Police Find a Body — Then Six More in the Same Town

A fisherman found a woman's body in a Louisiana canal, and her death was not classified as a homicide. Four years later, seven more women from the same small town were found dead. Did the initial decision to look away give a killer permission to continue?

In this episode, we analyze the disturbing series of deaths of eight women in and around Jennings, Louisiana, between 2005 and 2009. We explore the initial official response to the first death and how it set a precedent for a community already grappling with vulnerability. Why did authorities fail to connect these cases sooner?

Case: The Jennings Eight
Location: Jennings, Louisiana
First Discovery: May 20, 2005
Total Victims: Eight women
Key Detail: First death not classified as homicide

- On May 20, 2005, Jerry Jackson found Loretta Chasson's body in a Louisiana canal; she was 28 years old.
- Loretta Chasson's death was officially listed as indeterminate, despite blood noted beneath her scalp.
- Ernestine Patterson, 30, was found weeks later with cuts on her throat and defensive wounds, and her death was classified as a homicide.
- Between May 2005 and summer 2009, eight women were found dead in and around Jennings, all connected to drug use and sex work.
- A witness named Jamie reported finding Whitney Duah's body, but his account of seeing her from half a mile away was physically impossible.

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