Who Killed Donna? (feat. Tucker Simmons)

Summary

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Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley

Episode: "Who Killed Donna?" (feat. Tucker Simmons)
Release Date: December 16, 2025
Guest: Tucker Simmons

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Episode Overview

In this gripping and emotional episode, Savannah Chrisley explores a real-life murder mystery alongside Tucker Simmons, a reality TV producer turned true crime investigator. Tucker shares the harrowing story of his aunt, Donna Arceneaux, whose 2017 death in rural Louisiana was hastily ruled a suicide by local authorities—despite clear autopsy findings of homicide. Together, Savannah and Tucker dissect the tangled web of small-town corruption, botched investigations, and personal loss, while shining a light on Tucker’s years-long quest for justice chronicled in his podcast, Freeze Frame.

The episode offers insight into challenging a flawed system and the heartbreak of fighting for answers when law enforcement and local culture seem stacked against you.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background: Tucker's Journey Into True Crime

• Tucker moved from Washington Parish, Louisiana, to Los Angeles to work in reality TV before discovering his passion for true crime storytelling (02:21).
• Returning to the South in 2020, he set out to unravel rumors about his own family, leading him to his aunt’s mysterious death (05:06).
• "[My family's] connection to the former DA who went to prison... and a quite large cult, allegedly, reportedly, in my opinion... I just wanted to know, are the rumors true? And it quickly shifted to a murder investigation..." – Tucker (05:03)

2. Donna Arceneaux: The Victim and Her Circumstances

• Donna was found dead in her bed on October 24, 2017; the initial police report ruled it a suicide—despite the autopsy ruling it a homicide (06:37).
• Donna was known for caring deeply about her appearance, which cast further doubt on the suicide ruling (16:17, 17:13).
• "[Donna] was the most beautiful woman in Washington Parish. People to this day still acknowledge that." – Tucker (16:39)

3. Corruption and Botched Investigation

• Tucker discusses the "hotbed" of Louisiana political corruption and how local culture—particularly a "boys club" mentality among authorities—obstructed real investigation (03:08, 19:02).
• The county sheriff’s office pressured the medical examiner to rule Donna’s death a suicide (07:02, 18:02).
• "I really think the simplest explanation is probably what the truth is. And it's just poor police work, lazy police work..." – Tucker (19:32)

4. Evidence Contradicting Suicide

• The autopsy revealed the bullet path indicating death by homicide, not suicide, due to the unlikely trajectory and extensive internal damage (07:58).
• Donna’s body, found in a T-shirt and nothing else, and the state of the home suggested foul play (17:13, 46:55).
• Blood droplets throughout the home, evidence of cleanup, and inconsistencies in the boyfriend’s story (46:55-48:39).

5. Obstacles and Opposition

• Tucker faced ridicule in his hometown and resistance from authorities and suspects (28:28, 30:14).
• Notable stand-off moments, including putting up a giant billboard outside the sheriff’s office during an election to force the case back into the spotlight (28:54, 29:32).
• “If you have nothing to hide, then you wouldn't be concerned with something like this going up.” – Savannah (30:14)

6. The Boyfriend: Primary Person of Interest

• Donna’s ex-husband was ruled out by Tucker’s own investigation (34:50).
• Focus shifted to Donna’s new boyfriend, who became increasingly controlling— installing trackers, writing strict relationship rules, and taking ownership of Donna's house just two months before her death (36:51, 39:30).
• Handwritten “rules” were found in Donna’s nightstand, confirmed by their spiritual counselor as real (40:17).
• “If you have to write a list of rules, she's probably not the one for you.” – Michelle, spiritual counselor (41:03)
• Donna’s boyfriend was arrested for domestic violence in 2016; charges were dropped shortly after (50:13).

7. Details of the Crime Scene and Investigation

• Timeline reconstructed: The boyfriend delayed checking on Donna, involving her spiritual advisor instead of calling police directly (43:45).
• Anonymous uploads to Tucker’s website delivered hundreds of crime scene photos and documents, confirming chaotic and suspicious elements at the scene, such as defrosted pork chops and unfinished dinner preparations—contradicting a suicide narrative (46:55).
• Forensics showed a staged scene, blood cleanup, and possible removals of evidence (48:02–54:04).

8. Motives, Theories, and Ongoing Investigation

• Donna was reportedly in possession of damaging video evidence involving her boyfriend; she told her ex-husband, "If I'm losing my house, he's losing his reputation" (60:45).
• Multiple SD cards and possible evidence have never been recovered, possibly due to the time between her death and authorities’ real involvement (61:55–62:35).
• The new sheriff’s administration is actively investigating; a grand jury is expected (55:07, 67:34).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Small Town Politics & Corruption:
  “Louisiana has always been known as extremely corrupt when it comes to politics. And that has proven to be true throughout this process.” – Tucker (04:07)
• On the Pressure to Conform:
  "People run with [rumors], and the vile things that they still say about her, as if that makes her murder less important." – Tucker (20:36)
• On Facing Backlash:
  “There are a lot easier ways to get rich. Investigating your aunt’s murder is not one of them.” – Tucker (64:58)
• On The Billboard:
  "[We put the billboard] right across the street from the police station during an election year... it was strategic... how are we going to get people talking?" – Tucker (29:32)
• On Donna’s Voice Being Silenced:
  “[She] was foun d with only a T-shirt on, nothing else. She would never want to be found that way.” – Tucker (17:13)
• On the Motive:
  "Knowing the types of things Donna did have, you know, to keep herself safe if ever needed, I tend to believe that she did have a video of a very compromising situation." – Tucker (61:14)

