Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office

Investigators on Scene of Fatal Fire in Bayou Blue

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced deputies are on the scene of an early morning house fire in the 300 block of Louise Lane in Bayou Blue. Multiple fatalities have occurred as a result of the fire.

The Bayou Blue Volunteer Fire Department responded to the call of the fire around 3:45 a.m. in the 300 block of Louise Lane.

The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office is conducting an ongoing investigation in cooperation with the Louisiana Office of the State Fire Marshal. More information will be provided when it can be made available.

MISSING PERSON: Cullan Folse

7/12/2024 UPDATE: Folse has been found and is safe.

ORIGINAL RELEASE:

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre is asking for the public’s help in locating 32-year-old Cullan Fredrick Folse of Raceland. He was last seen in Raceland on July 2, 2024. The vehicle he is known to drive, a white 2007 Chevrolet Silverado, LA plate C938182, was last known to be on Airline Highway in Jefferson Parish, near the Metairie/New Orleans line. Folse is described as 5’9″ tall, weighing approximately 200 pounds with brown hair. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office at (985) 532-2808, or simply dial 911.

Two Charged with Murder in Cold Case from 1986

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced two people have been arrested and charged with the murder of a Golden Meadow woman in 1986. Russell Lee and Judith “Judy” Weiser have been charged with the murder of 22-year-old Paula Boudreaux back in August of 1986.

Boudreaux was last seen at her parents’ Golden Meadow home on August 3, 1986. On August 6, her family reported her missing to the Golden Meadow Police Department. In January 1989, skeletal remains were found in Slidell, La., which could not be properly identified at the time. In 2022, the St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office submitted details to the LSU Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services (FACES) Laboratory to try to help in identifying the remains. After rendering a possible image of the person’s face, an anonymous tipster submitted Boudreaux’s name in an attempt to identify the remains. In coordination, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office investigators then collected DNA evidence from one of Boudreaux’s surviving relatives which was then submitted for analysis. In January 2023, the St. Tammany Coroner’s Office identified the remains as Boudreaux.

From that point, detectives re-opened the old case to attempt to pick up the investigation. They followed up with surviving friends and family members and those with knowledge about Boudreaux’s disappearance, and they reviewed all case notes from previous investigators. Lee and Weiser were immediately developed as persons of interest as detectives learned Lee was in relationships with both Boudreaux and Weiser at the time of Boudreaux’s murder. Investigators found Lee had amassed a violent criminal history since 1986, including aggravated charges of kidnapping, assault, battery, burglary, and arson among many others. They also found statements and evidence implicating both in the incident. Investigators concluded that Lee and Weiser allegedly killed Boudreaux, dismembered her body, and dumped the remains in Slidell. They obtained arrest warrants for both.

LPSO detectives traveled to Missouri and Tennessee this week to assist with the arrest of both individuals. On July 9, 2024, with the help of the Mountain Grove Police Department, Lee was taken into custody in Missouri. Then on July 10, 2024, Weiser was taken into custody in Tennessee with the assistance of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. Both Lee and Weiser were charged with second degree murder and obstruction of justice. They will be transported and booked into the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex. Bail is set at $1.1 million each.

Two Men Injured in Saturday Evening Shooting Incident in Thibodaux

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced detectives are investigating a shooting incident that occurred in Thibodaux Saturday evening. Two men were injured in the incident.

Just after 7:15 p.m. on June 29, 2024, deputies responded to the 100 block of Park Avenue in Thibodaux in reference to a man in his 40s having been shot in the hand. When deputies arrived, they rendered first aid to the victim. He was later transported to a hospital for treatment. While on scene, deputies learned a second person, a man in his 30s, was also being treated for a gunshot wound at a local hospital. Both are expected to recover from the injuries.

Anyone with any information on this incident is asked to submit a tip anonymously to Bayou Region Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-743-7433, online at CrimeStoppersBR.org, or via the Bayou Tips app on mobile devices. Tipsters could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.00 in cash if the information leads to an arrest.

Detectives Investigating Early Sunday Morning Shooting in Bayou Blue

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced detectives are investigating a weekend shooting in Bayou Blue that left one person injured.

At around 2 a.m. on Sunday, June 23, 2024, deputies received reports of gunshots in the area of Palmisano Drive in Bayou Blue. Deputies then received a report that a woman in her 30s had suffered a gunshot wound to the leg. The wound was not life-threatening. Through investigation, deputies learned the suspected shooter was a white male with tattoos on his chest, neck and arms. He is believed to be a resident of Bayou Blue.

DWI Checkpoint Planned for June 28, 2024

Sheriff Craig Webre announced the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will conduct a DWI checkpoint in Lafourche Parish. The checkpoint will begin on the evening of Friday, June 28, 2024, and will continue into the early morning hours of Saturday, June 29. During the checkpoint, deputies will be looking for drivers who are possibly impaired while checking for other traffic safety issues. These checkpoints are designed to help raise awareness for these types of violations and make the highways of the parish safer for all motorists.

