~ Ernestine Marie Daniel Patterson ~

29 Year old Ernestine Patterson became the 2^nd victim in what would turn out to be a series of seven mysterious female deaths in Jeff Davis Parish Louisiana over a period of 3-1/2 years. It is unclear as to when she was last seen, if she was reported missing and if she was known to disappear for periods of time without contacting family or friends. Her body was found on June 18, 2005……..less than a month after the 1^st victim was discovered on May 20, 2005.

Ernestine’s partially clothed body was found, by froggers, floating in a drainage canal off LA highway 102 a couple of miles southeast of Jennings. An autopsy revealed high levels of drugs and alcohol in her body. The death was ruled a homicide……Ernestine’s throat had been slit.

It is of interest to note that, at one time, Patterson worked at a local Wendy’s fast food restaurant with Teresa Gary, mother of 7^th victim, Brittney Gary.

There was speculation early on that  Patterson was killed by Mexican migrant workers after allegedly robbing a group of workers in town, according to court records.

In Patterson’s case, the court records detail extensive work on the investigation.

Detectives conducted multiple interviews over several weeks; took fiber samples from the trunk of a car that might have carried her body; and removed, piece by piece, a porch where the girlfriend of one of the two suspects (Jones & Nixon) said Patterson’s body had been placed in a trash bag soon after her death.

Fibers from the vehicle and wood from the porch turned up no DNA or blood evidence.

Jefferson Davis Parish District Attorney, Michael Cassidy, said the lack of physical evidence left him with a case supported only by the uncorroborated statement of the girlfriend, “who did not actually see the death and did not actually see the body.”

In early 2006, Bryon Chad Jones and Lawrence Nixon, both of Jennings, were charged with second-degree murder in the death of Ernestine Patterson. The charges were later dropped due to insufficient evidence. Frankie Richard and his niece, Hannah Conner, were also questioned in regards to Patterson’s death but no charges were filed.

5/21/09 Update: According to the Task Force website, Ernestine was last seen June 16, 2005.