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Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-------------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:21 | Tucker’s journey from LA reality TV to true crime | | 05:06 | Discovering the family’s dark history and focus on Donna | | 06:12–07:02 | Official ruling vs. reality: the suicide/homicide discrepancy | | 16:17–17:13 | Description of Donna, her vanity, and suspicion about suicide | | 19:30 | The Sheriff’s “boys club,” lack of training, and investigation | | 28:54–29:32 | The infamous billboard: pushing the case into public eye | | 34:50 | Ex-husband’s involvement ruled out | | 36:51–41:03 | The controlling boyfriend, handwritten rules, and counselor's view| | 43:45–45:28 | Timeline of Donna’s disappearance and discovery | | 46:55–48:00 | Crime scene details; evidence of staging and attempted cleanup | | 54:29–55:38 | New sheriff, grand jury pending, investigation update | | 61:14 | Motive: Donna’s possible “collateral” video, blackmail rumors | | 64:58 | Addressing criticisms about profiting from the story | | 69:23 | Tucker on the importance of staying quiet during new investigation| | 70:04 | How to listen to Freeze Frame & submit tips |

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Additional Resources & Call to Action

• Freeze Frame Podcast: Listen on all major platforms or visit freezeframepodcast.com.
• Case Information & Crime Scene Tips: WhoKilledDonna.com (anonymous tip submissions still active).
• Contact Information: For anyone with information about Donna’s case, the websites remain active as investigation continues.

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Tone and Delivery

The episode is deeply empathetic, candid, and informed—mixing personal pain, frustration, and the determination to seek justice. Both Savannah and Tucker foster an atmosphere of openness, honesty, and willingness to challenge uncomfortable truths, especially around small-town loyalty and institutional failure.

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Closing Reflection

Savannah underscores the emotional weight and significance of Tucker’s journey:
“Because you chose to ask the hard questions, uncover things that no one else would, it has now come back to life.” (66:02)

Tucker’s final word:
“To see the son of a bitch who killed her in jail.” (65:32)

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This is a must-listen for anyone interested in true crime, rural justice systems, or the resilience of family in the face of systemic indifference.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Visit t mobile.com welcome back to Unlocked. This week's episode is very different than any other episode that we have done. And I am living for this moment. You all know kind of my life the past five years and especially the past three years, and everything that I fought for for my parents and uncovering corruption and abuses of power. And this is truly going to be a true crime podcast. If you're listening, just all I can say is prepare yourself because I had lunch with Tucker Slemons. I actually met him through Pamela. You guys know Pamela, one of my best friends in the entire world. So met him through her. We had lunch and when Pamela reached out to me a few weeks ago, she was like, his story, like, you've gotta hear it. This would be great for the podcast. And we had lunch and I was dumbfounded, like I didn't really know. Pamela tried to tell me a little bit about it, but I didn't understand the depths of it.

[A]

There's so much I'm going to do my best to not confuse everyone.

[B]

Yeah, right, because there's so much. So your background is just like California producer, correct?

[A]

Yeah. So I moved to LA when I was 17, found my way into reality TV development and production and Then fell in love with true crime.

[B]

Isn't that like, I tell people all the time, I like, talk about the world of politics. I'm like, clearly I'm crazy. And then like, true crime, you're like, alright, clearly, like something's wrong with me.

[A]

Yeah, my mom thinks I'm crazy.

[B]

Hey, it's fine. Someone has to think we're crazy, right? If you're not doing, I like to say, like, when you're effective at what you do and you're making a difference, you're always gonna have people that fight against you.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

And you've seen that firsthand, for sure.

[A]

And I've been provocative on purpose, so I've kind of invited it upon myself.

[B]

But you know that that's what you have to do to get an outcome that you need. And so you are from Louisiana?

[A]

South Louisiana. Washington Parish.

[B]

Okay. And tell us a little bit about just like your upbringing.

[A]

I grew up, I guess, very privileged, which I even say in the podcast. My dad's side of the family had clothing stores. My mom's side of the family had jewelry stores. So it never crossed my mind that Washington Parish was the hotbed of corruption in Louisiana until I got older and heard rumors about my family and elected officials and all kind of nefarious things. And then, but.

[B]

And especially in the south, would you agree with me that we look at like the government or at least like how you're brought up is like, you live, breathe, diet, like, God bless the United States of America, greatest nation on Earth. Like, we can do no wrong. Right.

[A]

Unfortunately.

[B]

But then until you get old enough to start thinking for yourself and challenging a system, you see how corrupt it can be.

[A]

I mean, if anyone can relate, you can.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Louisiana has always been known as extremely corrupt when it comes to politics. And that has proven to be true throughout this process. I've been on for several years now.

[B]

Wow. Okay, so when you. Let's see how we go into your investigating work. So you were in la. When did you come back? And when did you start investigating?

[A]

So I was in LA working on a series for a cable network about a cult in North Carolina.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And just fell in love with that process and hunting down the bad guys and in 2020, bought my place here in Nashville and.

[B]

And you actually bought your place from Nick. Nick and Pamela.

[A]

God bless Nick.

[B]

I know that's. It's all such a full circle. Memories.

[A]

He really hit it off and he was awesome.

[B]

He's amazing. Yeah.

[A]

So when I moved here, I, you know, I left my job in LA and finally decided, I'm gonna just pursue this passion project, which at that time was trying to figure out who my family really was. And we spoke about this at lunch. Yeah, I've heard rumors about my family and what business they're actually in. Or is it really just jewelry stores and their connection to the former DA who went to prison? Their connection to a quite large cult, allegedly, reportedly, in my opinion. And I just wanted to know, are the rumors true? And it quickly shifted to a murder investigation because a source at the local sheriff's office told me, you know, you have a story here. It's interesting, but you really should find out what happened to your aunt, because the autopsy has said homicide since day one. And the sheriff's office decided to release to the media that it was a suicide.

[B]

And where is that? It is this article. So this article states, October 24th shooting death of Franklinton woman is ruled a suicide. The October 24 shooting death of a Franklinton woman has officially been ruled a suicide. Donna Smith. How do you say her last name?

[A]

Arceneaux.

