Unsolved murders need not remain that way
Two contrasting events occurred last week. A mother made a public plea to the residents of South Louisiana for help, exposing the person or persons who killed her son in March 2021—while in Central Louisiana, a former Livingston Parish sheriff’s deputy rallied the public to help police resolve the murder of a teenage girl from 2004.
Largely because of information collected by readers of this newspaper column, on November 15, 2021, two men will stand trial for the 1987 murder of Selonia Reed, a 26-year-old Hammond bank teller, and every day, thanks to you, authorities move closer to solving the murders of Donna Bahm in Amite, Margaret Coon in Covington, and Daytra Miller and Robert West in Independence. And someday, I expect readers of this column to help discover what happened to Barbara Blount in Holden.
After you read this column each week, I ask that you share the information with your neighbor. They may know some minute detail that will solve a mystery. Seemingly unimportant events witnesses remember often sink the most airtight alibis. To families awaiting closure, little things mean a lot.
Last week, Erica Jones spoke to television reporters about her son.
“He was only 21 for two-and-a-half months,” she said in an interview on WWL-TV. “Twenty-one. Just imagine your child being 21 for two-and-a-half months. He didn’t even get a chance to grow to his full potential because somebody was just evil.”
Erica cried, describing how her son, a freshman at Southern University, drove into Slidell to attend a college party on February 26. On March 11, police pulled Marquise Jones’ gunshot body from Lake Pontchartrain.
Talking about the horror of spending Easter at her son’s grave, the grieving mother begged viewers to help her find closure. “Just give a tip please,” she said. “If it was me, I would leave a tip for you. I promise you I would. No mother should have to go through this. I buried my son at 21-years-old for nothing.”
The family is offering a $2,500 reward in the case.
Witnesses sometimes fear coming forward, but more often, they simply do not realize the fact they hold is of value. Bayou Justice exists to help readers realize this is a call for investigators to make. We do not know all that they know, and the smallest piece of a puzzle may pull a case together for them. However, they cannot succeed without help from readers like you.
The case of Courtney Megan Coco is evidence of that. The 19-year-old Northwestern State University student vanished in early October 2004 while dog-sitting for her parents, away camping for the weekend. Texas police found her body in their state three days later, but the condition of her remains left the cause of death undetermined.
April 13, authorities indicted David Anthony Burns, 45, of Boyce, on a second-degree murder charge in Courtney’s death, booking him into the Rapides Parish Detention Center. Police believe David Burns killed Courtney Coco in a failed robbery attempt.
In 2019, Woody Overton, a former Livingston Parish sheriff’s deputy, launched a podcast called “Real Life Real Crime.” Working with Courtney Coco’s family, he produced an 18-episode series revisiting the cold case. The production drew attention to the murder and listeners responded with a wealth of encouragement and helpful information for authorities.
The Alexandria Town Talk reported that Burns responded to the podcast by posting a video on social media complaining. He did not reference Courtney Coco, but he appeared angry with Woody Overton.
Burns repeatedly mentioned “Mr. Woody with your podcast,” and said he would be, “Coming after y’all. Not physically. I am coming to get your wallets. I promise you,” he reportedly said.
Courtney Coco’s family released a statement last week, thanking Woody Overton, his audience, and law enforcement. To encourage families, would-be witnesses, and law enforcement reading Bayou Justice, I am sharing the Coco family’s statement in its entirety:
“First, we would like to thank God. This arrest is an answer to many prayers. We have waited 16 agonizing years for this day to come.”
“To our family members and the many supporters who have never given up on helping us fight this very long, hard journey for justice, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We love you.”
“Our family would like to thank Woody Overton for investigating Courtney’s case when it was a cold case and not being worked. His audience helped solve her murder in only seven short weeks, turning over his findings to the Alexandria Police Department. We thank Detectives Tanner Dryden and Carla Whitstine for taking this case and the hours of hard work they put into getting us here. They’ve finally made the arrest our family has been waiting on.”
“We have the utmost confidence that Assistant District Attorney Hugo Holland will get a full conviction, and Courtney will finally get the justice she deserved 16 years ago. Thank you all.”