The Storyville Slayer: Part II
Last week I discussed the case of the Storyville Slayer, a serial killer that operated in New Orleans between 1992 and 1995. Appearing on an episode of ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ in 1992, the elusive killer has still not been caught. However, there have been suspects. I’m picking up where I left off—discussing the remaining victims and introducing the only two suspects that have been named in this case. As the investigation began to garner leads, the timeline of events becomes increasingly important.
The Victims/Timeline:
9. Noah “Brenda Bewitch” Philson, 33—July 25, 1992
The last victim I included in last week’s article was George Williams, a transwoman. The slayer’s next victim is listed in police reports as a male named Noah Philson. However, Philson was an exotic dancer that went by the stage name ‘Brenda Bewitch.’ It’s unclear if Philson was a transwoman, but regardless of their sexual identity, Philson’s body was found floating naked in a canal off Interstate 55 north of LaPlace.
10. Regetter Martin, 29—September 21, 1992
Regetter Martin was found dead near an interstate in Botte, LA. Martin was a mother of three children and had prior arrests for prostitution.
October, 1992: Based on a description given by the only known surviving victim who went by the name “Brenda” when being interviewed on ‘Unsolved Mysteries,’ police released their first sketch of the suspect. After this sketch was released, the suspect who had killed almost every month took a 5-month hiatus.
The Sketch of the Suspect, Released in 1992.
11. Cheryl Lewis, 30—February 20, 1993
The next victim tied to the killer was Cheryl Lewis, who was found strangled to death in a canal along Louisiana 3160 in Hahnville. Lewis was a mother of four children and allegedly dabbled in drugs and prostitution. Lewis was last seen four weeks before her body was found. Witnesses allegedly told police they saw a man drag her into a car and drive off.
12. Delores Mack, 42—February 21, 1993
Delores Mack was found one day after and 800 feet away from where Cheryl Lewis’ body was found. Mack was also strangled to death.
13. Jane Doe #2, 25-35—February 5, 1994
A half-nude Jane Doe was found dead in St. John the Baptist Parish. Her identity is unknown, but autopsy reports show that she had been raped and strangled. Interestingly, this Jane Doe was the first known victim after an uncharacteristic year-long break by the killer.
14. Jane Doe #3, 15-17—February 10, 1994
A Jane Doe was found near Airline Highway in Gramercy. Her body was partially burned, but her cause of death was asphyxiation
15. Stephanie Murray, 25—February 13, 1994
Stephanie Murray’s body was found in a small pond in the Bonnet Carre Spillway. Details about her cause of death are unknown.
16. Jane Doe #4, 25-35—February 15, 1994.
No details available to the public.
17. John Doe—April 2, 1994.
18. Jane Doe #5—April 2, 1994.
The bodies of an unknown male and an unknown female were found dead in the same location. No other details are available.
19. Michelle Foster, 32—July 3, 1994
The body of Michelle Foster was found. No further details are available.
20. Stephany Brown, 28—October 19, 1994
Stephany Brown was found in a wooded area near Bridge City. She had no arrest record.
21. Wanda Ford, 29—January 22, 1995
Wanda Ford’s body was found in a swamp along Interstate 55 in LaPlace. She was a mother of three children and had a few prior arrests for theft and possession of stolen property.
22. Sandra Warner, 39—January 23, 1995
Sandra Warner’s body was found dead in St. John the Baptist Parish. No further details are available.
23. Jane Doe #6, approx. 25-35—March 24, 1995
The body of a Jane Doe was found beneath a highway overpass in Tangipahoa Parish.
24. Karen Ivester, 30—April 30, 1995
25. Sharon Robinson, 28—April 30, 1995
The bodies of Karen Ivester and Sharon Robinson were found along Interstate 55 near LaPlace. The two women were friends and allegedly met up around 10 p.m. near the French Quarter. A few hours later, they were spotted outside of Harrah’s Casino. This time, though, there was a third person.