[B]

Arceneaux, age 40, was found dead at her residence on South Main street about midnight on October 24th. Friends who became concerned when they did not hear from her went to her home and found her in her bed, dead of a gunshot wound to the chest. And this. How did this article get out? This was. This article was dated February 7, 2018?

[A]

Yep. So four months roughly after she was found. I've never gotten a straight answer. When I finally got the autopsy, and it said, clear as day. It's right there in front of you. Official manner of death, homicide. I reached out to the medical examiner who performed the autopsy, and when I asked if he felt pressured to rule it a suicide, he said he was gonna refrain from saying anything about that. Which tells me the sheriff's office was pressuring him to rule the suicide.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, that's what you would gather, especially with the coroner's office stating they were not gonna answer that question.

[A]

Exactly. So.

[B]

And can you tell us why? So, gunshot wound, suicide. What did the coroner say that he found? Where was the gunshot wound? Was there an exit? What?

[A]

Yeah. So the autopsy clearly states it was nine inches from the top of the shoulder and a few inches left of the midline. So it was in her lower left breast, almost directly through her. But the reason he refused to rule it a suicide is because the projectile traveled through her heart, her spleen, her liver, her left diaphragm. And the only possible way that can be explained is if there was Some sort of altercation where her legs were either pressed into her chest, putting all of those organs into her chest cavity, or her legs were in the air over her head.

[B]

Wow. And so when you started looking into this, when were you. Because this was. You started looking into this in 2020.

[A]

2020. 2021. When I really shifted to the murder investigation.

[B]

Had died in 2017. Correct.

[A]

October 23rd, 2017.

[B]

Okay. And why. Why then? Why. Why wait so long? Why? What. What was your drive to do? So.

[A]

So I always thought it was weird, the story that the sheriff's office told the paper. And then it just kind of went away when they announced suicide. And admittedly I just kind of accepted it, like at that point, what are you gonna do? Producing like HGTV design series and had no idea that I would ever get into true crime.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And when I started investigating and sources started sending anonymous uploads and emails, it was abundantly clear that this was not the whole story. So I think it's fair to say if I had not started digging in and exposing all this, the case would not be where it's at today. Yeah, unfortunately, it did take several years to get to this point, but wow.

[B]

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[A]

Hmm, it's gotta be when I'm really craving it and it's convenient. Could you be more specific when it's cravenient? Okay, like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter available right down the.

[B]

Street at a.m. p.m. Or a savory.

[A]

Breakfast sandwich I can grab in just.

[B]

A Second at am.

[A]

Pm. I'm seeing a pattern here. Well, y. Yeah, we're talking about what.

[B]

I crave, which is anything from am, pm. What more could you want?

[A]

Stop by ampm, where the snacks and drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience. Ampm. Too much. Good stuff.

[B]

What was your first step? What was your first course of action? To start uncovering this.

[A]

A source at the sheriff's office. She's told you told me. And I had a connection to her many years earlier when I was a teenager for a different case, and I kind of just forgot about her. And my brother reminded me, hey, like, you should call Demi. Who, when I contacted her, had just retired from the sheriff's office. She was a detective for a long time, and she was actually the last detective at the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office to investigate Donna's death. And she was convinced from the beginning that it was a homicide. And she was picked on and ridiculed as the only female detective. And no one took her seriously, and they took her off the case and gave it to the state police, which is like a black hole of you're never getting any weapons. Yeah. So when I reached out to her, I was originally calling about my initial investigation into corruption and drug trafficking and money laundering. And she was kind of just reminiscing about her cases and the ones that kept her up at night. And she mentioned the Arsenault case. I was like, holy shit. You do know my uncle was married to Donna, and she was like, one of. She's our family.

[B]

And were they married at the time of her death?

[A]

No, they divorced in 2004. But as a young kid, preteen aunt Donna was the most fun person ever. I mean, she had a Jeep and she would take the top off and blare Kanye west. And we would, like, go to the river and hang out. And even after they divorced, we all stayed friends with her. And she had a day spa in town, so she would cut our hair.

[B]

And so she had a day spa. And you had made a comment that she. What was your exact wording? She loved to be presentable.

[A]

Yes. I mean, I've said. And I think she would agree that she was vain and the way she looked was everything to her. And she was the most beautiful woman in Washington Parish. People to this day still acknowledge that. And, you know, long black hair down to her waist. And she would go to the beach. Her sister in episode two talks about going to the beach.

[B]

And episode two of your podcast of.

[A]

My podcast of freeze Frame.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

She's got a bright pink bikini on and bright red stilettos, and she's walking through the sand. And her sister's like, I hate you. Just take the heels off. She's like, no, it's important.

[B]

And that's something very important to point out, because her manner of death as a shooting, that just doesn't fit for someone that would be vain or care about appearance so much, 100%.

[A]

And not to get too graphic, but she was found with only a T shirt on, nothing else. She would never want to be found that way.

[B]

No.

[A]

And she did have a history of, I wouldn't say mental illness, but depression and kidney issues. And she wasn't able to work towards the end, so she definitely had some troubles. But the evidence just does not support suicide. So I've tried to be very open and honest with the audience listening to my podcast. Yes, she had issues and she was going through a lot, but when you look at the evidence, it just doesn't.

[B]

Especially from the very beginning, the fact that it was put in the papers that it was a suicide. But this death certificate says homicide. That's two very different definitions.

[A]

And in conversations with the medical examiner, he's even told me on and off the record, he's very careful about what he says, but he's like, I told them from day one it was a homicide. And Washington Parish is small, doesn't have a lot of resources. So in 2017, they sent all remains to a neighboring parish, the second wealthiest parish in Louisiana, with state of the art pathology. And it's highly unusual for the medical examiner to travel to Washington Parish to physically go to the crime scene.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And he requested that. And everyone, all of the detectives knew why. It's because the body clearly showed homicide. And the lead detective was adamant that it was suicide.

[B]

And why do you think this lead detective was adamant that it was suicide?

