The Murder of Dominique Carter-Bryant

 

Dominique Carter Bryant was murdered outside of her Louisville, Kentucky apartment on February 9th, 2013. It’s believed the 30-year-old woman was about to enter the building at 6:15 AM that morning when she was ambushed with gunfire. Dominique was shot multiple times and died on the scene. Her assailant(s) fled the area before first responders arrived. 

According to reports, Dominique went out with friends the night before her murder. It appears that she was arriving back home at the Salisbury Apartments on 22nd and Magazine Streets when she encountered the shooter(s). Dominique’s husband, niece, and daughter, who was just 11 years old at the time, were all inside the residence when the shooting took place. 

Early into the investigation, Dominique’s mother Belinda Carter shared that she did not believe her daughter’s death was random. Carter told reporters, “They waited for [Dominique]. Whoever it was waited for her. Six o'clock in the morning....they didn't rob her, so this was done intentionally.” At that time, investigators declined to say whether or not they shared the same theory with Dominique’s mother. They have continued to remain tight-lipped over the years about the status of the investigation.

In fact, there has been very little media reporting about Dominique’s case over the past decade. Her murder still remains unsolved and is considered a cold case. The Louisville Police Department has agency over the murder investigation. If you have any information that could help solve the murder of Dominique Carter Bryant, please contact authorities at 502-574-7111 or submit a tip online.

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Sources:
Louisville PD
WAVE 3, (2)
WDRB, (2)
WLKY

The Disappearance of Niija Council

Source: Facebook

Niija Council has been missing since September 2013. The then-20-year-old was living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the time of her disappearance. Reports state that Niija was last seen at her home in the 6200 block of Lindbergh Boulevard. According to her boyfriend, Niija left the residence and never returned. She has never been seen or heard from again.

Sources state that Niija had two children, one of whom was an infant at the time of her disappearance. Per her boyfriend’s account, Niija left the infant son behind when she left home. This particular detail is noted on several sources about Niija’s case, including her NamUs profile. Although these sources provide very little additional information about Niija’s disappearance, it seems that the detail that her infant son was left behind was, at the very least, eye-catching to investigators. There does not appear to be any evidence that Niija planned to leave her baby, or her life, behind.

There are many other odd details surrounding Niija’s disappearance as well. Most sources list September 1st, 2013, as the date she went missing. However, Niija’s Facebook page remained active until September 23rd. Around mid-to-late September, a few people began commenting on her posts, inquiring about her whereabouts and expressing concern for her safety. The comments indicate that several people in her circle had not seen or heard from her for an unusually long period of time.

The media seemingly did not pick up on Niija’s case; there are very few accessible news reports about her disappearance. Detectives have not disclosed any information about their investigation, which leaves the public with very little confirmed information. A lack of information about a missing persons’ case, combined with a lack of media attention, can often indicate that the police do not believe the person came to harm. In Niija’s disappearance, however, various rumors indicate that the opposite may be true. 

Many questions arise regarding Niija’s disappearance. When exactly did she vanish? Why the discrepancy about the date she was last heard from? Why the lack of information from police? Who has information about her disappearance? Perhaps the most important question that remains is: Where is Niija Council?

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More about Niija.

Niija was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She graduated from a high school in the city. Prior to her disappearance, Niija worked as an Alternative Dispute Resolution Professional. As previously mentioned, Niija also had two children, one of whom was just an infant at the time she vanished. Various people who know Niija have posted that she would have never voluntarily left her children behind.

September 2013: Niija's disappearance.

As noted above, many sources list the date of Niija's disappearance as September 1st, 2013 - even though her Facebook page remained active until September 23rd, 2013. She made four status update posts on September 11th, 2013:

None of these posts seem to indicate any danger or that anything was seriously wrong at the time these updates were posted to her page. She later went on to change her profile picture four times during September 2013; the last change occurring on September 23rd, 2013. 

One of her profile picture updates occurred on September 16th, 2013. Days after that was posted, people began commenting on the picture, inquiring about Niija's whereabouts and safety.

It appears that, at some point after all this Facebook activity, Niija was reported missing. After that, it was determined that she was last seen at her home on Lindbergh Boulevard. Various sources say that Niija's boyfriend was the last person to see her before she disappeared. The boyfriend reportedly told police that she left the home and never returned. 

