New developments in unsolved Jennings murders

[Ragamuffin]

I clicked the link purely because it updated today. I've just read all of it. I am beyond shocked.

If this were a James Patterson novel it would be laughed out of his editor's office as unbelievable.

I have no helpful comments, other than if anyone has a connection to a true crime author or publisher, perhaps they could be pointed in this direction? Small town, good old boys, secrets and family connections? Potential cover up? It might just interest someone enough?

I am also utterly disappointed that race and/or "lifestyle" appears to be a deciding factor in the total non-interest in this case.

Something stinks in Jennings. And I do believe the answer in in Jennings.

[ktgirl]

Originally Posted by Ragamuffin

I clicked the link purely because it updated today. I've just read all of it. I am beyond shocked.

If this were a James Patterson novel it would be laughed out of his editor's office as unbelievable.

I have no helpful comments, other than if anyone has a connection to a true crime author or publisher, perhaps they could be pointed in this direction? Small town, good old boys, secrets and family connections? Potential cover up? It might just interest someone enough?

I am also utterly disappointed that race and/or "lifestyle" appears to be a deciding factor in the total non-interest in this case.

Something stinks in Jennings. And I do believe the answer in in Jennings.

I agree with you but at this point...
I think the crime writer who have to be someone who is very high profile (to the point that people would think twice about trying to scare him or her out of town or intimidate him or her).

I also think once you get into the story, it becomes less of a story- the likely perp(s) pretty much become clear, then get lost in the murkiness of either corruption, apathy, or ineptitude or all three. That's the story. Nothing seems like it would get done even if it all got written down in a best selling book. Evidence was lost. Witnesses died (or were killed) or one who are still alive refuse to talk for fear of charges against themselves or retribution. People were arrested for some of these murders then were released because all of a sudden there wasn't enough evidence. What I mean to say is that it's a heck of a story, but I fear that even though the author and his/her readers would likely quickly see the writing on the wall as to who the likely perps are, the book would never have a resolution (ie: no one brought to trial). And people who have never been convicted of these crimes but who we all suspect would probably want to sue the author and publisher (and would probably jump at the chance to do so). Essentially it would boil down to pointing out a lot of wrong-doing by a LOT of people in Jennings who would say there's no hard proof to these claims of wrong-doing and they'd probably sue for defamation.

I'd be glad to see this case get any publicility. However, I'm not all that confident that it would help at this point.

[Ragamuffin]

I'm sure you are right, I posted out of emotion and shock. I just could not believe this has gone legally unresolved for so long.

You made many good points, but maybe one day the story will be told. I feel sick for those poor women and their families.

[ktgirl]

Originally Posted by Ragamuffin

I clicked the link purely because it updated today. I've just read all of it. I am beyond shocked.

If this were a James Patterson novel it would be laughed out of his editor's office as unbelievable.

I have no helpful comments, other than if anyone has a connection to a true crime author or publisher, perhaps they could be pointed in this direction? Small town, good old boys, secrets and family connections? Potential cover up? It might just interest someone enough?

I am also utterly disappointed that race and/or "lifestyle" appears to be a deciding factor in the total non-interest in this case.

Something stinks in Jennings. And I do believe the answer in in Jennings.

Bolded by me.
I think lifestyle and socioeconomic group are the deciding factors in the non-interest of this case rather than race. Six of the eight victims were white. Two were black.

I know we think of the South as racially segregated but in most small towns in south Louisiana that I'm familiar with, segregation is much more by socio-economic group than race (or race alone). Middle-class and wealthy whites generally don't love for their kids to hang out with poor whites or what some would label "poor white trash." This goes back to Antebellum times. Poor whites either owned no land or owned little land of low quality. They were usually less educated. They may have worked as overseers on a plantation, but didn't socially mingle with the plantation owner's family. They were looked down up by the middle and upper classes. Being poor and black (if free or after freedom) was at least somewhat excusable because of their race, but poor whites had no "excuse" since they were white, making them the lowest of the low socially. Some social scientists have argued that segregation post-Reconstruction was really meant to keep the poor whites from hanging out with poor blacks and both groups realizing they were both being taken advantage of by those at the top & working together. (Okay, too much social science theorizing, sorry- undergrad degree in US History & I took a lot of classes about race relations).