MISSING PERSON: Jermaine Ross

UPDATE: Jermaine Ross has been found and is safe.

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre is asking for the public’s help in locating 33-year-old Jermaine Ross of Serenity Drive in Thibodaux. He was last seen walking out of his residence at around 1:15 a.m. on June 20, 2024.

Ross suffers from a mental disorder. He is described as 6’0″ tall, weighing approximately 180 pounds with black hair. He was last seen wearing a white shirt, dark-colored shorts, and no shoes. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office at (985) 532-2808, or simply dial 911.

Sheriff Webre Announces Details on 2024 Property Tax Title Sale

Sheriff Craig Webre announced the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will host a property tax title sale at beginning at 8 a.m. on July 10, 2024, and concluding at noon on July 11, 2024, or earlier if all properties are sold. By hosting the sale online, bidders who would not normally be able to attend the auction in person can still participate.

This sale is open to the general public. Online registration is open LPSO.net/TaxSale until noon on July 1, 2024. After registering online, users can access videos explaining auction procedures. A list of available properties will be available beginning June 20, 2024. Bidders are encouraged to participate online from the comfort and privacy of their computers.

A property tax title sale is the sale of properties with delinquent taxes due. The tax titles for these properties are sold to the public for the amount of the delinquent taxes due, plus any accrued interest, penalties, costs, and other statutory impositions. The tax title sale is a “low bid wins” style auction in which the property is sold to the purchaser willing to bid on the least percent ownership interest in the property. All taxes and fees are the responsibility of the bidder regardless of the percentage of ownership bid. Payment for all bids placed will be debited from the account provided when entering the auction. Those funds will be debited after the close of the auction. Payment must be made in full, and all sales are final. Failure to have funds available or false bids will result in the bidding individual or firm being unable to participate in future Lafourche Parish property tax title sales.

To avoid having property sold at the tax sale, property owners must pay property taxes by 11:59 p.m. on July 9, 2024. Bills not paid in full by that time will result in the property being sold at the tax sale. Tax payments can be made in person at the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office Administration Office (200 Canal Boulevard, Thibodaux) or the South Lafourche Substation (102 W. 91st Street, Cut Off). Only cash, certified check or money order will be accepted. For additional information, property owners can call (985) 449-4430.

This auction and all future tax sales can be viewed online at LPSO.net/TaxSale. Using the convenient search options, bidders can set the parameters for any property that falls within their interests and budget.

Free Hunter Education Field Day Scheduled for August 10, 2024

The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office will host a FREE Hunter Education Field Day on Saturday, August 10, 2024. The Field Day will occur from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the LPSO Shooting Range at 3451 Highway 182 in Raceland. The Field Day is recommended for those ages 14 or older, and participants must have completed the home study course.

As an alternative to the traditional two-day classroom course, the Home Study Course is available online through the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries website. Those who complete the home study course MUST take their completion voucher to a “Field Day” to complete their hunter education. Entry to the Field Day will be denied unless the completed forms are presented. There will be a written test required to complete the Field Day. Class size is limited. Advance registration is required. CLICK HERE to register for the Field Day.

Firearms and ammunition should NOT be brought to this course, but snacks are permitted. For more information, or for assistance with online registration, call the LPSO Training Academy at (985) 449-4481 weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or email Captain Kevin Johnson at kevin-johnson@lpso.net.

Detectives Investigating Incident with a Toy Gun Pointed at a Deputy

Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre announced detectives are investigating an incident wherein a toy gun was pulled on an off-duty deputy early Monday morning.

During the early morning hours of June 10, 2024, an off-duty deputy was traveling in the central Lafourche Parish area when she noticed she was being followed closely by a pickup truck. At around 1:30 a.m., the off-duty deputy pulled into the parking lot at the LPSO Criminal Operations Center in Lockport, and the truck followed. The truck stopped in the parking lot, and a passenger exited and pointed a gun at the deputy’s vehicle before leaving the area.

The off-duty deputy reported the incident and followed the vehicle to the area of Central Lafourche Drive. Additional deputies responded to the area and conducted a traffic stop. Deputies identified the occupants of the truck as three teenage males. All were detained and questioned about the incident. They also located three gel blaster guns painted to appear as real firearms. No charges have yet been filed, but the investigation into this incident is continuing.

Through investigation, deputies learned the teenagers thought they were following a friend’s vehicle and were unaware they were actually following a deputy instead. Sheriff Webre said it is important for parents and children to fully understand the risks involved with handling toy guns or replica guns designed to look like real firearms.

“Because the goal is to look like an actual firearm, neither a deputy nor a citizen would be able to tell the difference in a split-second when one is pointed at them, especially at night,” said Sheriff Webre. “Thankfully, this situation ended peacefully for all involved, but these teens’ mistake of thinking they were following friends could have had potentially deadly consequences. I urge everyone to use extreme caution when displaying firearms or realistic-looking weapons in public places, and never point a gun at anyone without legal justification. I also strongly recommend to never modify toy guns to look like an actual firearm.”