When did Niija vanish?

There could potentially be a few different reasons for the discrepancy about Niija's date of disappearance. It's possible that, whomever reported Niija missing noted that they had not seen or heard from her since September 1st, 2013. It's also possible that detectives do not know that exact date of her disappearance, so they've listed September 1st to indicate that she vanished sometime during the month of September. 

Or, possibly Niija did, in fact, vanish on September 1st, and that the Facebook posts made after that were made by someone else; maybe someone trying to indicate that Niija was alive and well. However, this seems less likely, as the posts seemed to abruptly stop. The most likely scenario seems to be that she vanished at some point in September 2013, but investigators have not been able to pinpoint an exact date. 

Speculation about the boyfriend.

Niija's boyfriend at the time of her disappearance has never been publicly identified. However, various online posts indicate that he was an older man. He was also reportedly not the father of either of Niija's children. 

In May 2024, a woman identifying herself as Niija's aunt made a post on a Missing Children Facebook group about Niija's disappearance. The post provides a bit more info about Niija's background and more info about her boyfriend.

Source: Facebook

It's worth noting that detectives have not confirmed that they believe Niija's boyfriend is responsible for her disappearance. However, detectives have also not made any public announcements about Niija's case - so it's entirely possible that the boyfriend is, in fact, the prime suspect. The aunt mentions that she found out that the boyfriend was physically abusive after Niija's disappearance - which casts even more suspicion on him. Still, this man has never been publicly identified or publicly labeled as a person of interest. 

Where is Niija?

Over a decade has passed, and Niija remains missing. There have not been any updates in her case. Many people have posted that they believe the boyfriend is responsible for her disappearance. If it's true that the investigators, too, believe that the boyfriend is responsible, it's possible that they have not publicly mentioned this due to the status of an ongoing investigation. However, since investigators have not shared anything about the case, it's hard to determine if the case is actually active.

Investigating agency.

The Philadelphia Police Department has investigative agency over Niija's case. If you have any information that could help solve the disappearance of Niija Council, please contact authorities at 215-686-3183.

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Sources:
Charley Project
Charley Project blog
The Doe Network
Facebook

NamUs
Underground Mysteries
Uncovered

The Disappearance of Victoria Williams

 

Victoria Williams was only 13 years-old when she vanished on October 19th, 2013. The young teen lived with her mother in Newark, New Jersey at the time of her disappearance. On the day she vanished, Victoria left her home on Fabyan Place after telling her mother she was going to meet up with some friends. She never returned home, and her family has never seen or heard from her again.

Reports indicate that authorities believe Victoria left on her own accord, although they have not shared what evidence, if any, there is to support the runaway theory. Due to Victoria's young age at the time of her disappearance, it is very unlikely that she was able to run away and stay undetected without help. Additionally, Victoria had suffered an injury to her foot shortly before she vanished and was wearing a medical boot - a distinguishable feature that would've made it even more difficult for her to run away without being spotted. 

Despite all of this, Victoria's disappearance has maintained the label as a runaway case. Some reports state that she may still be in the local area, or that she may have "traveled to San Diego or elsewhere in California." Again, due to Victoria's young age, it seems very unlikely that she was able to travel to California (or anywhere else a long distance away) without help. Investigators have not shared how or why they believe Victoria may have left the state on her own free will. 

There are very few additional details available about Victoria's case. Over a decade has passed since she vanished, and she still remains missing today. The Newark Police Department has investigative agency over Victoria's missing persons investigation. If you have any information that could help solve the case, please contact authorities at 973-733-6000.

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Sources:
Ash Mysteries
Charley Project
NamUs
News One

RLS Media

The Murder of Julia Majette

 

Julia Majette was shot and killed inside her home on June 12th, 2013. At the time of her death, the 25-year-old woman lived in Madison, Wisconsin with her husband, Daunte Vance, and their three young children. Reports state that at least two of the children witnessed the shooting that claimed their mother's life.

Julia's aunt and uncle, Patricia and Mark Cherry, were also staying in the residence at the time of the shooting. That evening, the couple was sleeping in the basement of the home when they awoke to the sound of someone entering the house. Shortly thereafter, they heard the sound of gunshots followed by children screaming. 