Victor Gant was Sharon Robinson’s ex-boyfriend and a New Orleans Police Officer. According to detailed reporting by the Huffington Post, Robinson alleged that Gant had physically abused her. Interestingly, Ivester and Robinson were not murdered in the same way as each other. Both were homicides, but Robinson’s cause of death was drowning whereas Ivester’s cause of death was strangulation. Ivester fit the profile of the other Storyville Slayer victims whereas Robinson did not.
26. Sandra Williams, 39—May 6, 1995
The decomposed body of Sandra Williams was found along Crowder Boulevard. Her autopsy records show that she was strangled. Williams had a minor arrest record. It’s unclear as to when she was murdered. Sandra Williams would be the last victim tied to the killer.
The Investigation
May, 1995: On May 1, the New Orleans Police Department created a task force with the FBI to investigate all of the killings. On May 4, Victor Gant was formally interviewed by an FBI agent. He reportedly denied any involvement in the murders, and even denied dating Sharon Robinson, which was disputed by her friends and family members.
June, 1995: The St. John the Baptist Parish Sherriff’s office obtained a warrant for Victor Gant’s head hair, pubic hair, and saliva.
August, 1995: At a news conference, Chief of Police Richard Pennington announced that a serial killer was “stalking the city and was believed to be responsible for at least 24 murders.” Pennington also announced that Gant was a suspect in two of the murders, which confounded Gant’s attorneys and the public.
December, 1995: The DNA test results for Gant’s saliva and hair was found to be inconclusive to any evidence found at the crime scene of Sharon Robinson and Karen Ivester.
August, 1996: Victor Gant is officially terminated from the New Orleans Police Department. He was found guilty of four departmental violations.
November, 1996: Victor Gant and his ex-girlfriend, Karen Thibodeaux, filed battery complaints against each other. Thibodeaux claimed that Gant choked and threatened her. Both parties would later drop the charges against each other.
December, 1996: Victor Gant is arrested for simple battery on Thibodeaux even though she dropped charges against him.
June, 1997: Battery charges against Gant were dropped after Karen Thibodeaux declined to testify for the prosecution.
November, 1997: A new suspect in the murders is named; Russell Ellwood, a 47-year-old taxi driver. He would claim his innocence to a local newspaper after his name surfaced.
March, 1998: Russell Ellwood is officially arrested and charged with the murders of Cheryl Lewis and Delores Mack. In a press conference, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee stated that “we never thought [the murders] were the work of one person.” This obviously contradicts Pennington’s statement from August, 1995.
February, 1999: Charges against Ellwood for the murder of Dolores Mack were dropped. However, he went to trial for the second-degree murder of Cheryl Lewis. He was found guilty.
August, 1999: Ellwood is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The task force to find the serial killer is disbanded, yielding no results.
November, 1999: Victor Gant returns to work for the New Orleans Police Department tagging evidence in NOPD’s Central Evidence and Property Room after the Civil Service Commission ruled that his firing was “too severe” of a punishment. His penalty was reduced to a 30-day suspension.
January, 2000: An appeals court rules against Gant, saying that Gant should have never been reinstated to the police force due to battery allegations. He is again fired from NOPD, but the Huffington Post found that Gant continued his law enforcement career as an auxiliary officer for the Carver College Police Department in Georgia.
October, 2016: The Huffington Post contacts the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office to discuss the case. They say that they are retesting DNA evidence in the Ivester and Robinson murders. There has been no update by the Sheriff’s Office or the Huffington Post in regards to this matter.
Final Thoughts
So, after all of that, the Storyville Slayer remains at large. Online sleuths have pointed out the similarities in the sketch of the suspect with a picture of Victor Gant. Further, the timeline adds up. After he is named as a suspect, the killings stop. However, he has never been charged and is no longer a suspect.
One of the biggest questions in the case for me is whether DNA evidence was preserved from any of the victims. Not only could this officially link the murders, but genetic genealogy could possibly solve them. If there is DNA evidence, what is stopping authorities from investigating further? The victims led high-risk lifestyles, but they are victims. They matter, and their cases should matter. Perhaps increased public pressure on the New Orleans Police Department to re-open the case is needed.
