In May 2005, the first of the eight women known as the “Jeff Davis Eight” was discovered. A fisherman, assuming he had come across a mannequin while casting his line near the Grand Marais Canal bridge, quickly realized the grim reality when he noticed flies swarming around the body. The victim was identified through fingerprints as 28-year-old Loretta Lynn Chaisson Lewis, a local sex worker. However, her death would mark the beginning of an unsettling pattern, as seven more women would be murdered in similar circumstances over the next four years: Ernestine Marie Daniels Patterson, 30; Kristen Gary Lopez, 21; Whitnei Dubois, 26; Laconia “Muggy” Brown, 23; Crystal Shay Benoit Zeno, 24; Brittney Gary, 17; and Necole Guillory, 26.
Authorities have struggled to establish whether these murders point to a serial killer. The victims shared striking similarities—youth, ties to sex work, drug addiction, and connections to suspicious individuals. Many had reportedly voiced concerns about their safety, claiming to have information about previous murders, often leading to their tragic demise.
By December 2008, after the deaths of seven women, a task force of federal, state, and local agencies was initiated to investigate the case, openly suggesting that a serial killer was at large. This attracted significant media attention, especially when journalist Ethan Brown began his own inquiry in 2012, which resulted in a book and a Showtime docuseries titled “Murder in the Bayou” in 2019. Despite Brown’s efforts, the killer remains at large three years post-documentary.
Brown’s investigation casts doubt on the theory of a single serial killer, revealing systemic misconduct and corruption within local law enforcement—those tasked with solving these crimes. “It should have been obvious all along that these deaths were not the handiwork of a serial killer,” Brown argued in a 2014 article, noting that the victims were closely acquainted with one another.
The connections among the victims run deep. Kristen Gary Lopez and Brittney Gary were cousins, and Brittney had once shared a home with Crystal Benoit. Most had ties to a notorious local pimp, Frankie Richard, who was briefly charged in connection to one of the murders but saw the charges dropped due to conflicting witness statements and mishandled evidence.
What’s particularly disturbing is the pattern of these women providing law enforcement with information about other murders, only to become victims themselves. Brown’s findings revealed that all eight were informants in local drug activities, which raises the question of possible police involvement.
Local residents have pointed fingers at law enforcement, with some alleging that officers themselves were responsible for at least some of the killings. Necole Guillory, the final victim, reportedly expressed to her mother that the police were behind the murders. On the eve of her 27th birthday, she ominously shared, “It doesn’t matter—I’m not gonna be here.”
The Jennings Police Department and the Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office have long been known for corruption, with numerous officers involved in illegal activities ranging from drug trafficking to misconduct. Despite a long history of scandal, the unresolved murders of these women continue to haunt the community.
In 2020, the Promise of Justice Initiative called for a federal inquiry into the long-standing issues within local law enforcement, highlighting the dangerous incompetence present in the area. The current chief deputy dismissed the calls for accountability, stating that those involved in the past no longer serve.
The murders of the Jeff Davis Eight remain unsolved, underscoring the harsh reality that these women, despite their struggles with sex work and addiction, deserved justice. Their lives were valuable, yet it seems that law enforcement has treated them as mere collateral damage in a system rife with corruption.
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In summary, the Jeff Davis Eight’s tragic story is not just about unsolved murders but also reflects the systemic issues within law enforcement that have led to a culture of corruption and negligence. These women’s lives mattered, and the demand for justice continues.