LAFOURCHE PARISH (THIBODAUX) — Charges have been dropped in a decades-long cold 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 booked on charges of second-degree murder and obstruction of justice, each held on a $1 million bond.
Following the grand jury's decision, the Lafourche Parish District Attorney’s Office released a statement:
“After careful consideration of the evidence, the grand jury pretermitted the matter. This means they determined there was not enough evidence for the State to move forward with prosecution. However, the case remains open, and the grand jury can consider any additional evidence if any is discovered at a later time.”
The case, which has haunted the community for nearly four decades, remains unresolved, but officials emphasize that it is still an active investigation.
READ THIS STORY FROM THE BEGINNING:
Missing to murdered: 38-year-old cold case comes to a head
Nearly four decades after the disappearance of Paula Boudreaux, law enforcement has arrested a man and woman, who were once married, in connection with her murder.
A Trip Down Memory Lane
Paula, who was 22 years old at the time of her disappearance in August 1986, went missing after attending a Catholic church fair in her hometown, Golden Meadow, with one of her sisters.
“She was brought home by one of my sisters that still lived there with my mom and all..." said Van Boudreaux, Paula's older brother, "and she was actually lured—we were understanding that he lured her over there, and they murdered her."
Van is third in line in a family of seven; that day in August was the last time Van laid eyes on Paula. "She’s the one before last on the list as far as age is concerned.”
In July, Van explored his old neighborhood in Golden Meadow—a place filled with memories of Paula—with KATC Investigates.
As he drove through familiar streets, the truck approached his childhood home and former shrimp shop. "This was where my parents' house [was] right across right here, ya see?" Van pointed out.
Paula is believed to have been killed in the house right across the street from the Boudreaux family home. "This is the house where she was murdered. This is where they found the DNA.” No evidence has reportedly been found inside the house as of this report.
Etatl Boudreaux
At the time, Paula was rumored to have been seeing a man named Russell Lee, who was married to a woman named Judith Weiser. Weiser was rumored to have threatened Paula with a sugar cane knife before she disappeared.
Four days after she went missing, Paula's family reported her. Three years later, in 1989, skeletal remains were found by hunters in the woods of Slidell, but it would take more than 30 years for those remains to be identified as anyone 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 much to herself.”
Lifelong neighbor and relative Etatl Boudreaux expressed her heartfelt condolences, saying she truly understands the profound loss the Boudreaux family has experienced.
“I still have my boys, but my girl died 21 years ago…so I know the feeling of losing a child. We’re 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 Lab for DNA testing.
When Paula's DNA was compared to her relatives, it confirmed her identity. “That’s when she became the Jane Doe we were looking for,” said Van.
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 emerged as persons of interest, and in July, Van received a call from a detective in Lafourche Parish.
“'...wanted to let you know that we will be doing the arrests,'” Van told KATC, quoting the detective.
July 9 and 10, 2024, Lee and Weiser were taken into custody—Lee in Missouri, Weiser in Tennessee—and extradited to Lafourche Parish. They're each booked with second-degree murder and obstruction of justice, bonds set at $1.1 million each.
No formal charges have been filed as of this report.
“It’s kinda like a sigh of relief in a way,” said Van. “This is what we’ve been shooting for all this time...and it would have been super nice to come home, have her here, and to reacquaint,” he said.
According to the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office, Lee and Weiser are awaiting trial at the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Thibodaux.
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