Both Julia and her husband Daunte were shot during the incident. Daunte survived the shooting, while Julia unfortunately succumbed to her injuries. The shooter(s) reportedly fled the scene before police arrived. 

Reports state that Daunte initially refused to cooperate with investigators when they tried to speak with him the day after the shooting. However, he later agreed to speak with police. This is not Daunte's first experience with gun violence. A criminal complaint indicates he was shot during an armed burglary and robbery in Fitchburg during 2007 - the same year he married Julia. 

Over a decade has passed, and Julia's murder still remains unsolved. Her loved ones are still searching for answers. If you have any information that could help solve the murder of Julia Majette, please contact the Madison Police Department at (608) 266-4275 or submit a tip online.

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Sources:
Channel 3000
City of Madison
Project Cold Case
WI Homicide
WKOW News
WMTV News

The Murder of Samantha Neuwien

 

Samantha Neuwien was brutally attacked in her Wilmington, Delaware home during the early-morning hours of July 12th, 2013. The 34-year-old woman lived above her family's business - an appliance store in the 300 block of Shipley Street. 

On the morning of July 12th, Samantha's mother Katherine arrived at the store around 8:30 AM to open up for the day. Upon arriving, Katherine noticed the ceiling was leaking, so she went up to her daughter's apartment to see if she could find the origin of the leak. 

First, Katherine knocked on Samantha's door but got no response. She eventually opened the door herself and stumbled upon a terrifying scene. According to Katherine, the apartment's bathroom was "torn apart." Even more frightening, Samantha was found naked and unconscious on the floor near her bedroom. She had been beaten and stabbed.

Katherine called 9-1-1, and the first responding medics transported Samantha to a local hospital. She remained in a coma for the next 16 days before she ultimately succumbed to her injuries. Samantha's death was subsequently labeled a murder.

Over a decade has passed, and Samantha's murder remains unsolved. There has been very little reporting about her case in the media. It appears that there have not been any updates in recent years, and the murder is considered a cold case. 

Throughout the years, Wilmington Police have made a few public appeals in hopes that anyone with information about Samantha's murder case will come forward. If you have any information that could help solve the case, please contact authorities at 302-576-3990 or submit a tip online.

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Sources:
First State Update
My ChesCo
Odd Murders and Mysteries
WHYY

The Disappearance of Tiffany Daniels

Tiffany Heaven Daniels (25) was last seen in Pensacola, Florida on August 12th, 2013. That day, she went to work at a theater at Pensacola State College, where she painted sets. While at work, Tiffany asked her boss if she could leave a little early. Her boss granted this request.

Tiffany also told her boss that she would be away from work for the next couple of days, but she did not specify why; she simply said she had “a few things to take care of.” Tiffany’s roommate saw her return to their house that afternoon, however, he was on a phone call when she returned, and he did not get a chance to speak with her. By time he got off the phone, Tiffany had left again. She never returned home and has never been seen or heard from again.

Tiffany’s family members and friends apparently did not know that she planned to take a few days off from work. According to them, she did not have any known plans to travel out of town that week. In fact, a day prior to her disappearance, her boyfriend moved to Austin, Texas, and Tiffany declined to move there with him. She had, however, already made plans to visit him during the upcoming months; so, it was quickly ruled out that she had run off to follow him to Texas.

On August 20th, eight days after her disappearance, Tiffany’s car was found parked at Pensacola Beach. Her wallet, cell phone, bicycle, water bottles, and other personal items were found inside. The car was found by a jogger who recognized it after seeing coverage about Tiffany’s disappearance on the news. 

image source

Police spoke to residents who lived in the condominium across the street, and one resident in particular said that the car was “definitely not” parked there two days earlier. Two other residents said that they had seen an unidentified man getting out of the car earlier on that day.  After the car was towed to the police garage for examination, investigators found two fingerprints, one on the door handle and the other on the steering wheel, that could not be matched to Tiffany or any of the investigators who had worked on the car.

Over the years, there have been a few sightings of Tiffany in nearby states, however none of those sightings have been verified. Tiffany’s mother Cindy Daniels originally feared that Tiffany may be a victim of sex trafficking. However, in April 2025, Cindy spoke to Pensacola News Journal and stated that the family no longer believes this to be the case. 

