Saturday, February 6, 2010

Daniel Dewey, murdered by a twisted serial killer


An Unknown Serial Killer in Louisiana?

by Robert A. Waters

The last struggles of Danny Dewey ended in a patch of woods near Greensburg, Louisiana. The seventeen-year-old lay in a fetal position, hog-tied on the cold ground.

According to an article from APBNews.com, Dewey “was bound alive with [an] elaborate rigging. Knotted ropes lashed him wrist-to-wrist, ankle-to-ankle, wrists-to-ankle. Another cord was wrapped around his neck to his feet. The more the victim squirmed to break free, the tighter the ropes constricted his breathing until he was asphyxiated.”

No doubt, the killer stood watching, experiencing pleasure as the helpless boy’s final breaths rendered him lifeless. Some accounts of the crime assert that the boy had been sexually assaulted--others state that he wasn’t.

In any event, it was a horrible end to a short, sad life.

On November 12, 1979, deer hunters came upon the body. The victim had long blonde hair, blue-gray eyes, and wore pants that were too big for him.

Police were unable to identify the remains, so residents of the community took up donations to bury him. For twenty-nine years, his headstone read simply: “Unidentified Homicide Victim.”

Louisiana State Police Detective Dennis Stewart had been a child when Dewey was found. In 2000, Stewart obtained necessary court documents to have the body exhumed so additional tests could be performed. Dental records were taken, and DNA obtained from bone marrow. The new information was submitted to several state and national databases, including the FBI’s CODIS (Combined DNA Index System). Still, there was no match.

Later that year, Stewart submitted fingerprints that had been taken at the time of the boy’s discovery to another FBI database. This time there was a match. Records show that Daniel Dewey had been arrested in Baytown, Texas not long before he was murdered. He’d been stopped for driving a motorcycle without a helmet or driver’s license.

The detective contacted Billy Dewey, Danny’s older brother, who described a chaotic childhood. There were four boys, and they grew up in Texas.

“Our mother died in a car accident when I was seven and Danny was six,” Billy Dewey said. “We were all just sort of farmed out after that, going from relative to relative. Our upbringing was pretty rough.”

When Danny was seventeen, the family they were living with moved away, leaving the boys homeless. “The last time I saw Danny,” Billy said, “he was getting on a bus.”

In 2000, Danny was exhumed for the final time. This time he was given a family funeral.

While Detective Stewart was happy to identify Dewey, he can’t rest. There’s still an unidentified killer out there who has gotten away with murder for thirty years.

In fact, Daniel Dewey’s killer is almost certainly responsible for two other murders in the area. On February 1, 1978, the body of Dennis Turcotte, 22, was discovered near Abita Springs, Louisiana. The next month, the remains of Raymond Mark Richardson, 17, were found in a wooded area near Gulfport, Mississippi.

In both cases, the method of killing was the same as that of the Dewey case. “[Turcotte and Richardson] were in a fetal position,” Stewart said, “hog-tied, if you will. When they struggled, the ropes constricted and caused their deaths.”

It seems unlikely that two killers with the same unique MO would be operating in the same area.

What happened to the killer?

“I’m sure it was the same person,” Stewart said. “But after those three it ended. Either the killer died or went to prison.”

Or maybe he was institutionalized, became disabled, moved to another location, or simply stopped killing.

Whatever the case, the deaths of three young men scream for justice. And Detective Stewart is to be commended for his persistence and dedication. Without him, it’s doubtful anyone would have ever known the sad story of Daniel Dewey.

32 comments:

Infidelis americanus said...