[A]

So in the beginning, I'll be honest, I. I had this idea of this massive cover up.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And there's got to be a reason. And there are still a few things that are outstanding that could support that. I think, to be honest, though, it's just bad police work. Under the sheriff at that time, Randy Seale, there wasn't proper training. It was very much a boys club. This former sheriff went by the nickname country, if that gives you any indication of the type of person he was.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

So I. I really think the simplest explanation is probably what the truth is. And it's just poor police work, lazy police work. And also, as I was telling you before Donna did have a reputation. And then episode two of Freeze Frame, her sister does a really eloquent job of explaining why.

[B]

So her sister explains her reputation. And what was this reputation that she carried?

[A]

Well, I've explained in the podcast that every conversation I was having when I dove in, you know, to this was even though people were excited I was looking into it, they always felt the need to say, but, you know, she was sleeping with that guy at the sheriff's office. And you know, that married man, his wife was pretty pissed off back in the day when she slept with him. And it's like, I don't know if any of that's true.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But she definitely enjoyed the company of men and she did not have many female friends. And I think her reputation became just like folklore and people run with it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And the vile things that they still say about her, as if that makes her murder less important.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

So that has really pissed me off.

[B]

Wow. So when you started doing this work and you started looking into it was the death certificate, one of the first.

[A]

Things you obtained, the autopsy, was the first official record.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

The death certificate wasn't issued until September of 2018 because the pathologist refused to make an official ruling because he disagreed with investigators. And the funny thing is, when that article came out about suicide, they were actively investigating it as a homicide, and they had the autopsy and they had met with the pathologist many times, and they knew that he was going to rule homicide, and that upset them.

[B]

And so now when everyone's going to have the question, okay, if it wasn't a suicide, then who did it? Was there ever a person of interest was.

[A]

So there's never been a person of interest named by law enforcement. I have named people in freeze frame.

[B]

Because the first thing that people would say is, well, are we sure it wasn't the ex husband? And what is the answer to that? Because I'm sure you did your research on that.

[A]

I had that same question. And for many, many months, he blocked me on Facebook and Instagram and blocked my number and did not want to speak to me, which made me even more suspicious. But as I was investigating, I wanted to talk to him so that he could debunk a lot of the things that were being said in the community.

[B]

And as you were doing this, your podcast is known for. You play audio recordings, you recorded everything because it was a one party consent state. Correct.

[A]

Louisiana is a one party consent state.

[B]

Which for people listening that don't know, each state has different laws, but there are a lot of states that are one party consent states, which mean that if as long as you are a part of a conversation, you can record the conversation with no one else's knowledge.

[A]

Correct. And that was very useful. It upset a lot of people. But you can't be in this line of work and not utilize the laws that are in place. So I recorded everything. And I think one of the misconceptions is I record everyone, even if it's a background conversation.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But when you're speaking to potential suspects and people who have information that are not willing to share, that's when you really record everything.

[B]

Everything.

[A]

Because when you go back and re listen to a three hour phone call, there's a lot of stuff you miss in the moment.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

That proved to be very beneficial. So thankfully the podcast was very well received and during my investigation, there was a sheriff's election and the previous sheriff, who was in office for 12 years, who I knew as a kid and my brother, dated his daughter and played baseball with his son. And I'm pretty sure I went to pool parties at their house. But in this line of work, you. You have to put those personal relationships aside.

[B]

You do. Because you never know, you think you know someone until you don't.

[A]

Right.

[B]

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[A]

And that was the hardest thing about this whole process, was having it be in my hometown. Because it's, you know, you're upsetting people who you've known forever.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And who you're gonna see when you're visiting family. And during the investigation, there was a sheriff's election. And we put up this billboard to basically piss everyone off.

[B]

And this billboard states, there's a photo of Donna with obviously her birth date and her death date. And states, there's a murderer among us. WhoKilledDonna.com you have a number and it says, official ruling Homicide. Got a tip, question mark. Remain anonymous. And this billboard was put up right across the street from the police station, Correct?

[A]

Correct.

[B]

And what was your reasoning for putting it up right across the street from a police station during an election year?

[A]

So I've had a lot of criticism for that, but it was strategic. My thought was the investigation was becoming more and more difficult. People had found out what I was doing and everyone clammed up and stopped talking, which was a non starter for me. And I was like, well, how are we going to get people talking? And it hadn't even crossed my mind. There was an election, but the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office, under the previous sheriff's office, completely botched the investigation. That's widely reported by not just me, but many other people. And it just felt fitting, like no one's talking or giving me answers. So let's just air it all out.

[B]

Yes. Because if you have nothing to hide, then you wouldn't be concerned with something like this going up.

[A]

Yeah. And I didn't have a dog in the hunt for the sheriff other than I knew the existing sheriff at that time was not doing a very good job. So I didn't care who won. But after the billboard went up, the only other candidate who reached out to me was a man named Jason Smith, who had previous previously been sued by the former sheriff for a very complicated thing. But he, he won the case. He's a retired Marine and rancher, and he launched a campaign against the sheriff who sued him. And he was the only one who reached out with interest in my aunt's case. Wow. And everyone else was, you know, they would speak to me, but not interested. Not willing to go on the record and say, if I win, we're going to look into this. And Jason was the only one to do that. And he won.

[B]

And the former sheriff, did you ever speak to him?

[A]

Yes, I did. Episode five is, I think, my favorite.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And it's a lot of people's favorite.

[B]

And what is the title?

[A]

Well, you put me on the spot. I know the title is Institutions failed her.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

And during that episode, during a phone call with the sheriff at that point, he told me to call his chief investigator at the time. And he's like, I'm sure he'd be happy to talk to you. I don't, you know, I don't really know much. I let my investigators do their job and I stay out of the way. Well, the chief. Not an effective way to run a law enforcement agency.

[B]

Yes. Especially in a very small town.

[A]

Right.

[B]

It's not like you have much on your plate.

