From AV Club · · 1m 20s
Bayou crimes mostly go unpunished in HBO doc
HBO's The Pet Cemetery Murders reveals Louisiana's 1985 pet cemetery owner murder remains unsolved after 25 years.
In brief
HBO's The Pet Cemetery Murders reveals Louisiana's 1985 pet cemetery owner murder remains unsolved after 25 years. HBO's The Pet Cemetery Murders shows how a 1985 Louisiana pet cemetery owner's murder went unsolved for 25 years due to weak evidence and Hurricane Katrina. Originally reported by AV Club.
HBO doc explores Louisiana murder
HBO's The Pet Cemetery Murders examines a 1985 Louisiana pet cemetery owner's murder that went unsolved for 25 years.
Dorothy Lou Thompson's case
Dorothy Lou Thompson owned a pet cemetery in Toca, LA, a region of St. Bernard Parish near New Orleans.
1985 murder discovery
Thompson's body was found in the Mississippi River bound in chains in 1985.
Local rumors about murder
Locals suspected Thompson's caretaker killed her to access buried money from her cemetery.
25-year unsolved case
The case remained unsolved for 25 years due to weak evidence and Hurricane Katrina.
Ghost story rumors
A 2009 report claimed Thompson's ghost visited people demanding justice from St. Bernard police.
Hurricane Katrina impact
Hurricane Katrina washed away evidence that investigators were using to solve the case.
Historical context
Toca was named after a slave-holding judge involved in the St. Bernard Massacre of 35 freed Black people.
Current status
The case remains unsolved after 25 years with no convictions despite interviews with suspects.
What matters most
HBO's The Pet Cemetery Murders shows how a 1985 Louisiana pet cemetery owner's murder went unsolved for 25 years due to weak evidence and Hurricane Katrina.