PART ONE:
I cant recall clearly what I did this morning, but I can recall with absolute clarity much information regarding the Daniel Dewey murder over thirty years ago in November 1979 when I was fifteen. I assume that these memories stick so hard with me yo this day because of the degree that the incident disturbed me at that point. It disturbs me even now, traumatic "carry-over" from oh-so-long-ago, but also from the bizarre and malevolent nature of the crime.
We lived in south Louisiana until I graduated from high school in 1982, yet at that time we spent numerous weekends in north Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes, especially during hunting season. We had friends and relatives on my father's side there, and we spent nights at a very modest "weekend residence" in the small Tangipahoa town of Kentwood, Louisiana, while spending most of our daytime in neighboring St. Helena Parish. Later, shortly after I graduated from high school, we moved to St. Helena Parish when I started college in the south Tangipahoa Parish town of Hammond, where I remain to this day.
My parents really close friends with a family from Greensburg, and we spent much time there with our parents. My dad's close friend, Jack Foster, was a Department of Highways employee, but he was a volunteer deputy with the St. Helena Parish Sheriff's Office under Sheriff Duncan Bridges. Mr. Jack got really deeply involved in law enforcement work, spending much more time with that than with his actual paid employment. I clearly recall him doing some local narcotics work, and other similar stuff.
My father went with Mr. Jack on a few occasional law enforcement calls, I believe actually doing some photography work on some of the few murders that were committed at that time in the area. Those were uncommon, but not non-existant, and I recall seeing some pictures of an elderly black man that had been shot and left in the woods. It was disturbing to me, and bothered me to a great degree, but not nearly so much as I would soon learn that I could be disturbed by such viewing.
One weekend during deer season of '79, we went to Mr. Jack's, and my brother and I poked around the yard while my parents spoke with Mr. Jack and his wife, Ms. Marie. I could tell by the conversation that the discussion was law enforcement, which was no surprise, and in fact, it was expected. But, judging by the hushed comments when we came near them, and the slightly furtive glances they directed our way, I knew that my parents and the Fosters were discussing something that at least had the propensity to rise to a level such that it would need to be kept from us. The mumbling increased in volume, and the sideways glances stopped,and we were called over to the discussion. In hindsight, I now see with absolute clarity that the decision had been made to expose us in some limited way to the discussion, solely as a way to help assure that we were aware of what could happen to you out in The World. I was fifteen, yes, but it sure seems like a different fifteen than now ... a more innocent time, even if only in perception.
We walked over, and Mr. Jack said, "Boys, I want ya'll to look at what was just found out in the woods by deer hunters", and he handed us a large, oh, probably 8" x 11" color photo. The image is burned into my mind even now...how accurate my memory is of it, I am not sure, but I could bet with some effort that I could identify it from a handful of different shots of the very same case, if such were even in existence then, and somehow able to be found today.
(CONTINUED)

Infidelis americanus said...

PART TWO:

There was a kid about my age, lying on his side on the lightly pine-straw covered ground. He was stark white in complexion with long, fine, and straight blond hair that rose somewhat upward from the top of his head almost as if his hair had been combed up, sprayed with hair spray enough so that some of it stayed poking upward even when gravity was working against it. He had on jeans, oversized shoes, and a black T short with "Sex is Better than Weed if You Have the Right Pusher!", and "Sworn to Fun, Loyal to None" on it. He was all tied up in some extremely weird configuration, multiple rows of 3/8" or so of white cordage snaking uniformly across his body, and it even seems to me now like there were layers of the longish hair streaming from the back of his head tucked evenly between successive rows of the offending rope winding around his neck.
I recall Mr. Jack telling me that the kid had been "hung upside down" by the bizarre and quite disturbing hog-tie rigging that he had been subjected to, and that the streamers of hair rising from his head were due to being hung upside down. We were told by Mr. Jack that there were two similar murders in nearby rural areas, and that the others...or at least one of them...were far more decomposed and even "partially eaten by 'possums and whatnot".
As you can imagine, this was a big deal then and it became frequent fodder for discussion for months or even years later, and the other things that still bounce around now in my mind are not nearly so clear, especially as to when/where I may have heard it. Some of it is as clear in my mind now as the foregoing, some not, and one thing in particular still stands clear in my memory. From the foregoing "less-than-clear-as-to-time,-place,-and-speaker" category, it seems that I recall some autopsy commentary from some point later on that there was one or more abrasions on his lower back, etc., with speculation that it was sue to the fact that he was tied up and moved into and out of a vehicle's trunk multiple times, likely being "held for days" and moved into and out of the vehicle, and I can recall Mr. Jack often referring, even if unintentionally, to multiple offenders, like "they did this", or the like.
On the day I was fisrt informed of this, I also clearly recall just like it was said to me yesterday Mrs. Marie saying to us, "See, now, that's why you never, ever get into a vehicle with someone you don't know. See what they did to this young boy? They took him, tied him up, and they hung him ip by these ropes and they raped his anus many many times, then they killed him and threw him away in the woods. Ya'll need to remember that!" (Incidentally, although Mr. Jack has been long deceased, Ms. Marie still lives there, and I definitely took her admonition to "remember that" well to heart to this very day). I recall later seeing somewhere in official paperwork that the victim was suspected of frequenting areas of male prostitution in new Orleans, most vividly recalling the reference of, I believe, "chickenhawk", "chickenhawk area", or something like that to describe this sort of prostitution.
(CONTINUED)

Infidelis americanus said...

