~ Loretta Lynn Chaisson Lewis ~

Law enforcement was not aware on May 20, 2005, that 28 year old Loretta Lewis would become the 1st victim in what developed into a series of suspicious deaths and unsolved murders in Jeff Davish Parish Louisiana. Loretta was known to hang out at the local Sonic Drive Inn. It is also believed she was involved in a “high risk” lifestyle and traded sex for drugs.

Loretta was last seen on May 17, 2005. On May 20th, a few days after she was last seen, her body was found in a rural but public area of the parish. A fisherman discovered Loretta’s body floating in the east fork of the Grand Marais Canal a few miles southwest of Jennings. The location was just north of the bridge on LA highway 1126 about 3 miles west of LA highway 26.

She was partially clothed but had no shoes on. Her body was in an advanced state of decomposition which caused difficulty identifying the body as well as collecting evidence. A cause of death was not determined but toxicology reports indicated high levels of drugs (cocaine) and alcohol in her system when she died.

There was speculation early on that Chaisson was killed by Mexican migrant workers after allegedly robbing a group of workers in town, according to court records.

Lewis’s death would ultimately set a pattern for future victims. Less than a month after Loretta’s body was discovered, the 2nd victim, whose throat was slit, was found floating in a canal just a couple of miles southeast of Jennings.

It appears, from looking at Loretta’s headstone, that she was married to Murphy Lewis and had two children, Keylan & Kendric.

It would be interesting to know if Loretta was “reported” as missing.  She was last seen 3 days prior to her body being found.  Was she known to disappear for periods of time without contacting family or friends?

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