

AND SHE'S GONE.

I'LL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN.

I'LL NEVER HAVE ANOTHER FRIEND

LIKE THAT, NEVER.

SHE WAS MY BEST FRIEND.

NO ONE CAN REPLACE HER,

TAKE HER PLACE.

NOTHING IN THIS WORLD CAN MEAN

TO ME WHAT SHE MEANT TO ME.

Narrator:

WITH BRITTNEY'S DEATH,

THE COMMUNITY'S

GROWING FRUSTRATION

AT THE POLICE'S LACK OF PROGRESS

OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS

BOILS OVER TO OUTRAGE.

Woman:

THAT'S RIGHT.

I WANT JUSTICE,

AND I'M GONNA GET IT.

I DON'T CARE IF IT TAKES ME

'TIL I DRAW MY LAST BREATH.

I'M GONNA GET IT

[CHUCKLES]

BECAUSE I WAS CHEATED,

AND SO WAS SHE.

Man: CHRIST, JESUS,

YOU WILL WATCH OVER HER

UNTIL THE END OF TIME.

WE SAY, "ASHES TO ASHES,

DUST TO DUST."

RETURN YE NOW BACK

TO THE LORD...

Narrator: NEXT TIME,

IN THE DRAMATIC CONCLUSION

OF "DEATH IN THE BAYOU,"

THE BODY COUNT

CONTINUES TO RISE.

Caiman: IT JUST SEEMED LIKE

EVERY TIME YOU TURNED AROUND,

IT WAS, LIKE,

ANOTHER GIRL, ANOTHER GIRL.

Reporter:

ANOTHER WOMAN REPORTED MISSING

IN JEFF DAVIS PARISH.

Narrator: AS POLICE SCRAMBLE

TO PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER...

YOU HAVE ALL ASKED WHETHER

OR NOT THIS IS A SERIAL KILLER.

Kindra: Y'ALL NEED TO GET

TO THE BOTTOM LINE OF THIS

BEFORE SOMETHING HAPPEN AGAIN.

Man: THIS IS THE SOUTH SIDE

OF THEM TRACKS.

YOU COME ACROSS THIS SIDE,

THEY DON'T WANT TO DO

A [BLEEP] DAMN THING.

Narrator:

MEANWHILE, FAMILY MEMBERS

CONTINUE THEIR HUNT

FOR THE TRUTH.

Woman: THERE WAS SOME ARGUMENT

IN THE TRUCK

AS TO, WAS IT A DEER,

OR WAS IT A BODY?

ANYBODY IN THEIR RIGHT MIND

COULD TELL THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN A DEAD DEER

AND A DEAD BODY.

BUT IN A TOWN FULL OF SECRETS,

CAN ANYONE BE TRUSTED?

Man #2: EVERYBODY POINTS

THE FINGER AT EVERYBODY,

AND YOU JUST END UP

NOT KNOWING WHO TO BELIEVE.

SHE SAID,

"IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ME,

IT'S THE POLICE."

THEY WOULD BE GLAD TO PIN IT

ON ANYBODY THEY COULD.

I DON'T KNOW

WHO IS PROTECTING FRANKIE,

BUT HE'S DOING SOMETHING

VERY SIGNIFICANT FOR SOMEONE.

SOMEBODY IS HIDING

A MONSTER HERE.

Dark Minds (2012) - full transcript