PART THREE:

I can recall various other tidbits from that general time, most clearly something told to my father by Mr. Jack at some point months after that disturbing day. He told dad, and by default me since I was sitting in the same vehicle) that he (Mr. Jack) had gone to interview an inmate at some jail or prison in regard to the murder. Who this guy was, where he was, what he was incarcerated for, or even how he came to be a person of interest I have absolutely no idea whatsoever, but I recall Mr. Jack saying that he had "sat down with this guy and started to interview him", and at some relatively innocuous point in the conversation intended to disarm the suspect, he (Mr. Jack) slid crime scene photos of the victims across the table to the guy, asking "what can you tell us about this?!" or something like that. He said that the guy glanced down, saw the pictures for a split second, then slid them back very forcefully at Mr. Jack, saying "Get that disgusting shit the fuck outta my face!!". Then, at some point well into the most disgusting details of the conversation/interrogation, the guy's face and eyes suddenly "glazed over", and he reached out, picked up the photos, and began to pull them close to his face, turning them around at all angles while staring intently at them, studying them very closely in rapt silence until they had to finally reach over and take them back from him to get him to continue the interrogation.
As I said, Mr. Jack died many years later, and I have never forgotten this young boy, and I can recall seeing his local grave several times with it's sad and simple "Unidentified Homicide Victim" marker in Pine Hill Cemetery a few miles from my home in the Sixth Ward of St. Helena Parish. I would think of this young boy many times over the years, and then, many years later, when Trooper Dennis Stewart had the body exhumed and finally IDed the boy, it brought me right back to those photos of the unidentified young boy who was tortured, killed, and thrown down like a cigarette butt on the cold, wet ground so far from his home.
Considering the leaps and bounds made in technology that this case, with its uncollected contenporary evidence, voluminous by today's standard, and with several of its victims tied together by their shared place of employment, I still now find myself thinking about it from time to time, hoping to hear that Dennis (Trooper Stewart, a personal acquaintance of mine) found the no-good, predatory son-of-a-bitch that perpetuated these horrible, sick crimes. I even recall a point a few years ago when Dennis was looking into this cold case, calling him one night after watching a documentary about some sicko pervert who was luring young men into the woods of the Florida panhandle with promises of payment for their posing for bondage type photographs, then tiring them up and killing them, time after time until one finally escaped and brought the bastard to justice. From online info, it seems that I had figured that the guy would have been of the age of majority in '78-'79, and thus possibly the perpetrator of these horrible crimes in "the Florida Parishes" of southeast Louisiana, and the gulf coast of Mississippi. It was an extremely tenuous link at best, and I felt a bit silly afterward, this despite the fact that Dennis thanked me and told me that the LSP "had contacts with' the Discovery Channel'", and that he would "check it out". I seriously doubt that Dennis ever even thought about it again after my call, and that's totally understandable. I am sure that they get all sorts of silly amateur gumshoe advice all the time. I mean, Dennis is a good guy, and he showed it even then by not laughing and hanging up on me.
CONTINUED

Infidelis americanus said...

PART FOUR:
After Danny Dewey was finally IDed by Dennis, a good friend of mine's mother had occasion to speak with Dewey's family members around the time they took custody of Dewey's remains, and I believe that she somehow heard that Dewey was a Deadhead, following the Grateful Dead around to concert after concert, although I am not at all sure of that.

I hope that one day the monster that did this is caught. Surely, if there really is a Hell, he is headed that way, the sick, demented, and evil predatory bastard.

Robert A. Waters said...

Hi, Can you send PART TWO, THREE, & FOUR separately? My blog won't let me publish them altogether. Thanks for your compelling inside information. Robert

Infidelis americanus said...

