Charges dropped in decades-long unsolved case in Lafourche Parish

LAFOURCHE PARISH (THIBODAUX) — Charges have been dropped in a decades-long unsolved case that has shaken the Lafourche Parish community. Russell Lee and Judith Weiser, accused of murdering 23-year-old Paula Boudreaux in 1986, faced a grand jury on October 22, which ultimately declined to indict them.

In July, Lee and Weiser were extradited and taken into custody by the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. They were charged with second-degree murder and obstruction of justice, with each being held on $1 million bail.

Following the grand jury’s decision, the Lafourche Parish Prosecutor’s Office issued a press release:

“After careful review of the evidence, the grand jury pre-missed the case. That means they determined there wasn’t enough evidence for the state to prosecute. However, the case remains open and the grand jury may consider any additional evidence if it later discovers any.

The case, which has haunted the community for nearly four decades, remains unsolved, but officials stress it is still an active investigation.

READ THIS STORY FROM THE BEGINNING:

Nearly four decades after Paula Boudreaux disappeared, law enforcement has arrested a man and woman, once married, in connection with her murder.

A trip into the past

Paula, who was 22 at the time of her disappearance in August 1986, disappeared after attending a Catholic fair in her hometown, Golden Meadow, with one of her sisters.

“She was brought home by one of my sisters who was still living there with my mother and everything…” said Van Boudreaux, Paula’s older brother, “and she was actually lured – we knew that he had lured her there, and they murdered her.”

Van is third in a family of seven; that August day was the last time Van laid eyes on Paula. “She is second to last on the list as far as age goes.”

In July, Van explored his old neighborhood of Golden Meadow, a place filled with memories of Paula, with KATC Investigates.

As he passed through familiar streets, the truck approached his childhood home and his old shrimp shop. “That’s where my parents’ house was, right across the street, you know?” » Van pointed out.

Paula was allegedly killed in the house across the street from the Boudreaux family home. “That’s the house where she was murdered. That’s where they found the DNA.” No evidence has reportedly been found inside the home at this time.

Statel Boudreaux

At the time, Paula was rumored to be seeing a man named Russell Lee, who was married to a woman named Judith Weiser. Rumor has it that Weiser threatened Paula with a candy cane knife before she disappeared.

Four days after her disappearance, Paula’s family reported her. Three years later, in 1989, skeletal remains were discovered by hunters in the Slidell woods, but it would take more than 30 years for these remains to be identified as someone other than “Jane Doe.”

“People were in shock.”

“Can you just tell me how you remember Paula?”

“A quiet little girl; You never heard her, she was very alone.

Etatl Boudreaux, a lifelong neighbor and relative, expressed his sincere condolences, saying he truly understood the profound loss the Boudreaux family has experienced.

“I still have my boys, but my daughter died 21 years ago… so I know the feeling of losing a child. We are a tough family, we all grew up rough.

In 2022, more than 30 years after her disappearance, the St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office submitted the 1986 skeletal remains to the LSU FACES laboratory for DNA testing.

When Paula’s DNA was compared to that of her relatives, it confirmed her identity. “That’s when she became the Jane Doe we were looking for,” Van said.

According to the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, “Investigators concluded that the couple allegedly killed Paula, dismembered her body and dumped her remains in Slidell.”

Where are we now?

Following Paula’s identification, Lee and Weiser became persons of interest, and in July, Van received a call from a Lafourche Parish detective.

““…I wanted to let you know that we will be making the arrests,”” Van told KATC, quoting the detective.

On July 9 and 10, 2024, Lee and Weiser were taken into custody – Lee in Missouri, Weiser in Tennessee – and extradited to Lafourche Parish. They are each charged with second-degree murder and obstruction of justice, with bonds set at $1.1 million each.

No formal charges have been filed as of the date of this report.

“It’s kind of like a sigh of relief, in a way,” Van said. “This is what we’ve been shooting for all this time…and it would have been super nice to come home and have it here and reconnect with it,” he said.

According to the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lee and Weiser are awaiting trial at the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux.

————————————————– ———-
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.

To access the editorial or report a typo/correction, click HERE.

Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Choose from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers.

Follow us on Twitter

Like us on Facebook

Follow us on Instagram

Subscribe to our Youtube channel