A Lake Charles man was booked with murder after deputies found the body of a missing woman in her vehicle.
Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's deputies were called on Sunday after family members said they hadn't spoken with Sheila Ortega, 72, for about a month.
During their missing person investigation, detectives found her vehicle parked in a mall parking lot, and her body was inside.
They found Christopher Cater, 41, an acquaintance of Ortega's at a nearby business. They spoke to him and he allegedly admitted he killed Ortega about a month ago, and had opened several loans in her name after she died.
Detectives booked Cater with second-degree murder, unlawful disposal of human remains and identity theft.
“We have seen some strange cases here in Calcasieu Parish, but this case is definitely an unusual one for us. We have never seen someone drive around with a dead body in the SUV for 30 days,” stated Calcasieu Sheriff Tony Mancuso. “My prayers go out to the family and friends of Mrs. Sheila, this is a senseless and inhumane tragedy. The body has been sent off for further testing and to determine the cause of death. The investigation is continuing.”
CPSO Detective Travis Lavergne is the lead investigator on this case.