PART TWO:

There was a kid about my age, lying on his side on the lightly pine-straw covered ground. He was stark white in complexion with long, fine, and straight blond hair that rose somewhat upward from the top of his head almost as if his hair had been combed up, sprayed with hair spray enough so that some of it stayed poking upward even when gravity was working against it. He had on jeans, oversized shoes, and a black T short with "Sex is Better than Weed if You Have the Right Pusher!", and "Sworn to Fun, Loyal to None" on it. He was all tied up in some extremely weird configuration, multiple rows of 3/8" or so of white cordage snaking uniformly across his body, and it even seems to me now like there were layers of the longish hair streaming from the back of his head tucked evenly between successive rows of the offending rope winding around his neck.
I recall Mr. Jack telling me that the kid had been "hung upside down" by the bizarre and quite disturbing hog-tie rigging that he had been subjected to, and that the streamers of hair rising from his head were due to being hung upside down. We were told by Mr. Jack that there were two similar murders in nearby rural areas, and that the others...or at least one of them...were far more decomposed and even "partially eaten by 'possums and whatnot".
As you can imagine, this was a big deal then and it became frequent fodder for discussion for months or even years later, and the other things that still bounce around now in my mind are not nearly so clear, especially as to when/where I may have heard it. Some of it is as clear in my mind now as the foregoing, some not, and one thing in particular still stands clear in my memory. From the foregoing "less-than-clear-as-to-time,-place,-and-speaker" category, it seems that I recall some autopsy commentary from some point later on that there was one or more abrasions on his lower back, etc., with speculation that it was sue to the fact that he was tied up and moved into and out of a vehicle's trunk multiple times, likely being "held for days" and moved into and out of the vehicle, and I can recall Mr. Jack often referring, even if unintentionally, to multiple offenders, like "they did this", or the like.
On the day I was fisrt informed of this, I also clearly recall just like it was said to me yesterday Mrs. Marie saying to us, "See, now, that's why you never, ever get into a vehicle with someone you don't know. See what they did to this young boy? They took him, tied him up, and they hung him ip by these ropes and they raped his anus many many times, then they killed him and threw him away in the woods. Ya'll need to remember that!" (Incidentally, although Mr. Jack has been long deceased, Ms. Marie still lives there, and I definitely took her admonition to "remember that" well to heart to this very day). I recall later seeing somewhere in official paperwork that the victim was suspected of frequenting areas of male prostitution in new Orleans, most vividly recalling the reference of, I believe, "chickenhawk", "chickenhawk area", or something like that to describe this sort of prostitution.
(CONTINUED)

Infidelis americanus said...

PART THREE:

I can recall various other tidbits from that general time, most clearly something told to my father by Mr. Jack at some point months after that disturbing day. He told dad, and by default me since I was sitting in the same vehicle) that he (Mr. Jack) had gone to interview an inmate at some jail or prison in regard to the murder. Who this guy was, where he was, what he was incarcerated for, or even how he came to be a person of interest I have absolutely no idea whatsoever, but I recall Mr. Jack saying that he had "sat down with this guy and started to interview him", and at some relatively innocuous point in the conversation intended to disarm the suspect, he (Mr. Jack) slid crime scene photos of the victims across the table to the guy, asking "what can you tell us about this?!" or something like that. He said that the guy glanced down, saw the pictures for a split second, then slid them back very forcefully at Mr. Jack, saying "Get that disgusting shit the fuck outta my face!!". Then, at some point well into the most disgusting details of the conversation/interrogation, the guy's face and eyes suddenly "glazed over", and he reached out, picked up the photos, and began to pull them close to his face, turning them around at all angles while staring intently at them, studying them very closely in rapt silence until they had to finally reach over and take them back from him to get him to continue the interrogation.
As I said, Mr. Jack died many years later, and I have never forgotten this young boy, and I can recall seeing his local grave several times with it's sad and simple "Unidentified Homicide Victim" marker in Pine Hill Cemetery a few miles from my home in the Sixth Ward of St. Helena Parish. I would think of this young boy many times over the years, and then, many years later, when Trooper Dennis Stewart had the body exhumed and finally IDed the boy, it brought me right back to those photos of the unidentified young boy who was tortured, killed, and thrown down like a cigarette butt on the cold, wet ground so far from his home.
Considering the leaps and bounds made in technology that this case, with its uncollected contenporary evidence, voluminous by today's standard, and with several of its victims tied together by their shared place of employment, I still now find myself thinking about it from time to time, hoping to hear that Dennis (Trooper Stewart, a personal acquaintance of mine) found the no-good, predatory son-of-a-bitch that perpetuated these horrible, sick crimes. I even recall a point a few years ago when Dennis was looking into this cold case, calling him one night after watching a documentary about some sicko pervert who was luring young men into the woods of the Florida panhandle with promises of payment for their posing for bondage type photographs, then tiring them up and killing them, time after time until one finally escaped and brought the bastard to justice. From online info, it seems that I had figured that the guy would have been of the age of majority in '78-'79, and thus possibly the perpetrator of these horrible crimes in "the Florida Parishes" of southeast Louisiana, and the gulf coast of Mississippi. It was an extremely tenuous link at best, and I felt a bit silly afterward, this despite the fact that Dennis thanked me and told me that the LSP "had contacts with' the Discovery Channel'", and that he would "check it out". I seriously doubt that Dennis ever even thought about it again after my call, and that's totally understandable. I am sure that they get all sorts of silly amateur gumshoe advice all the time. I mean, Dennis is a good guy, and he showed it even then by not laughing and hanging up on me.
CONTINUED