[A]

Exactly. So the chief investigator blocked me, wouldn't speak to me. So I called the sheriff and I said, hey, sheriff, I'm in the parking lot out here. Can I come up and talk to you for a few minutes? Which I did. And we sat in his big office with all his cowboy hats and, you know, obituaries on his desk that he's laminating for people in the community and all this weird stuff. And his only explanation for the case not going anywhere was he just didn't know. And he repeated many times, I let my investigators do their job. And so I questioned him about proper training and if he had ever even seen the crime scene photos, which he hadn't. And that just boggled my mind that he knew this was a high profile case.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And still his only explanation was he just didn't know.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

And towards the end of that conversation, I had heard rumblings that he had been unhappy with me and had been saying some kind of off color remarks.

[B]

Feel free to repeat it.

[A]

Okay. Pardon my language, but he told allegedly two people that my dad should have jerked off in an ant bed.

[B]

So he was your biggest fan?

[A]

Yeah. And so I just thought it would be funny to ask him about that because I, I knew he was going to deny it.

[B]

And did you record this conversation?

[A]

Yes. You can hear that in episode five.

[B]

So you recorded the conversation with the sheriff?

[A]

Sheriff. So I asked him about the comment. He said no. And it's a political season and, you know, it's the oldest trick in politics, try to, you know, tie up old friends. And I was like, well, have you ever said that before? Not about me, but just in general. And he said, how about you ask the guy who told you that and there's your answer. And then he made some comment about chasing women and.

[B]

Yeah, just interesting.

[A]

In my opinion, he's widely known as a bit of a pervert.

[B]

Okay. And so in that Moment. You knew. I mean, you had already known. Like, this is not right. You have to fight for this. You have to fight for the truth. And where did your investigation take you? Because you said the ex husband, he agreed to finally speak to you. You definitely pressured him, went in on him, didn't pressure him in any sense of. Just like, you were hard on him. And you do not believe the ex husband was the one who did it?

[A]

I do not.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I do believe that their relationship was extremely volatile. Her medical records are there in your stack where she reports to a nurse that her significant other pushed her down, and that was why she had bruises on her legs. And so I don't know a lot of the details, and. And so far, haven't been able to get direct answers, but the evidence that I've uncovered does not support that her ex husband, Clay, had anything to do with her murder.

[B]

And so where does that leave you? I feel like in that moment, obviously, the ex spouse is the one that people are going to look at first. You found that you couldn't really find anything that was going to tie this to him. So where did your mind go?

[A]

Instantly, to Donna's house. And she had been dating a new guy after she divorced her ex husband for a couple years, and she started having health issues and wasn't able to work. And my understanding is that Donna and her boyfriend at the time had an agreement that he would pay off her mortgage and she would pay him back as she could. But she could still live there. Yeah, because as they were dating, he built a man cave, barndominium type place about a hundred yards behind her house.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And so he was gonna stay there, you know, spend the night, whatever. As soon as he got ownership of the house, I'm told that everything changed.

[B]

And when did he get ownership of the home?

[A]

August of 2017, about two months before she was killed.

[B]

So two months before she was killed, he got ownership of the home.

[A]

Of the home.

[B]

And what are the allegations on how things changed?

[A]

He started putting trackers on her vehicle. He wrote.

[B]

And this is handwritten in his writing. So this is photos of handwritten notes.

[A]

That were found in Donna's nightstand. And it's rules that she was to abide by, so.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

He has not. He has not taken responsibility for these notes. But Donna's spiritual advisor, who counseled them in their relationship, confirmed that those are the notes that were present at their counseling session.

[B]

Wow. And these notes, as you can tell, they're in writing. The first one says, Facebook, number one. Pick of us for Your profile picture. Two, same password. Three, any X deleted out four or five, Anyone that we are not comfortable with. If we have Snapchat, we approve of who is on it. And then it says exes. We pick up, I guess a child, daughter's name. Yeah, we pick up blank or bring things together. Unless it's an emergency that we agree to it. Never ever hide text from X. Talk openly in front of each other. Don't wait till the other is gone. Destroys trust. Do not ever respond to a text unless it pertains to the children. Unless we agree together. Okay, so that is one page. Be open. Don't get defensive. It just breaks trust. Don't turn the other direction when you look at your text or calls. That destroys trust. If we don't have to hide stuff, we shouldn't be if we have to hide stuff, we shouldn't be doing it if we want to be happy. Right. Always be respectful and considerate and let the other person know where you're going. Never go unaccounted for while I'm at work. Never go unaccounted for while I'm at work.

[A]

Bizarre.

[B]

If you have to go somewhere, keep the phone on you turn ringers on phones. No reason to keep them on silent and on silence unless we are at a movie or in church.

[A]

Very specific.

[B]

Very, very specific. Always talk to each other in a loving way. Even when we have a disagreement, we never have to fight. If we love love each other, let's just talk our problems through in a loving way. Always be sympathetic to the feelings of each other. Always compliment daily and work hard to make our children have successful lives. This is a very. I still can't get over the comment of don't go unaccounted for while. Never. It actually says, never ever go unaccounted for while I'm at work.

[A]

Correct.

[B]

And so you. You spoke to the spiritual counselor. And what was this counselor's opinions on? I mean, Facebook. Same password, every X deleted out picture. A picture of us for your profile pic. Like, these are in this man's words of his guidelines and rules for her.

[A]

Right. And Michelle, the spiritual counselor, you can hear her on multiple episodes of freeze frame. Her explanation was, unfortunately, in these times, there are more really difficult relationships than healthy, but that if you have to write a list of rules, she's probably not the one for you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And Donna felt like he had become more and more controlling. And Michelle just said that counseling session went south really quick. Donna clammed up. She was expressing that she felt trapped. Obviously, she no Longer owns her home, and she feels like she has nowhere to go. So her only option at that point was to just. Just abide by his rules. His rules and parameters. She was feisty, though, and. And if she had an opinion, she would let you know.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And there are reports on both sides of people that she had, you know, been in relationships with. They were both violent with the other at times, but at the end of.