In the report, Cindy stated that 2 years earlier, she and her husband partnered with a non-profit organization called Shadows of Strength (SOS) to help shed light on their daughter's disappearance. The purpose of the nonprofit is to "help human trafficking survivors by gathering valuable data, identifying crucial information, and assisting survivors in rebuilding their lives."

After working with this organization, Cindy explained that information came about that actually led her away from the trafficking theory. Specifically, Cindy now believes someone who was close to Tiffany may be involved in her disappearance. She noted that one of the people who Tiffany was known to hang out with has obtained a lawyer, while another person is not cooperating with the investigation.

 

Despite these new developments, Tiffany still remains missing. If you have any information about Tiffany/her whereabouts, please contact the Pensacola Police Department at 850-435-1900.

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Sources:
Charley Project
HuffPost
Pensacola News Journal, 
WKRG

The Disappearance of Radiah Gilbert

Source: Nashville Cold Case

Radiah Gilbert has been missing since June 24th, 2013. The then-21-year-old was last seen in Nashville, Tennessee. The last confirmed sighting of Radiah occurred at a (now-closed) Roadway Inn on West Trinity Lane. She has never been seen or heard from again.

Prior to her disappearance, Radiah had been living off-and-on with her mother. She was reportedly struggling with drug addiction and would often disappear for days at a time. When Radiah was not staying at her mother's, she would stay at different motels around East Nashville. She was also involved in sex work, which is likely what led her to staying at certain motels in the area. 

Certain reports state that Radiah left her mother's house for the final time after her mother tried to convince her to seek drug rehabilitation. It's believed she followed her usual pattern of staying in local motels before being seen for the last time at the Roadway Inn. After that, Radiah seemingly vanished without a trace.

Radiah was approximately six-to-seven months pregnant at the time of her disappearance. She also had a young child who was just 2 years old when Radiah went missing. The child lived with and for was cared for by Radiah's mother. 

Radiah's mother had a gut feeling that something tragic had happened from the onset of her daughter's disappearance. Detectives working the case also believe that Radiah met with foul play. Metro Nashville Homicide Detective Lt. Jill Weaver told reporters that "We feel strongly that Radiah was a victim of foul play, or something nefarious happened to her that ended her life. People don’t just drop off the face of the earth."

Over a decade has passed, and Radiah remains missing. Her mother has since passed away without ever receiving answers about what happened to her daughter. Cold case detectives are still searching for Radiah and hope to one day bring closure to the investigation. If you have any information that could help solve Radiah's disappearance, please contact the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department 615-862-8600 or submit a tip online.

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Sources:
ABC 2 WKRN
Charley Project
NamUs
Nashville Cold Case

The Murder of Tracy Pulido

Source: Bay News 9

Tracy Pulido was murdered inside her own apartment on August 18th, 2013. The 42-year-old single mother lived in St. Petersburg, Florida at the time of her death. On the day of the murder, Tracy was supposed to pick up her son from a friend's house but never arrived. A worried friend contacted both police and a neighbor, who had a key to Tracy's residence, and asked them to go check on her.

It was the neighbor who entered the apartment first and made the grim discovery: Tracy was deceased, and it was obvious that her death was a murder. She was found on her bedroom floor with a rag shoved in her mouth and blood around her head. There were signs of a violent struggle in the living room; Tracy had fought for her life.

Over a decade has passed since Tracy's murder, and it still remains unsolved. There has been very little news on her case, and no suspects or persons of interest have ever been publicly announced. In 2019, it was reported that DNA was found on the scene that may help find the killer. Still, years have passed since that report, and no arrests have been made.

There is a monetary reward available for anyone with information that could lead to the arrest/conviction of Tracy's killer(s). If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact St. Petersburg authorities at 727-893-7780.
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Sources:
10 Tampa Bay
Bay News 9
My News 13
WFLA

The Disappearance and Murder of Heather Szekeres

 

Heather Szekeres disappeared in Shawano, Wisconsin during the early morning hours of June 22nd, 2013. The then-32-year-old was last seen by family and friends at a local bar called Final Lap. Heather lived just yards away from the bar, in a downtown apartment that she shared with her husband, Rob Szekeres, and their infant daughter. 

