Leslie Turk

A serial killer in Jeff Davis Parish?

by Leslie Turk

Speculation is growing that a serial killer may be on the loose in Jeff Davis Parish. The bodies of six women have been recovered in rural Jeff Davis Parish since 2005, most near drainage canals or on gravel roads. The Lake Charles American Press reported yesterday that human remains found by hunters on a levee just south of Jennings have been identified as those of 23-year-old Crystal Shay Benoit Zeno, who has been missing since Aug. 27. Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff Ricky Edwards told the paper preliminary autopsy results show the death is a homicide, with full autopsy and toxicology results still pending.

“Law enforcement officials have been tracing Crystal’s whereabouts and associates and will continue to compare that information with the other five bodies found,” Edwards said. Anyone knowing of Zeno’s whereabouts after Aug. 27 are asked to contact their local law enforcement agency. Based on evidence recovered at the various scenes, investigators feel the women died elsewhere, Edwards said. All of the cases are unsolved. Three of the deaths, including Zeno’s, are considered homicides. Autopsy results on the remains of the other three revealed no signs of trauma. They reportedly had high levels of drugs in their systems at the times of their deaths. All of the deceased are between the ages of 21-30, were of a similar build and were believed to be involved in “high-risk” lifestyles. They all may have known the same people, police said.

Read the full American Press story here.