[B]

The day, again, that does not. She is dead.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So, yes, there may have been domestic violence. There may have been, but she ended up dead.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And so all roads lead back to this boyfriend. Did you try to get in touch with this boyfriend?

[A]

Yes, I didn't for a while. I wanted to get as much information as I could. But the night before, we put the billboard up, which literally was me and my brother and one of his friends in the dark of night, screwing this thing to the wall so that on Monday morning it would, you know, have the shock and awe.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That we wanted before we put up the sign. I went and knocked on his door, and he answered, cracked the door open.

[B]

Was this the same house that at.

[A]

That time he was still living? Donna, at that time he was still living in the house where she was killed. He opened the door, he said, if you want to know what I think, go to the state police. They have my interviews. Which obviously it was still an open case. You can't get all those things. So I tried to keep him talking, but you could tell he was shocked that I was knocking on his door. And he just said she was suicidal. And some of her lady friends who didn't like him convinced everyone that somebody had done something to her.

[B]

And when she was found, what time was she found?

[A]

The 911 call was 11. 11:45pm on the 23rd of October, 2017.

[B]

Okay, so. And who made that 911 call?

[A]

So it's kind of a long thing to explain, but Donna, no one could get in touch with her. And this was on Sunday. The spiritual counselor, Michelle, was in Florida giving a sermon, couldn't get in touch with Donna. And Donna's boyfriend at the time called Michelle and said, hey, I'm worried about Donna. Can you come check on her with me? And since then, she has explained on the podcast that she felt like she was being baited. I don't know his intentions were. I just know if I was worried about a loved one, I would not.

[B]

Be calling someone else to go with me. I would be calling the police and I would be going over there.

[A]

Exactly. So the timeline that I've been able to reconstruct and that law enforcement has confirmed is that he waited pretty much all day to go check on her. And he claimed that it was because the night before they had gotten in an argument. And he claims that he heard a gunshot out her window and he was scared to go over and check on her, so he waited all day. Michelle landed in New Orleans between 9 and 10pm that night, drove out of her way to Washington Parish, and when she pulled in the driveway, she remembers that he was walking from his barndominium towards Donna's house dressed like he was going to church or dinner. I believe she said, wow. Apparently he knocked on windows and was yelling her name. And then after knocking on her bedroom windows, he pulled the key out of his pocket and just unlocked the door.

[B]

So why would you be knocking on windows if you had a key?

[A]

That's why I wanted to interview him. Because if he's innocent and the woman that he loved was murdered, like the pathologist and investigators say, instead of continuing to say she committed suicide, why wouldn't you be knocking down every door possible?

[B]

Yeah. And when I guess they went in the home, obviously the 911 call was made. How was she? What was. Have you seen photos of the crime scene?

[A]

Unfortunately, after the billboard went up, we had an anonymous upload feature on the website.

[B]

And is this website still active?

[A]

It is, yes.

[B]

So this website, which is titled WhoKilledDonna.com is still active?

[A]

Still active. And Freeze Frame Podcast.com is as well. And we still to this day get tips and people reaching out with information. And thankfully the anonymous upload feature worked and we received hundreds of crime scene photos and documents about the case. I still don't know who uploaded those, but I have been able to verify that they are legitimate.

[B]

And what did the photo show as.

[A]

You walk in the back door, the house looks very disheveled. There are four thick, boneless pork chops defrosted in the sink. There are dinner rolls on the counter on a baking sheet, as if Donna was about to cook dinner. As you make your way through the living room, there are evidence markers 1, 2, and 3 with blood droplets on the floor. As you make your way into the hallway, there's more blood droplets and smudges. And once you get into her bedroom, it's a site, as Michelle says, a site that I also try to forget every day.

[B]

Yeah. So why would there be blood droplets in the living room and in other areas if she committed suicide in her bedroom?

[A]

Right. The only explanation I can come up with is that someone else was there and they were trying to clean up and did a very good job.

[B]

Was there any evidence of a cleanup.

[A]

That had occurred in the bathroom? When the state police crime lab went in, they did a luminol search and there was evidence of blood cleanup in the bathroom, but Donna was found on the right side of her bed on the floor. Although she was shot on the bed because the projectile was recovered from the box spring. The strangest part, though, was that there wasn't much blood on the bed. There was a 90 degree angle, a bloody 90 degree angle, which to me indicates there was something on the bed.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Whether it was a photo or a laptop or some sort of contact mark, like almost the corner of this page, as if it's bloody here and it touches and moves. So obviously someone else was there and removed whatever that was on the bed.

[B]

And did they look under her fingernails? Did they. Was there any signs?

[A]

They did of other DNA? Unfortunately, the autopsy is not very specific about what was under her nails.

[B]

Yeah, because I do. The autopsy was right back here.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

What does it say in this when it is.

[A]

The only defensive marks that are explicitly shown is a bruise on her neck. But the entry wound is very telling as well because there's almost like a sear mark around the entry wound, which indicates there was some sort of altercation and the weapon was pressed really, really hard into her chest. And if you're committing suicide, that's not really how it happens.

[B]

No. When you're not putting undue force, you're pulling a trigger.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

So.

[B]

And this boyfriend, does he. I already know the answer to this, so I'm gonna ask you for the audience. Does he have a clean record?

[A]

He was arrested in 2016 for domestic battery and child endangerment during an incident at Donna's house. Still to be unexplained. The DA's office at the time just didn't do anything with the charges. And I believe it was 12 days later the charges were dropped. Whether that was. Donna worried she was going to be kicked out of her house, and she asked them not to pursue. But I have numerous screenshots of messages that Donna sent. People with black eyes, her chest bruised and scratched.

[B]

Do you believe that if this man at the time had been held responsible for the domestic violence, that she would potentially be alive?