Infidelis americanus said...

PART FOUR:
After Danny Dewey was finally IDed by Dennis, a good friend of mine's mother had occasion to speak with Dewey's family members around the time they took custody of Dewey's remains, and I believe that she somehow heard that Dewey was a Deadhead, following the Grateful Dead around to concert after concert, although I am not at all sure of that.

I hope that one day the monster that did this is caught. Surely, if there really is a Hell, he is headed that way, the sick, demented, and evil predatory bastard.

jamesl said...

This case has fascinated me for some time. What has never been mentioned is that the mode of murder in this case is a method apparently favoured by the Italian Mafia. It was called 'acrapattamento' meaning hogtied, and was inflicted on people who they were somehow disgusted by or upon whom they wished to pass a judgement. Hence it was intended as a slow torture death.
regards to all.

Infidelis americanus said...

https://www.nola.com/news/crime_police/article_9889fd16-b472-5f5f-9922-3da4f06eb7be.html

Unknown said...

Are you in contact with Detective Stewart?

Robert A. Waters said...

I am not in contact with Detective Stewart. If you have info, contact the Louisiana State Police at 225-925-6006.

jamesl said...

IM sorry to ask a morbid question but does anyone know the EXACT loctions of where Daniel Dewey and the other bodies were found.Would be useful for mapping to find patterns.I know Mark Richardson was found off Menge Avenue and Dennis Turcotte was found near Talisheek, but there is nothing more specific.

Blessed Life Of A Young Mom said...

Can I ask why? I am/was his niece, just curious.

jamesl said...

I suppose in trying to work out who committed these murders and why they were committed, knowing exactly where victims were located can maybe help in establishing patterns. The assumption has always been that the victims were picked up in New orleans. Dennis Turcotte was from Slidell and was found in the same Parish. Mark Richardson was from gulfport and was found near there. That may be coincidence but it seems rather odd. Alot of the reporting about the cases is also very contradictory in terms of descriptions of the victims, ages etc. Some cases just really capture the imagine and i dont think these three killing were ever investigated enough.

jamesl said...

Did anyone listen to the recent New Orleans unsolved podcast? An old newspaper article from 1997 was found when Dennis Stewart was working the case. IT included and interview with Dennis Turcottes parents stated they dont believe he ever worked at Jimmys coney island hot dog stand. Somweone claiming to have been abused by a prominent corrupt policeman from the 70s said he told him the manager of this restaurant ( whose name was redacted for the podcast thought it should be common knowledge) had a predilection for tying up boys in such a way that they were hogtied and if they resisted they would choke. I believe more than one person was involved in the rope murders. To overpower young men and tie them up so intricately, even if they were sedated. Also having to lift them into a car trunk etc. If any of these victims clothes or any of the rope has been preserved, it will have DNA. A rape and murder case from 1981 waas recently solved using familial DNA thought the perpetrator was long dead. Just an idea.

jamesl said...

I have just discovered this case from Spain. Luis Gregorio Ramírez Maestre. He would hail motorbike taxis favouing young males with slight builds. he would smother his driver till he passed out, careful not to kill him. He would then tie him to a tree using a system of knots similar to what was probably used in these cases. The victims werent hogtied but were tied at the legs, wrists, with the largest knot being around their necks. They were hung with their legs at 45 degree angle. Any movement to relieve tiredeness of legs set in motion a system which triggered the knot at the wrist which in turn activated the knot at the neck. Sheer exhaustion would cause the victim to self strangle. The killer is now in prison for a long time. He has been referred to as a psychopath. He rejects this saying his victims killed themselves !!. My main interest in this case was firstly the sad background of Daniel Dewey and the pathology behind why someone would kill in this way. Unfortunately most of the material on this killer is in Spanish and i know very little of this language. Interviews with the killer could provide some insight. Its sadism but it is not a sexual bondage issue. I have always commended Robert Watters for covering this case. There are many channels on youtube claiming to cover unsolved Louisiana. They Never mention this casee though.