A friend who grew up in a small town in south Louisiana once told me about poor whites and poor blacks hanging out together that "You realize being poor is being poor no matter what color you are. You have more in common with a poor black guy than a middle class white guy even if you're white. "

In the small towns in south Louisiana that I'm familiar with, the younger generations of poor whites and poor blacks generally hang out together because they are both excluded from hanging out with the middle & upper classes.
I think what we see here are women of both races who hung out with others from their socio-economic group regardless of race. Many of them were involved in the same "lifestyles," making them both poor and in the eyes of many, disposable.

It's sick and it's sad.

[ktgirl]

Originally Posted by Ragamuffin

I'm sure you are right, I posted out of emotion and shock. I just could not believe this has gone legally unresolved for so long.

You made many good points, but maybe one day the story will be told. I feel sick for those poor women and their families.

I know how you feel. I've just come to the point where I don't think there will ever be a legal resolution for these women. Hopefully I'm just jaded and there will be.

It is good to have some movement on the Jennings thread and new eyes on the case, though!

[Ragamuffin]

Perhaps I should have posted that the other way around. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to indicate race was "the" deciding factor. Whichever way it goes, it seems *to me* that a way of life, or perhaps, a role in life that was not chosen but was, IDK, *assumed*? means that these women were not taken seriously as victims, at first. Then, the pearl-clutchers don't want to know, that these women "weren't one of us" kicks in, so they are overlooked.

Does that make sense? I hope I'm explaining myself clearly, without resorting to stereotypes too much. All I see from this thread is that to be poor, perhaps involved with drugs, perhaps to be involved in prostitution, perhaps to be from the "wrong side of the tracks" seems to be an excuse for the murder of all these women and *someone* got away with it, because no one really cared.

This makes me incredibly sad.

I hope I explained myself better.

[Soulmagent]

Originally Posted by ktgirl

I know how you feel. I've just come to the point where I don't think there will ever be a legal resolution for these women. Hopefully I'm just jaded and there will be.

It is good to have some movement on the Jennings thread and new eyes on the case, though!

Crazy to think that there wouldnt be.

I mean it isnt the 70's .
we have dna,fingerprints, forensics. Not to mention the public responds well to rewards and often without them will call in tips. Also one never knows where a camera might be. We are not talking one murder here.

I truely hope that a legal resolution is coming.

[Donamena]

Originally Posted by Ragamuffin

Perhaps I should have posted that the other way around. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to indicate race was "the" deciding factor. Whichever way it goes, it seems *to me* that a way of life, or perhaps, a role in life that was not chosen but was, IDK, *assumed*? means that these women were not taken seriously as victims, at first. Then, the pearl-clutchers don't want to know, that these women "weren't one of us" kicks in, so they are overlooked.

Does that make sense? I hope I'm explaining myself clearly, without resorting to stereotypes too much. All I see from this thread is that to be poor, perhaps involved with drugs, perhaps to be involved in prostitution, perhaps to be from the "wrong side of the tracks" seems to be an excuse for the murder of all these women and *someone* got away with it, because no one really cared.

This makes me incredibly sad.

I hope I explained myself better.

Speaking as a 'pearl clutcher' as you call us, I respectfully disagree. Not all of us feel the same about this tragedy. As you no doubt see, & as the Mickey Shunick case shows, the more vocal the socio-economic group, the more things can move. It's been a while since these deaths occurred. Yes, they were from the same 'socio-economic' group, but someone does care: there's a sign now in an empty lot on Zigler avenue just before Stine lumber about these girls. I doubt that it will get solved. And I believe that many people in town, 'pearl clutchers' included, have their own theories. Ive heard many of them. But as the passing of time fades memory, & these deaths are no longer fresh in locals' minds, motivation is experiential.