[A]

I do. I don't know what other explanation you could come to. I mean, it. I've seen the photos that she sent people after that altercation, and there's zero reason to believe that she wasn't beaten. Whether or not she was returning the favor during a fight, I'm not sure because I haven't seen photos from the boyfriend.

[B]

Now, the 9 millimeter semi automatic that was recovered, who was that registered to?

[A]

Donna. It was her ex husband's gun at one point.

[B]

Wow. And was there ever any casings that were tested for fingerprints? The gun, was the gun ever cleaned? Was.

[A]

I'm told only her fingerprints were found on the gun. But if you've ever listened to any kind of investigative material, it's very easy to make that happen.

[B]

All that they would have had to have done, whoever it was that murdered this woman, they had gloves on, they wrap her hand around the gun, the gun falls on the ground, it's done.

[A]

And there were two shell casings recovered, but only one bullet found. And that one bullet is the one that traveled through her body and was found in the mattress. The second casing was found on the floor next to her, like chest of drawers.

[B]

What? The photographs on 1025 18, detective retrieved the photographs and video of the crime scene. Upon viewing those photographs, projectile rods inserted into mattress into mattress indicated a slight left to right downward path. Photographs also indicated that when Donna was shot, she was laying or pinned to the bed vertical across the top of the of the bed, then removed from the bed, dragging the flat sheet off of the bed, hanging partially off the bed near her feet on the right side of the bed. The photographs that showed two casings recovered first laying flat inside of the injection port of the 9 millimeter gun that was laying on the left side of the bed. I mean, you also state the photographs also suggested a struggle occurred on the left side of the bed between the bed and the chest of drawers due to the left nightstand's lamp and items being pushed back.

[A]

The scene was very inconsistent. And in some of the experts I've interviewed, they, they tell me that that is pretty common for when you're trying to stage a scene. Again, I'm not law enforcement.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But based on what I know, I feel pretty confident in that. My theory of what happened. Obviously everyone's innocent until proven guilty, but it's pretty clear and I feel very satisfied with the renewed investigation under the new sheriff and the folks that he's put on the case. So I.

[B]

And where, where does your mind lead you now?

[A]

Well, without revealing too much, there's a lot happening.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I actually called the sheriff this morning before this interview to see if there were any updates. He's very tight lipped, rightfully so, because this case has gone on for far too long.

[B]

Well, and it's an open now, I guess it's an open case. Again, he has to abide by the, you know, laws and criteria in order to not taint a case.

[A]

Right. It's already been botched one time. So I do appreciate that he's tight lipped, but he told me that he feels extremely confident in the case that they have. He announced publicly several months ago that the DA's office was interested in the case and that at some point there would be a grand jury. So I do sleep a lot better at night knowing that there are real well trained detectives working the case and.

[B]

This would not have happened without you doing this investigation and fighting for answers. What do you for people that talk about her mental state and being suicidal and you know, there are some Facebook, some things being put on Facebook that she allegedly, you know, posted those posts. What were they and do you believe it was her posting those?

[A]

I think some of them may have been, but the most egregious ones, she was extremely private and it almost is too good to be true to have such specific things posted. Like worst Mother's Day ever. I mean, she lived for her kids. Yeah, I can't imagine her ever saying that.

[B]

And also we've got handwritten notes from him stating that their Facebook passwords had to be the same password.

[A]

Right.

[B]

So he very well could have gone in and posted these.

[A]

It's very possible. There was also.

[B]

They also exchanged text messages. I'm seeing that the days prior to her being discovered, she and the boyfriend at the time had text messages. And can you tell us about those text messages and what they told you and led you to believe?

[A]

So the ones that I have 100% proof of are at about 2:09am the morning before she was found. They're being sent from her phone and all it says is I love you. And those were sent to six or eight different people, including her sister. And in episode one of the podcast of Freeze Frame, you'll hear her sister Sherry say that wasn't Donna and it was like capital I, capital L, capital Y. And everything about it was not Donna. And law enforcement that I've spoken to also questions whether that was her texting or not. Unfortunately, because their homes were so close together, the geolocations are pretty meaningless because.

[B]

It'S what it's on the same property.

[A]

It'S about a hundred yards away from each other.

[B]

So that's never going to be accurate.

[A]

However, I will say I do have a source who has been Pretty open about search history and data from cell phone devices that have been rechecked that have been very beneficial to the investigation.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Wow. Was the boyfriend's phone ever confiscated?

[A]

Yes, I believe so. I don't know for how long. I know, Michelle. The pastor's phone was kept for quite some time. I haven't been able to confirm how long the boyfriend's phone was cut.

[B]

And where is Donna's phone today?

[A]

Still in evidence.

[B]

Still in evidence. Wow. Correct these messages. I mean.

[A]

There's a lot there. And the other thing a lot of people ask me is motive. Like, what would the motive be for the boyfriend?

[B]

Yeah. And.

[A]

As you'll hear in freeze frame, Donna claimed to have collateral of some kind. And given the way that she grew up in extreme poverty, sexual abuse by men that lived in the home with them, her sister explains how they didn't have electricity or running water for many years.

[B]

She had to be street smart.

[A]

Exactly. And she was. And she always had herself covered. I know of one instance, without any doubt in my mind, that she did have a video of someone that she dated previously that could be very damaging if she ever needed to use it. And she claimed just before she died that she had a video of what I am told by my attorney, I can only say in a very specific way. Yes, it was an extremely disturbing situation between family members that she had videoed.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And she.

[B]

Of the boyfriend.

[A]

Allegedly.

[B]

Allegedly. She allegedly had a video of the boyfriend just in a situation that maybe he wouldn't want people to know.

[A]

Exactly. That's what she was claiming. And her ex husband, Clay, claims that she called him late one night, really upset about a fight that she and her boyfriend had had. And she made the comment, if I'm losing my house, he's losing his reputation.

[B]

So that right there is every reason that that would. That could potentially be a motive.