Heather's mother, Laurie Waddell, lived with the couple as well.

Laurie was at Final Lap with Heather on the evening of June 21st but left the bar around 1:00 AM. Heather decided to stay behind. Reports state she was later seen leaving the bar around 2:00 AM - but she unfortunately never made it home. Heather's husband Rob reported her missing two days later. 

The investigation into Heather's disappearance had a slow start. Initially, the Shawano Police made it clear that they believed Heather was voluntarily missing. They cited that it was not unusual for Heather to leave home for periods of time -which is reportedly why her husband waited two days to report her missing. 

Police reiterated this belief at the six-month mark of Heather's disappearance, despite the fact that there had been absolutely no sign of Heather. After that, the case went cold. Police gave very few updates, and news about Heather's case was scarce. 

In May of 2014, human remains were found in a wooded area behind Peach Road. The remains were located in an area 2.5 miles away from Final Lap, where Heather was last seen. Due to this, many speculated that the remains belonged to her. It took nearly a year for a positive identification, but in April 2015, it was confirmed that the remains did, in fact, belong to Heather Szekeres. An autopsy was unable to determine her exact cause of death, but her manner of death was labeled a homicide.

Heather's loved ones were shocked and inevitably devastated by the news of her death. Many began to criticize the Shawano Police Department for not organizing search parties after Heather was reported missing. Many also began to speculate about who might have been responsible for Heather's death. A closer look into Heather's life around the time of her disappearance reveals a couple different theories.

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Looking into the spouse.

In 99.9% of missing persons and murder cases, investigators look into the spouse/significant other of the victim. Heather's case was no exception, even though Shawano Police initially thought that she was voluntarily missing. Just a few weeks after Heather's disappearance, Rob Szekeres posted on Facebook that he had been questioned and had cooperated with police. He also wrote that he, too, believed that Heather had left him. 

Rob Szekeres

Rob also seemingly responded to criticisms that he was not actually looking for his wife. He wrote, "I love my wife dearly and wish she would just come home. I have a very demanding job that I have to keep doing in order to support my daughter. If I could, I'd be home everyday helping everyone with locating my wife but I can't."

Rob remained adamant that he was not a suspect in Heather's case. However, the couple had faced some serious marital struggles in the months leading up to Heather's disappearance. In 2012, the couple separated amidst a pile of financial troubles. In October 2012, Heather sued Rob for child support. Court documents state that they had been separated for months by that point--but by December 2012, they were seemingly back together. 

On December 5th, 2012, Heather called 911 to report Rob for domestic violence. When an officer arrived at their apartment, Heather said that she and Rob were arguing when he grabbed a pillow and struck her in the face with the zipper on the pillowcase. Heather's injuries were minor, but she still decided to press charges. She stated that Rob had been physical with her in the past and she wanted to put an end to it. In January 2013, Rob was given a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence battery and was fined $506. 

By June 2013, it appeared that Rob and Heather's relationship was in a better place. In fact, Heather posted a picture of her and Rob to her Facebook page just hours before she vanished.

Although Rob insisted that he had nothing to do with Heather's disappearance, some still speculated that he might know more than he is letting on. Some also felt he did not seem to care that his wife was gone. By the time Heather's body was found in 2014, Rob had relocated to Indiana. 

In April 2015 - the same month that Heather's remains were identified - Rob posted on Facebook that he and his new girlfriend had moved to Michigan. Many found it odd that Rob had moved and seemingly moved on with his life during the time that his wife was believed to be missing. Despite all of this, investigators stated in 2015 that Rob is not a suspect in the case.

Rob with their daughter at Final Lap

Another person of interest.

Before Heather's disappearance, she and Rob were regular patrons at Final Lap. The bar was managed by a man named Darwin Davis. Heather was acquainted with Davis and saw him frequently while at the bar. In December 2012, Davis was accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in the basement of Final Lap. He later pleaded not guilty to sexual assault charges.

Darwin Davis

Heather Szekeres was on the list of potential witnesses who could have been called to testify against Davis during his trial. With this in mind, it's clear that Davis could have seen this as a motive to harm Heather. Various reports state that Davis was out on bond at the time of Heather's disappearance, which gives him opportunity as well. 