Robert A. Waters said...

Thank you for your email and the info on Maestre. Never heard of him but his MO seems similar to the Dewey killer.

Infidelis americanus said...

Dennis Stewart has retired.

jamesl said...

I thought he had retired a few years back. I once managed to grab a quick conversation with him on FB about this case. It was when THe New Orleans Unsolved podcast was runnning which looked at these murders. It was brief but i mentioned the strange pattern. Turcotte and Rchardson were killed in the same month. Although one of these was found after a month and hence was badly decomposed, both were easily identified as they had wallets. Its almost two years until the Daniel Dewey case. THe killer ensured that in this case, identification was initially impossible.Also some strange things going on with clothing and shoes. It was mentioned Dewey had shoes that were too big and on the wrong feet. Dennis TUrcotte had gone out on tuesday january 31 1978 while staying with his brother in mid New ORleans. It was Mardi Gras and he had apparently found a full magicians costume to wear. He was found by deer hunters the morning of feb 3rd in a t shirt trousers and bare foot! This gap of almost two years is as baffling as the sudden ending after Dewey.
In the case of Luis Gregorio Ramirez Maestre I made one or two errors. These killings happened in Columbia and Maestre took advantage of a number of cities. From every victim he would take a trophy of sorts. Perhaps this happened in the Dewey/Turcotte/ Richardson trio. THe New Orleans unsolved podcast is interesting. It focuses on a corrupt New Orleans Cop, currently in jail. He would abuse boys and show them photos of hogtied males etc to frighten them. Its worth a listen and there is certainly some circumstantial evidence.

Infidelis americanus said...

I'd like to listen to that podcast. Can you link me?

jamesl said...

HI. It was fascinating to read your now ten years old account of seeing the photograph, it must have been very disturbing. I dont have a link, they are called New Orleans unsolved, the podcast is available through any podcast provider. They originally started two years ago as an intestigation into the mysterious death of a 17 yr old street hustler named Edward Welles. HIs body was fished out the River in may 1982 and his death ruled unconclusive. I believe the autopsy reports were destroyed by hurrricane Katrina. THey were investigating his connection to a corrupt cop Stanley Burkhardt who was first imprisoned in 1987.Ironically he was head of child protection unit and it turned out he had a predilection for young boys especially though he was also i believe convicted of molesting his niece. It was only at a later stage that the hogtie murders were mentioned. This cop would show photos to boys he was abusing to frighten them and he had many hogtie pictures. Of course as a policeman, he would have access to these. The podcast providers had a converstaion with danny Deweys older brother, who apparently last saw Danny may 1979. He detailed some items that Danny had with him that were of sentimental importance though these werent specified. At Christmas 1979. Burkhardt gave a gift to one of his 'boy's which was'very similar' to something that had belonged to Danny Dewey. Of course without this being specified its hard to know how concrete this is as evidence. For these murders i think more of a gang. Incidentally, Dennis Stewart did not think Burhardt was the guy. I dont speak to podcast providers as it was made pretty evident i was unwelcome. They are very woke, im not. https://neworleansunsolved.com/ this link should get you to the episodes.

jamesl said...

To all those interested in the murder of Dennis Turcotte, Raymond Mark Richardson and Daniel Wayne Dewey, an new podcast has started this week called ' The Rope Murders'. Its season 2 of New Orleans unsolved. These bizarre rope murders were touched upon in Season 1, Season 2 is a more detailed examination. Episode 1 was released this week. Named Talisheek, it covered the death of Dennis Turcotte, murdered in early 1978. I don't have a link, but the series is on Spotify, Apple and probably all podcast providers. I first learned of these murders thanks to Mr Waters 2010 article on Daniel Dewey and his short sad life and cruel death. Very little information was available so 45 years later, we now have a detailed examination of these awful killings.

Robert A. Waters said...

jamesl, glad to hear you haven't let the Dewey case drop out of sight and out of mind. What a sad, sad story. Gonna try to find your podcast and learn more.

Infidelis americanus said...

