Found Deceased LA - Joyce "B. U." Thomas, adult, Deaf/mute, Ville Platte, 26 Feb 2020

[PommyMommy]

MAR 2, 2020
Missing Ville Platte woman's body found along I-49 where suspect brought previous victim
[...]

A surveillance photo captured at Thomas’ apartment depicted a man police have confirmed is DeWoody. The accused admitted he was the man in the photo but has not confessed to Thomas’ kidnapping or her death, Gossen said.

[...]

...DeWoody is now being held at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center in St. Gabriel, Louisiana. He was moved from the St. Landry Parish Jail on Monday for court appearances in Evangeline Parish and in Opelousas, before being moved to Hunt Correctional, the sheriff said.

[...]

 

[Filly]

@Filly
Tragic news unfortunately.....

State Police: Body of missing Ville Platte woman found


•Dewoody also has been booked in connection with the kidnapping of an Opelousas woman.

•He's now been booked with second-degree kidnapping charges in that case.

•Police state that it was the victim in the Opelousas case who helped them find the body of Joyce Thomas. She told detectives where Dewoody allegedly took her after he kidnapped her. Thomas has now been found deceased.

•On February 28, the victim picked Dewoody out of a photo line-up, police say.
•The victim told police that Dewoody drove up to her near the intersection of Madison and Foulard streets, forced her into a vehicle, and took her out of the city, where he assaulted her. She's recovering, police said.

•Police also tell us there may be other victims out there. If you're the victim of a crime, please report it to your local law enforcement.

Oh no!

Devastating, heart breaking and just so senseless.

Miss Joyce may you be at peace and smile that lovely smile down at your loved ones who care so much for you. I'm so sorry.

 

[YaYa_521]

Rest peacefully, Ms. BU. Her family and friends are in my thoughts and prayers. May they somehow find peace, comfort, and strength to get through this horrible, unnecessary tragedy.

 

[YaYa_521]

I live a few parishes away. The man arrested has a horrid criminal history and should not have been walking the streets. The parish is very rural, has recently experienced an increase in criminal activity, and has a difficult time hiring and keeping qualified LE.

Is there any talk locally of him being responsible for the Jennings 8 cases? Do IRC that there is not a suspect or POI in that case? Could he be the SK?

 

[evilwise]

Is there any talk locally of him being responsible for the Jennings 8 cases? Do IRC that there is not a suspect or POI in that case? Could he be the SK?

No, he had been in prison for the twenty five plus years prior to last summer after a crime spree immediately following his last release from prison in 1993 where he had been for nearly ten years before that.

 

[mlhenn]

Missing Ville Platte woman's body found along I-49 where suspect brought previous victim

The body of Joyce Thomas was found at a property along a stretch of Interstate 49 between Sunset and Opelousas Monday morning, according to Louisiana State Police.

A victim from a different case told investigators that DeWoody brought her to the same property where Thomas’ body was found, Opelousas Police Department Detective Michael Hidalgo said.
She then took investigators to the property off I-49 between Sunset and Opelousas where DeWoody took her.
That information was used to help locate Thomas’ body.

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 2, 2020

State Police have confirmed the body of Joyce Thomas has been found.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=701787883962786

Brother of Joyce Thomas speaks about her death

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 2, 2020
Man charged in kidnapping, murder of Ville Platte woman has kidnapped before
[...]

The report came from the victim’s daughter.

She said on February 22, a man kidnapped her mother at the corner of Market St. and Fullhart St. in Opelousas, but after kidnapping and sexually assaulting her, he let the victim go.

“From what I understand, he brought her back to her house after the assault,” Hidalgo said.

[...]

“If they let him out again, something is wrong with the system.” Family of kidnapped Ville Platte woman reacts to her death
[...]

Along with prayers, the family is asking for justice. Joyce Thomas was missing since Wednesday, Feb. 26.

[...]

“This is not the first elderly woman he’s done that to, and that’s not right,” expressed Joyce Thomas’ great-nephew, JG. “He deserved to be in there. He don’t deserve to come out no more. If they let him out again, something is wrong with the system.”

[...]

Many of her family is constantly reminded of Joyce Thomas’ missing presence. She was dearly loved and visited nearly every day.

“That’s my auntie”, JR said as he showed the sign language Joyce used when asking for a drink or a bag of chips.

[...]

 

[YaYa_521]

No, he had been in prison for the twenty five plus years prior to last summer after a crime spree immediately following his last release from prison in 1993 where he had been for nearly ten years before that.

Thank you. I'll admit to being too lazy to look it up.

 

[mlhenn]

LSP: Body of missing Ville Platte woman found between Sunset and Opelousas

A few more additional details
Thomas’ body was discovered by Grand Coteau Asst. Police Chief Michael Buck, a skilled hunter who helped search by four-wheeler while off-duty.

The wooded area in which Thomas was found is thought to be on or near Dewoody’s home property.

 

[evilwise]

LSP: Body of missing Ville Platte woman found between Sunset and Opelousas

A few more additional details
Thomas’ body was discovered by Grand Coteau Asst. Police Chief Michael Buck, a skilled hunter who helped search by four-wheeler while off-duty.

The wooded area in which Thomas was found is thought to be on or near Dewoody’s home property.