When Davis finally did go to trial, both Rob Szekeres and Heather's mother Laurie ending up testifying against him. Both stated that Davis admitted to sexually assaulting the teenager. Davis was ultimately convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison. 

Information from Darwin Davis's ex-wife.

Many have speculated that Davis could be involved in Heather's murder. Davis's ex-wife, Sheila, is among those who believe he is responsible. In 2023, Sheila commented on this write-up and provided more insight. 

According to Sheila's comments, Heather and Davis were having an affair prior to Heather's disappearance. As such, Sheila says, Heather actually originally planned to lie on the stand when she was due to testify against Davis. Heather later changed her mind shortly before her disappearance. 

This inevitably leads to even more suspicions against Darwin Davis. However, at this time he has not been charged with anything related to Heather's case. Still, investigators have also not publicly ruled him out.

Where the case stands today.

Investigators have told reporters that they have a suspect, but they have not revealed the suspect's identity. It's possible that Davis is, in fact, their suspect--but this remains unclear. Years passed without any media updates on Heather's case. 

In 2024, it was announced that Shawano County sheriff's officials and the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation returned to the site near Highway MMM where Heather's body was found. The search was reportedly sparked by new leads, and investigators reportedly found new evidence. At this time, there is no further information about the search.

If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Shawano Police Department at (715) 524-4545.

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Sources:

Green Bay Press Gazette

Antigo Buzz

New Media Inc

NBC 26

The Disappearance of Louis Danhi

Source: California Department of Justice

Louis Danhi has been missing since June 2013. The then-38-year-old man was last seen in Stanislaus County, California. Louis last spoke to his girlfriend, Rebecca, via phone on June 20th, 2013. He told her that he was going to drop a friend off before going to the San Francisco International Airport catch a flight to Las Vegas. Louis never made his flight and has never been seen or heard from again. 

Rebecca tried to get in touch with Louis several times around the time he was supposed to arrive in Vegas, but her calls and texts went unanswered. She eventually learned he had never made his flight. Worried, Rebecca subsequently contacted Louis' father, Adam Danhi, to let him know about her concerns.

Adam tried to get in contact with Louis several times himself before eventually reporting him missing on June 22nd, 2013. That same day, Louis' rental car was found abandoned in "an unincorporated area near Livermore, California." The car reportedly did not yield any clues about Louis' whereabouts. 

Reports state that Louis was involved in the marijuana business. He was arrested in 2004 after trying to ship nearly 60 pounds of marijuana from Glendale, California to the east coast. By 2013, Louis was living in Massachusetts. However, he was still involved in the marijuana industry and often flew to California for business. 

Louis' father, Adam, has been dedicated to finding his son. In 2019, he filed a petition to declare Louis deceased and to establish the facts of his death. The documents in the petition reveal even more suspicious circumstances surrounding Louis' disappearance.

The initial investigation.

Source: Stanislaus Area Crime Stoppers

According to the court documents, Louis' father Adam filed a missing persons' report with the Los Angeles Police Department. In mid-July 2013, after several weeks passed without any word for the L.A.P.D., Adam was referred to a private investigative firm. An associate from the firm, Bill Marsh, was assigned Louis' case. 

A July 2013 report from the private investigation stated, "The investigation has reached the point where, unfortunately, there is significant reasonable belief, supported by circumstantial evidence that [Louis'] disappearance is due to foul play, and has been caused by a person or persons unknown." 

The court petition does not elaborate further on the evidence that led to the belief that Louis was murdered. After that, Adam stated that several months went by without any real movement in Louis' case. 

A trip to Laytonville reveals more information.

The documents note that at some point, there was information that led the investigation to Laytonville, California. Laytonville is located an approximate three hour's drive - nearly 200 miles - away from where Louis' rental vehicle was found near Livermore. 

Source: Google Maps

In spring 2014, Adam and Louis' childhood friend, Eric Arusi, went to Laytonville to try and investigate Louis' disappearance themselves. Eric had acknowledged that he knew Louis had conducted business in that area; he had accompanied him on such business trips in the past. 

