The Disappearance and Murder of Erica Hunt

Erica Hunt vanished at the age of 20 on July 4th, 2016. The previous day, Erica attended an Independence Day celebration at her family’s home in Opelousas, Louisiana. The above photograph is from said celebration; this is one the last known images of Erica before her disappearance. 

Family members said Erica was acting normally at the celebration—she talked about applying for housing and seemed excited about her upcoming 21st birthday. They never predicted that this would be one of the last times they'd see Erica.

The morning before she vanished, Erica visited her sister and brother-in-law’s house and asked for money to buy cigarettes. It is unknown if she left their home on foot or if somebody picked her up. Erica was later seen behind a local restaurant on Hirsch Alley sometime between 11:00 PM and 1:00 PM. After that, she was never seen or heard from again.

Investigators immediately deemed Erica's disappearance as suspicious. It was not believed that she voluntarily missing—she left a two-year-old daughter behind, which was very uncharacteristic of her. Erica’s family searched for her to no avail. Unfortunately, her case quickly went cold.

Two years later, in 2018, authorities were searching for a missing boy in Evangeline Parish when another set of human remains were found. It took years to identify the remains, but on February 5th, 2021, the Louisiana State Police announced that the remains were that of Erica Hunt. They also announced that her death was a homicide.

Over three years passed without any updates in Erica's case. Then, in November 2024, a major break occurred. On November 21st, 2024, it was announced that investigators had arrested Jordan Barnes and charged him with Erica's murder. Barnes is Erica's brother-in-law; the same brother-in-law whose house she visited the day of her disappearance. 

Barnes reportedly confessed to the crime and has been charged with second-degree murder. The case is currently pending. 

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Sources:
Charley Project
Louisiana State Police
NBC News
Uncovered