Jamesl, I could probably put you on the spot where this unfortunate young man was found. I'd have to ask my father. If not, I'm sure Dennis Stewart could help you out with that. I'm still haunted by this to some degree. I can't recall for sure now if he was found by fox hunters or deer hunters. Back then, people still did at large chase only foxhunting to listen to the hounds run. I'm fairly certain it was deer hunters. I'd like to listen to that podcast. The chances that the guy that did this horrific murder is still around are slim and getting slimmer. I was about 15 then, and I'm 59 now. Dewey would've been a couple/few years north of me. I can say, however, that my father, at 81, is still around, as is my mother, so the sicko that did this could absolutely still be casting a shadow on this planet somewhere. I have a feeling he died or was jailed not too long after he did these murders. You don't do things like that and just stop for $hits and giggles, you know? I recall a quote from Dewey's older brother, who had for years held out hope that his little brother would just show up one day with his own family. I believe that there was some family misfortune, with Dewey and his sibling(s) maybe having lost their parents, then having had to be sort of spread out to various family members. That was a lot of misfortune heaped onto these youngsters for absolutely no fault whatsoever of their own, obviously. I wish Dewey's brother could have gotten the wish he had held out hope for for those many years.

jamesl said...

Hi I found the location, it's pumping aStation Road. At the time it ended at a garbage dump and the body was dumped at the entrance That would be sw of Greensburg. I think these were targeted killings though the ,the method chosen was pure thrill kill.. The killer was probably criminally versatile and ended up in jail. For all we know he may be dead .The podcast is run by thanh truong and Anna christie. Season2 is the rope murders

jamesl said...

Apart from some old audioi
Interviews with Stewart dating to the late 90s, he does not seem to be actively participating in the podcast . I am personally blocked from their Facebook and 8bstagram for challenging ideas. They have their own narrative they are following and woe betide anyone who disagrees

Infidelis americanus said...

Now that you say it, James, I recall it perfectly. I'm very familiar with the area.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....let me see if I can read into what you are saying - "challenging ideas", "own narrative", "woe betide anyone who disagrees", and blocked from social media. Uhhh Ohhh, that sounds like James is getting accused of being a little suspiciously right of center (which even center nowadays makes you "evil"). Now, I may be wrong there, but pretty much the only ones who get accused of all manner of wrongdoing and get canceled, silenced, blocked, barred, accused, etc., are NOT those left of center! Now, I may be reading you wrong, but again, if you are being accused of having "improper ideas", you are being summarily silenced, blocked, and canceled, I can't even remotely imagine that it's for being left leaning. Did I nail it? ;)

jamesl said...

you nailed it absolutely.

jamesl said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jamesl said...

I removed the last comment has elements bave been shown to be untrue. I stand by my opening words about the 'Woke' and misrepresenting me as a paedophile apologist. I am anything but. Dennis Stewart did indeed participate in the podcast via direct telephone interview. I personally feel ( thought im willing to admit if im wrong) this podcast will go in the same direction as Season 1. The main focus was Edward Wells died 1982. They concluded Stanley Burkhardt, disgraced New orleans cop is responsible for the rope killings. Burkhardt subjected vulnerable boys to appalling sexual and psychological abuse. He would show them crime scene photos of dead boys ( including hogtied) to control them. I do not believe however that Burkhardt is a killer. I once randomly contacted Dennis Stewart on facebook to boldly ask a couple of questions about the case. He graciously gave me a couple of minutes before probably blocking me as i was waffling on about all sorts of tangents. He did say that Burkhardt was not the man for these rope murders. I have learned from an inside source, Burkhardt has been considered twice and eliminated. Americanus infidelus, i would love to talk to you in private. I dont know if this is allowed but i leave my email address. Brownj507@gmail.com. My apologies to blog author for wasting your time with last message i had to delete.

jamesl said...

Any thoughts on the direction the podcast is going in? It is certainly fascinating. There is an alternative line of innquiry that doent involve Burkhardt but the podcasters dont seem interested in it. Plaquemines pparish john doe is dubious. THe suicide note, pervasive melancholy, i cant imagine writinng half that stuff. I once attempted suicde- it was so spontaneous i didnt leave a note. I survived it so was left with no choice but to just , you know sighs, go on living.Bad health overtaking me now though. TOdays episode brought in new victims. Raymond Richardson didnt have therope around his neck. Thats a key Difference. He had sommeone elses Id put on him. THis person is still alive and cant be mentioned. Was he asked about losing his Id? did sommeone steal it? it was left up in the air. Im my own worst enemy,that is why i end up being blocked. I dont let overbearing women put me on a leash. I once did, i learned my lesson !.