Once in Laytonville, Adam and Eric encountered an acquaintance of Eric's who stated that he knew of a person who might have information about Louis' disappearance. The person - who the documents identify as T.B. - had "abruptly gone to Mexico about the same as Louis went missing" and had returned four months later. 

Adam and Eric were directed to a Mexican restaurant owned by T.B.'s father. Once there, they spoke with a woman named Sandra Mann about Louis' disappearance, and their belief that he had been murdered. According to the documents, "Sandra appeared to be stunned upon hearing this."

The documents further explain that, after showing Sandra a missing persons' poster with Louis' picture, she "burst out crying and told us that Louis was her boyfriend and she had been wondering why he was not answering her calls or contacting her at all for some time."

Sandra also told Adam and Eric that T.B. and Louis had done business together, and that T.B. had introduced Louis to members of a marijuana cartel in the area. Sandra then called T.B. and asked him to come to the restaurant. 

After T.B. arrived, Adam and Eric questioned him about Louis' disappearance. T.B. denied involvement; he stated that Louis had been arrested. The documents note that T.B.'s claims did not seem believable, as he appeared fidgety and acted evasive about certain questions. Although Adam did not believe that Louis had been arrested, he still called Laytonville police - who confirmed that Louis had not ever been in their custody. 

Adam eventually passed all the information he obtained on the trip to Laytonville to the private investigative firm. The private investigator reportedly followed up on this information but was not able to take the case any further. This contributed to Adam's eventual decision to petition the court to have Louis declared deceased. 

Unanswered questions.

The court documents provide a lot of information about Louis' disappearance, but said information leads to some unanswered questions as well. It seems likely that Louis was killed by a person, or persons, related to the marijuana business - though his has not been confirmed.

Sandra Mann alleged that the man known as T.B. introduced Louis to people in a local marijuana cartel. It's possible that the cartel is responsible for Louis' disappearance/presumed murder - assuming Sandra Mann has provided a reliable account. While there's also no definitive proof that Sandra was dishonest, it seems odd that she claimed to be Louis' girlfriend, but she had not reported him missing.

Sandra noted that she had not been in contact with Louis at the time she spoke to Adam and Eric. However, this conversation happened in spring 2014 - and Louis had been missing for nearly a year by this point. This leads to questions about both Louis' relationship with Sandra and other information she might have about his disappearance.

It's known that Louis also had another girlfriend, Rebecca, whom he lived with in Massachusetts. Although Louis was on the other side of the country when he vanished, Rebecca still immediately sprang into action when she was unable to get in touch with him. Sandra, who was seemingly in the same state as Louis at the time of his disappearance, did not report him missing, and seemed to be shocked when confronted about his disappearance - despite claiming she had not seen him for quite some time. 

Additionally, it's clear that Sandra knows T.B. - the associate of Louis' who told a false story about Louis being arrested. Is it possible that both T.B. and Sandra have more information about Louis' fate than they let on? Are the claims about the cartel false?

It should be noted that the documents do not state when Sandra met Louis, or when Sandra last saw Louis. It's possible that two had an ongoing relationship during Louis' many business trips to California, but this has not been confirmed. 

Another person worth mentioning is the "friend" Louis said he was going to drop off during his final phone conversation with Rebecca. His loved ones do not know who said friend was, and the person has never been identified. 

No suspects or persons of interest.

As of today, no suspects or persons of interest have ever been publicly identified in Louis' case. There are obvious suspicions about who might have been involved, but there is allegedly no definitive proof. Nobody has been ruled out, either. 

The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department is in charge of Louis' missing persons' case. If you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact authorities at 209-525-7117.

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Sources:
California Department of Justice
Charley Project
LA Times
Trellis Law (court documents)

The Murder of Gandy Shad Kaydea

Source: ABC 6

 

On the evening of March 20th, 2013, authorities in Cranston, Rhode Island were called about a suspected brush fire at the entrance of Pocasset Cemetery. As the fire department arrived to extinguish the fire, they discovered something unexpected amongst the flames: the body of a young man. 

Fingerprints later helped identify the young man as 22-year-old Gandy ‘Shad’ Kaydea. It was immediately clear he had been a victim of homicide. An autopsy revealed that Shad had been killed by ligature strangulation. 

Detectives believe that Shad was killed in a different place before his body was brought to the cemetery and set on fire. Years have passed since this tragic event, and many questions remain unanswered - such as who did this? and why?

