Most Popular True-Crime Cases in Louisiana
True crime is arguably the most popular genre of entertainment these days, bringing out the armchair detective in all of us. Louisiana is no exception.
True Crime has always been a big deal, but due to things Netflix, podcasts, and more, its popularity has skyrocketed over the past few years.
What true crime story has Louisianians been most interested in? Let's take a look...
Louisiana True Crime Documentaries
The world of true crime is a rabbit hole. Whether it's "The Staircase", "The Keepers", "Taken in Plain Sight", or any other of the countless twisted stories streaming or on podcasts, it's easy to lose an entire weekend once we dive in.
Louisiana is definitely no stranger to true crime. We're home to some of the biggest unsolved "who done it" stories on the internet.
"Death in the Bayou: The Jennings 8", "Mommy Dead and Dearest", "Bayou Blue", and "The Pharmacist" are just a few somewhat recent docuseries and documentaries based in Louisiana that have captured the nation's interest.
Then there's the story out of St. Martinville "The Terrifying Tale of Lafayette Serial Axe-Murderer Clementine Barnabet".
This one hasn't been made into an official docuseries yet, but hopefully, it will be soon. Read more about this grizzly piece of Acadiana history HERE.
Most Popular True Crime Stories In Louisiana
Although we have plenty of home state true crime documentaries to occupy our detectives, there are many stories outside of our state that Louisianians are fascinated with.
Edwardskirby.com did the research to find what true crime stories were the most searched in every state.
Between November of 2020 and 2021, Edwardskirby.com used Google’s search data to track 63 true crime cases.
From Edwardskirby.com -
"A majority of the states choose different true crime cases as their go-to. High-profile cases, such as the death of Caylee Anthony and the O.J. Simpson murder case, top our list as the most searched in several states.
Serial Killer David Berkowitz trails closely behind, while Aileen Wuornos, serial killer, and the Richardson family murders tie for fourth."
Richardson Family Murders
The number one most searched true crime story in Louisiana is the Richardson Family Murders according to edwardskirby.com's research.
On April 23, 2006, 12-year-old Jasmine Richardson and her 23-year-old boyfriend at the time Jeremy Steinke murdered Jasmine's parents Marc and Debra Richardson, as well as Jasmine's 8-year-old brother Tyler Jacob.
According to friends of Jasmine at the time, Jasmine's motive for murdering her family was alleged because of her parent's disapproval and subsequent punishments as a result.
Steinke allegedly convinced Richardson he was a 300-year-old werewolf.
From wikipedia.com -
"On July 9, 2007, Richardson, who had by then turned 13, was found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder in the killings. She is believed to be the youngest person ever convicted of multiple murders in Canada.
On November 8, 2007, she was sentenced to the maximum penalty of ten years' imprisonment. Her sentence included credit for eighteen months already spent in custody, to be followed by four years in a psychiatric institution and four-and-a-half years under conditional supervision in the community."
Jasmine Richardson completed her sentence and was released from prison in May 2016.
If you want to see the full list of each state's most searched true crime stories, head over to edwardskirby.com.