Jeff Davis 8

Truer Crime

Jeff Davis 8

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Between 2005 and 2009, eight women were murdered in Louisiana’s Jefferson Davis Parish. To this day, all eight murders remain unsolved. It’s a story that drew the attention of New Orleans private investigator and author Ethan Brown, who uncovered a pattern of police misconduct, scandal, and investigative failures. In today’s episode, we explore the mysteries of this small town, where the pursuit of justice has been thwarted at every turn, leaving a trail of frustration and unanswered questions.

Please be aware that today’s episode contains brief mentions of sexual assault and physical violence.
A full transcript of this episode is available here.

“The “Jennings 8” victims. (FBI).”

“Jennings, a small town in Jefferson Davis Parish, is the setting for ‘Murder in the Bayou.’ Courtesy of SHOWTIME.”

“A newspaper article about a second woman’s body mysteriously turning up in a canal in Jennings. Courtesy of SHOWTIME.”

“Whitnei Dubois in high school. (The Whitney Dubois Family).”

“Ethan Brown, author of ‘Murder in the Bayou.’ Contributed photo by Tammy Mercure.”

“Kristen Lopez’s Memorial Cross at the site where her body was found. (ID).”

“Downtown Jennings, a southwest Louisiana town with a population of about 10,000. Courtesy of SHOWTIME.”

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Action Items Related to Today’s Episode:

Because a number of the Jeff Davis 8 were believed to have been sex workers, I want to highlight The Sex Workers Project, which “provides client-centered legal and social services to individuals who engage in sex work, regardless of whether they do so by choice, circumstance, or coercion.” Their work includes legal education workshops for sex workers, media advocacy, and sex worker-led organizing and policy change. You can check out all of their amazing resources and donate to support their work at sexworkersproject.org.

I also encourage you to check out Sarah Stillman’s 2012 Article “The Throwaways” in The New Yorker. This piece is a great investigation into the hidden world of police informants and the dangers it poses to those doing this work. It was a key source in today’s episode and well worth reading in full.

Finally, a special “thank you” to Ethan Brown for his incredible reporting on the Jeff Davis 8, without whom this episode would not be possible. Make sure to read his Medium article “Who Killed the Jeff Davis 8?,” and check out his book Murder in the Bayou.

Sources Used:

The New York Times: 8 Deaths in a Small Town, and Much Unease, by Campbell Robertson.

RollingStone: Dark Truth Behind 8 Sex Workers Murdered in the Bayou, by Cady Drell.

Medium: Who Killed the Jeff Davis 8?, by Ethan Brown.

VICE: The Mysterious, Unsolved Case of Eight Dead Sex Workers in the Louisiana Bayou, by Seth Ferranti.

ACLU: The Use of ‘Confidential Informants’ Can Lead to Unnecessary and Excessive Police Violence, by Paige Fernandez and Carl Takei.

The New Yorker: The Throwaways, by Sarah Stillman.

CNN: Police set up Web site to help catch a serial killer, by Janet DiGiacomo.

4WWL: Jennings 8: Unsolved murders haunt town, police, by WWL Staff.

gambit: Eight murders are unsolved in a small Louisiana town. ‘Murder in the Bayou’ tells the victims’ stories, by Kaylee Poche.

Showtime: Murder in the Bayou.

Fox News: Family of ‘Jennings 8’ victim comes forward in new doc, says Louisiana woman wasn’t murdered by serial killer, by Stephanie Nolasco.