STORM2K

Sheriff Suspects Serial Killer

May 14, 2007 06:22 PM MDT

(KATC) JEFF DAVIS PARISH - The Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff believes he has a serial killer on his hands. Just this weekend, detectives found 26-year-old Whitnei Dubois dead and naked in the middle of Bobby Road just SouthEast of Jennings.
KATC's David D'Aquin is investigating this story. He has the latest from Jeff Davis Parish. This is Earl Duhon road in rural Jeff Davis Parish, and this is Bobby Road. We're just outside the Jennings city limits. You can see it's a gravel road where police say they found the body of 26-year old Whitnei Dubois.

A passerby saw Dubois lying naked in the road and called the sheriff's office. There's not heavy traffic on the road, but farmers and residents use it daily. Detectives are trying to figure out how she died. The Jeff Davis Parish Coroner has worked with officials from Calcasieu Parish to conduct an intitial autopsy, but results are still pending. "There's no visible signs on the body at this point," explains Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff Ricky Edwards. Edwards doesn't believe dubois was killed on Bobby Road. He explains, "She didn't die there, and she didn't just die at that point. She had been dead for a while."

Dubois is the fourth woman found in Jeff Davis Parish in the last two years. All had similar lifestyles. Edwards explains, "They're all from Jennings. All involved in drug activity, and probably knew each other. We feel certain they hung around the same crowd."

In addition to dubois, detectives believe the killer targeted Kristin Lopez, along with 28-year-old Loretta Lynn Chaisson Lewis, and 30-year-old Ernestine Daniel Patterson. Edwards says all were trading sex for drugs. This is the fourth similar killing of a woman in two years in Jeff Davis Parish. The sheriff's office is working with the FBI to try and track down who they believe is a serial killer.

The Acadia Parish Sheriff says one of his unsolved murders could be connected as well. Acadia Parish officials are still trying to solve the 2003 murder of Linda Jackson. She was found dead in a rural area. Right now, Acadia detectives are in talks with detectives from Jeff Davis and the FBI to determine if Jackson's death may be related to the four unsolved Jeff Davis murders.

Acadia Parish Sheriff Wayne Melancon says it's still too early to know for sure, but specialists from the FBI are aiding them with the investigation.

Anyone with information that would help detectives connect the dots in these unsolved murders should call the Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff's Office at 337-824-3850.