[A]

Yeah. And the other very real possibility is that they did have a pretty contentious relationship towards the end. She was upset that he was controlling her with the house, reportedly. And they got in an argument and it was an accident. They were fighting over a weapon or. That's also possible. But I. Knowing the types of things Donna did have, you know, to keep herself safe if ever needed, I tend to believe that she did have a video of a very compromising situation.

[B]

And it's been so long.

[A]

I have gone on wild goose chases for months trying to locate SD cards. Donna's brother remembered her telling him, if anything ever happens to me, go to this lady's house on Highway 450. She has a safe, and there are SD cards. Donna's brother and I were able to track down that house. Unfortunately, the woman had passed away. And Donna's son, her middle child, also provided a ton of SD cards. The video she claimed to have was not on those either.

[B]

But what. What did they. What was her time of death?

[A]

So the pathologist had a really hard time giving a specific answer because it was so cold that night, but the closest he can get is 12 to 16 hours prior to her being found is when she passed.

[B]

So 12 to 16 hours, that's enough time for an individual. How big was this home?

[A]

Less than 2,000 square feet.

[B]

So that's enough time for someone to do a full sweep of that home to gather anything that they may not have wanted out.

[A]

Mm, it's very possible. And Donna's sister, along with a local flea market owner, they cleaned out the house once the family got possession back. And they found lots of cameras and a couple computers, cassette tapes, SD cards. And unfortunately, a lot of those have never been found since that time.

[B]

So who got possession of the home if the boyfriend purchased it?

[A]

Her son. And the boyfriend, I believe, because he was just like any boyfriend would be, was seen as a suspect pretty early, and he was in custody for a while, being interviewed. The son was given the opportunity to go in. I believe he had five days to get what he wanted. And they made the decision to take some personal items and then have the flea market come in and sell things on consignment.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I can't even begin to imagine the toll that this has taken too, on you investigating something that is so heavy, obviously. But also there have been allegations that you're just doing this for the money. Yeah, like, I have definitely, you know, I've heard that allegations. You're doing it just for the money. And what is your response to that?

[A]

There are a lot easier ways to get rich.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Investigating your aunt's murder is not one of them.

[B]

Them.

[A]

If people knew how much ad revenue is made on a podcast like this. I mean, I have not even close to broken even on the amount of a five year investigation. And I didn't get into it for the money. That was never the goal. And so I. I know I'm in it for the right reason, so I don't really care.

[B]

And what. What is your. What is your end goal with this?

[A]

To see the son of a bitch who killed her in jail.

[B]

That. And, wow. I just can't. I mean, just the photos of her.

[A]

I mean, she was so much Fun, too, man.

[B]

That is. I just. Wow. I mean, this has been cold for.

[A]

What, seven years now?

[B]

Seven years and almost eight. Because you chose to ask the hard questions, uncover things that no one else would. It has now come back to life.

[A]

Yeah. I'm hesitant to, like, take credit for it, to be totally honest. I never wanted to be in front of the camera or be the voice of a podcast like this. That wasn't the goal. But things started happening so quickly, I had really no choice to just do it. And so law enforcement has been very generous with giving me even a shred of credit for shining a light. But I think it's fair to say if it wasn't for the podcast, this case would still be on a shelf at the state police.

[B]

Wow. I still cannot get over these handwritten letters. And it's very bizarre. And there is no way to pin any of her Facebook posts to her at this point? No, there's no way. There's no way to pin text messages to her. When you have. In his writing, we have to have the same passwords. We have to. He had full access to everything he did. So there, you know, is a possibility that this man could, in fact, be the person that murdered her.

[A]

It's very possible. And based on conversations with law enforcement sources, they obviously won't give me explicit details, but if I was to gather, I think they're getting extremely close to a resolution. And I can't wait to interview the sheriff and find out even more details.

[B]

Once this is wrapped up. And this. Can I see this? This is of your podcast.

[A]

Yeah, this is just a lot of my notes.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, this. I mean, you went above and beyond for this. This is absolutely insane. I literally have stuff that I'm thinking about. I have a case in particular that I'm thinking about that once you're finished with this, I may.

[A]

Let's talk.

[B]

I may have you working on something else, because what you went through, the lengths you went through, this is just absolutely incredible.

[A]

Could have never imagined that it would take this long and there would be so many twists and turns and threats and. But it's the name of the game.

[B]

Well, you have done it. This is absolutely insane. I mean, just. Can people go so people can listen to your podcast? How many episodes?

[A]

Right now we have eight, which is part one, and that's my investigation from looking into corruption and money laundering and drug trafficking in the very beginning all the way through October 1st of last year when the podcast launched, and part two. I've had a lot of people beg me to announce when Part two is going to be released. But because there's.

[B]

There's a pending investigation now, I think.

[A]

There'S a lot of value in remaining quiet, which is why I've kind of disappeared from social media and the public for a year or so. That. And, you know, like, personal life things. But there's a lot of value in just being quiet and letting people who know they have something to hide squirm and get nervous.

[B]

Yeah. Because you do not believe that this was a suicide. Like, it was put out in the press. The death certificate states that it was a homicide. And so if it's a homicide, who was the person to carry it out?

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

Wow. Where can people listen to your podcast?

[A]

It's called Freeze Frame. It's on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, all the places. Or you can go to freezeframepodcast.com and listen to it all there.

[B]

And again, if you are listening to this, the website is still active. So here it is. There's a murderer among us who killed donna.com. if you have any tips, if you knew her.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Who knows. Who knows where it could lead?

[A]

Yeah. And the support has been overwhelming and it has made it all worth it.

[B]

And. Well, I'm really proud of you and now blessed to know you. You are absolutely brilliant at what you've done.

[A]

So I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity and the interest. That's the only reason it's gotten so far is people are interested in the story. And that was the goal. So I really appreciate it.

[B]

Well, thank you.

[A]

Thank you. Pluto tv stream pluto tv stream pluto tv for free. Stream blockbuster hits like 21 jump street ted, the expendables and so much more on pluto tv stream now pay never.