In between that time, we were receiving information, and we were in the process of going to check on him and going on and going to talk to him, but he was arrested by another agency prior to us getting to him,” Hidalgo said.

The first kidnapping and rape occurred on the 22nd with a positive ID. Joyce was last seen alive on the 26th. Opelousas slow response cost someone their life and a family what seems to have been a precious matriarch.

 

[PommyMommy]

LSP: Body of missing Ville Platte woman found between Sunset and Opelousas

A few more additional details
Thomas’ body was discovered by Grand Coteau Asst. Police Chief Michael Buck, a skilled hunter who helped search by four-wheeler while off-duty.

The wooded area in which Thomas was found is thought to be on or near Dewoody’s home property.

I heard in one video last night that the property was about 7 miles from DeWoody's home. I don't know if I posted that one or not - I was so tired and all I can remember now is that it was a blond reporter. LOL

ETA: Miraculously, I found it! Shortly after the 3-minute mark...

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=648895782580937

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 3, 2020
Family of missing Ville Platte woman reeling after she was found dead
"It still feels unreal. (I've) cried until I have no more tears to cry. My heart is so heavy and it’s because such a beautiful soul, someone who was my everything is no longer here," he wrote in the post. "The world will never understand the place that lady has in my heart. Thank you all for the prayers and the beautiful words said. Granny I will always love you."

 

[TaylorJ4]

This was 100% preventable. This monster should never have been released

 

[evilwise]

This was 100% preventable. This monster should never have been released

We can't just keep people locked up forever. Rehabilitation has to be the goal of a fair society but I'm very surprised that less than a year after his release for crimes like those (committed immediately following a previous prison release) that he wasn't on stricter community control and as I said before that the hammer wasn't dropped on him instantly when he was identified as the prime suspect in another kidnapping and rape.

At this point though, now that he's demonstrated a pattern of violence spanning decades and escalating to murder I do think society would be best served by execution.

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 4, 2020
Program that accepted Dewoody after prison offers prayers to Thomas family
The organization that took responsibility for Phil Dewoody when he was released from prison 90 years early has issued a statement about his re-arrest.

[...]

Louisiana Parole Project is a nonprofit organization that provides advocacy and transitional reentry services to persons who have served long prison sentences and meet certain established criteria.

[...]

Parole Project provided reentry support to Phillip DeWoody upon his grant of parole and release on June 28, 2019, which included temporary housing and other transitional assistance. After completing the Parole Project transition program on July 12, 2019, he remained on parole and relocated to the Refinery Mission in Opelousas.

Parole Project has served more than 100 clients. This is the only person who has completed the program to be arrested. We are heartbroken for the Thomas family. ...

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 4, 2020
Sheriff Guidroz: Accused kidnapper Phillip DeWoody was involved in homicide at age 12
[...]

Guidroz said in a phone interview Tuesday that DeWoody was accused in the death of a 13-year-old girl when he was 12 years old. The sheriff said he received the information from law enforcement sources during the investigation surrounding DeWoody’s recent accused crimes.

[...]

“Records and reports concerning all matters or proceedings before the juvenile court, except traffic violations, are confidential and shall not be disclosed except as expressly authorized by this Code. Any person authorized to review or receive confidential information shall preserve its confidentiality in the absence of express authorization for sharing with others,” the Louisiana Children’s Code says.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

MAR 4, 2020
St. Landry Parish Sheriff Opens Investigation Of Dewoody Case
[...]

Here is what Sheriff Guidroz told KATC,

"This individual, Phillip Dewoody, is a dangerous, violent repeat offender, and I think the parole board should take a different look at people who come up for parole with records like this. This person killed a 13-year-old girl when he was 12. He's committed three or four armed robberies, he's committed rapes, kidnapping, aggravated escape. This guy's got a record a mile long and he paroled. There's something wrong with that picture."

He was paroled by the Louisiana Parole Board after still having 91 years on his sentence.

MAR 3, updated MAR 4, 2020
St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office gets additional evidence in kidnapping, death of Ville Platte woman
“Due to additional evidence in the DeWoody case involving the kidnapping of the Opelousas victim, our detectives have began an investigation into the actions of DeWoody in the parish,” the sheriff’s office said.

“No more details can be given until interviews are completed.”

 

[evilwise]

My first instinct is to point all kinds of fingers at that Parole Project place but they may not have been aware of his juvenile record, although I assume the parole board was. I'm not sure how that process works in Louisiana their state laws are the most different from any other state because they were based on French law originally. I certainly hope the process is examined by an independent agency following this, both this specific case and in general.

In reality I'm looking the very hardest at this Refinery Mission place as well as the Opelousas Sheriff's department. This guy should have been on a much shorter leash.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

 

[YaYa_521]

OMG!! This isn't getting any better for those who ultimately are responsible for all these tragedies, most especially the loss of Ms. Bu' life. This man has had issues his entire life, at least since his early teens. People had to know this was brewing. Hell, it already happened once before!

The Louisiana State Justice Department along with the State's entire justice system are ultimately at fault here, imo. This guy, obviously a man with mental issues, has been wrung through a broken system that has failed to aid, efficiently penalize, rehabilitate, and monitor (even though, imo, he should have been monitored behind bars) him, while simultaneously protecting the public from his sick, demented actions. This is bad, Louisiana. Fix it!!