While this information is still unknown to this day, there are a quite a few circumstances surrounding Shad's murder that may hold some significance.  

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More about Shad.

Source: wpri.com

According to reports, Shad was living a busy life shortly prior to passing away. He was an aspiring rapper and had uploaded several music videos to YouTube under the name “Young Shad”. 

Shad also had been taking GED classes at the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence in Providence. Staff members from the school described Shad was a leader amongst the other students. Shortly after Shad's death, an instructor from the school told reporters that "Shad was turning his life around and had one more test to take to get his GED."

Shad was also praised by the school's staff members for his dedication to the program during difficult times. The school's executive director said that Shad was dealing with "the stress of not having a place to stay recently," but was still showing up for classes. 

Shad was also a father - his daughter was only 8 months old at the time of his death. Shad’s daughter and other family members are now left without him in their lives. His relatives still hope to find justice for his brutal murder. 

Possible gang affiliation. 

Initial reports about Shad's murder indicated that detectives believed his killing was gang related. According to The Criminal Journal, detectives believed Shad was affiliated with Providence’s C-Block gang. 

The way in which Shad was found may also contribute to the gang theory. The fact that Shad’s body was found burning in a public place leads to speculation that whoever placed him there wanted to send a message. 

However, Shad's family members stated that Shad was not associated with any gangs in the area. In 2021, Shad’s sister Julie Kaydea told reporters that she had another theory about what might have led to her brother’s murder.

The insurance policy. 

According to a 2021 report on Shad's case, Shad took out a $250,000 life insurance policy about four months before his death. Shad’s sister Julie said she believes the money could be a motivating factor in Shad’s murder. 

Cranston Police Maj. Todd Patalano told reporters that they looked into the insurance policy motive, but it did not lead them to any suspects. According to court documents, a woman named Massiel Ortiz - Shad's former girlfriend - is listed as the primary beneficiary on that life insurance policy. His mother, Julia Klah, is listed as the secondary beneficiary. 

The court documents also reference conflicting claims between the two women. The documents note, in part, "Ms. Ortiz and Ms. Klah have conflicting claims, in that Ms. Ortiz remains a 'person of interest' in the unsolved murder and therefore potentially ineligible for the death benefit under Rhode Island's Slayer Statute."

In 2014, New York Life Insurance Company filed a motion to seek interpleader relief on the insurance policy amid the dispute between Ortiz and Klah. Court documents stated that the insurance company "seeks to deposit the death benefit with the Court and to be dismissed from the suit." Ortiz fought the motions, claiming that the company was not entitled to the money. 

There have been no other public reports that reference Massiel Ortiz as a person of interest in Shad's murder. In fact, during 2021 Maj. Todd Patalano told reporters that they have “interviewed several people, persons of interest. But at this time there are no suspects.” 

Unknowns.

As it stands, it appears that nothing has been publicly ruled out - from the possible gang affiliation, the insurance policy motive, or something else altogether. Investigators have seemingly not given any updates in the case since 2021. 

It's worth noting that there are some details from initial reports about Shad's death that raise a few questions. As previously stated, a staff member from Shad's GED school said that Shad was struggling with not having a place to stay. However, another report from ABC 6 stated that Shad's last known address was on Progress Avenue in Providence.

If Shad truly did not have a place to stay prior to his murder, it's possible that he may have been having issues in his home life. Again, if true, this raises even more questions about the life insurance policy and other possible motives in Shad's death. 

While this has not been confirmed, it appears this theory has at the very least been investigated. The 2021 report indicates that the insurance policy theory did not turn up any suspects, so it's possible that police are no longer even looking into this motive. Again, though, it appears nothing has been ruled out.

The fight for justice.

Shad's family members have pleaded for the public's help with solving his murder. The police department has added Shad's case to deck of playing cards distributed to inmates in hopes that somebody with information may come forward. 

Those who wish to help anonymously can do so as well. If you have any information that could help the investigation into the murder of Gandy Shad Kaydea, please call 1-877-RI-SOLVE.

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Sources:
10 WJAR
12 News
ABC 6
Boston.com
The Criminal Journal
Court document PDF
Providence Journal