The Bayou Strangler: Louisiana's Most Gruesome Serial Killer

by Fred Rosen

The true story of Louisiana serial killer Ronald Dominique’s ten-year murder spree, the men he slayed, and the detectives who hunted him down.

In 1997, the bodies of young African American men began turning up in the cane fields of the quiet suburbs of New Orleans. The victims—many of them transient street hustlers—had been brutally raped and strangled, but police had no leads on the killer’s identity. The murders continued, leaving southeast Louisiana’s gay community rattled and the police desperate for a break in the case. Detectives Dennis Thornton and Dawn Bergeron came together as task force partners, and they were indefatigable in their decade-long effort to track down the killer.

In 2006, DNA evidence finally linked the murders to a the unassuming Ronald Joseph Dominique, who had lived under the radar for years, working as a pizza deliveryman and meter reader.

Who was Ronald Dominique and what led him to commit such heinous crimes? With direct access to the investigation, Dominique’s confession, and all of the killer’s body dump sites in Houma, author Fred Rosen enters the warped mind of a murderer and captures a troubled, disturbing, and broken life. As with the many other serial killers he has covered, including Jeffrey Dahmer (the Milwaukee Cannibal) and Dennis Rader (the BTK killer), Rosen provides a horrifying and fascinating account of the lengths to which a bloodthirsty monster will go to lure and brutalize his victims.
 

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Serial Killer, Audiobook, History, American History

222 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

American true crime author and former columnist for the Arts and Leisure Section of The New York Times.

Rosen's published works in the genre include Lobster Boy, There But For the Grace: Survivors of the 20th Century’s Infamous Serial Killers and When Satan Wore a Cross.

He is also the winner of Library Journal’s Best Reference Source 2005 award for The Historical Atlas of American Crime, and has written many other works of historical non-fiction including Cremation in America, Contract Warriors and Gold!.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.

Ronald J. Dominique....THE BAYOU STRANGLER....Never heard of him....And now I know why.

RJD was a serial killer who worked his evil in the state of Louisiana preying on young gay black men killing twenty-three between 1997-2006 before he was finally apprehended due to the perseverence of two law enforcement officers.

A gay white man himself, Dominique lured his victims with promises of money and sex....and sometimes even a photo of a pretty girl, and after the act, proceeded to strangle, murder and dump his mark like a piece of trash....with no remorse.

"Only three serial murderers were worse: Ron Corona, who killed twenty-five ranch laborers; John Wayne Gacy, who murdered thirty-three boys and men; and Ted Bundy, known to have murdered thirty-five women."

AND, even though THE BAYOU STRANGLER killed more people than any serial killer in the last two decades, the media types were just not interested in male on male rape or the murder of gay black men, especially with the Kansas killer on the loose simultaneously pursuing white middle class.

Find out more about the two lead detectives of the task force, the investigation and the killer's unbelievably calm and unemotional confession during interrogation in this informative read.

Warning to those sensitive: the narration does include crude language and descriptive sex acts due to the nature of these horrific crimes.

Thank you NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media for the ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here's the strange but true story of a white Louisiana serial killer that was roaming free for ten years killing mostly young attractive gay black men, more than twenty of them. And most of us will never have heard of him before. His name is Ronald Dominique. And we still wouldn't know about him if not for two super dedicated cops that went above and beyond to work to catch him.

While at roughly the same period in time, Derrick Todd Lee, an African American man was killing white women in the same state and he was on the news. There seemed to be no problem getting a task force up to go after him. Most of us knew about him and his victims. The sex and gender of the victims should not make such a big difference in when and whether these killers are caught. Or in whether the public should know about the crimes going on. People should be warned for their own safety when these guys are actively killing, so they can at least take some precautions. I was given an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher.

[Irene Well Worth A Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ronald Dominique was a Patti LaBelle impersonator, meter reader, pizza delivery guy, rapist, and serial killer. This is a look at his crimes, his confession and his sentencing.
When I read true crime I prefer a more matter of fact and less sensationalized approach. I would have liked to know more about his family and what drove him to these crimes and less about his "pulsating" slang for male sex organ. Not much of his family life was disclosed other than he may have been molested by a priest or he may have lied about it, and that his relatives made fun of him for being gay. Out of respect for the dead I would have liked to know more about his victims, other than some of them were gay and some of them were straight, and that most of them were seedy characters. I never felt fully engaged in the story due to the strange writing style. It seemed a bit awkward and clumsy.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

[Sheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like True-Crime this one is for you. Ronald J. Dominique was a prolific serial killer that had killed over twenty men during the late nineties and ending in 2006. I’m still scratching my head trying to come to terms as to how this man got away with his “kill-spree” for as long as he did. Dominique was sloppy, he would dump many of his victims in plain sight, not to mention he had narrowed his hunting grounds to such a small area that when a body was recovered several of the same investigators were called out to the scene. I refuse to think that his targeted victim was the main reason he wasn’t caught sooner, they were young gay black men. The youngest victim was in his late teens and I believe the oldest was in his early forties, they were all black but not all of them were homosexual. Dominque had several lures that he would use if they weren’t interested in having sex for money. This was very disgusting, he would have a photo of a young girl in which he would promise them they could have sex with back at his trailer. While he was prepping this would-be victim before he brought this “young girl” out the man got a good look at Dominque’s trailer of Terror and escaped. There are so many things about this case that baffles me like why didn’t one of these men turn the tables on this pudgy man and kill him instead?
As the body count kept rising, two ambitious investigators knew they had a serial killer on the loose and were able to form a state-wide Task Force. This would free them up to devote more time to go back re-interview acquaintances and family members of some of the victims. They found several common denominators in the case that led them to Dominque who had previously been jailed for a sexual offense before the killings began. They brought him in for questioning and he submitted a DNA sample which linked him to one of his first victims.
I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to write this review without going on a full rant. If you aren’t a real True-Crime fan I would pass on this one. It left me with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, everything about Ronald J. Dominique just made my skin crawl. Mr. Rosen did a great job writing this book when it can make the reader feel such intense feelings of anger.
I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Sean Chick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because I am from the area and recall some parts of this, such as the first reports of a "shoeless killer" around 1998. That said, the book is often overly dramatic. True-crime books can be that way, in my limited experience, but this one in particular went far. While certainly much from the police point of view is accurate, there seems perhaps too much dramatic license in discussing Dominque's killings and background. I am used to a more scholarly or at least even tone, which this certainly does not have. As such, I left the book unsure what to trust outside the bare-bones of the case. The result is an uneven book. It's still the best source on the murders, but something else should be done. Or perhaps not. Given our current era's current elite obsessions, the mix of race, gender, homosexuality, class, police work, and murder that unfolds would likely tell one more about the perspective of the author than the actual case. As it is, I commend Rosin for dealing with these issues without going full intersectional.

[Ronnie Cramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only 164 pages but it seemed longer.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of a serial killer I knew little about. partly because Derrick Todd Lee was active around the same time in Louisiana and partly because like the author says, there wasn't a lot of coverage even though some detectives knew what was going on and were working hard at it. It is very well paced and balanced and I really found it informative and intriguing.

[Lee Husemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book about a serial rapist/strangler who preyed mostly on young gay black men although he did include some straight black and straight white men. He lured the men into his vehicle, bound, raped and strangled them. Thanks to two detectives from different precincts, the case was finally solved when they found someone who had managed to escape from this monster. This was a real page turner and I highly recommend it.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book received from NetGalley.

This was a hard book to read, the fact that those who were being killed were homosexual and not worth the bother in the eyes of the law at the time upset me. Knowing that being different made you less of a human being, and less of a priority, when others of the same orientation were being systematically killed was just wrong. I do not remember any of these murders being mentioned on the news during that time, showing even more, that the men being killed didn't matter. It's horrible that it took so long for the various police agencies to work together. If they had maybe they would have stopped the killings sooner. It's definitely worth the read for the true crime lover who hadn't heard of this episode in hate crimes.

[♥ Marlene♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is not bad but I did feel a bit as the victims were victimized yet again by hardly getting real attention in the book. It felt all a bit matter of fact like O he killed this black man and this white guy.
It were not just black men but also white but mainly young black males. The killer is such a cowardly weakling. I am sure he kept on lying and so how much those victims had to go through we will never know.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most prolific serial killers in America was mostly unheard of because his victims were on the fringes of society. During the ten years he actively killed, Ronald Dominique primarily targeted gay black men in Louisiana, raping and strangling 23. Despite the lack of media coverage, identifying the perpetrator was the top priority of the detectives tracking him down. This wasn’t as grisly as other true crime books I’ve read, even considering the nature of the murders. Once he was apprehended, Dominique’s swift conviction did not warrant a lengthy legal proceeding. Overall, it was a decent book that detailed a decade long murder spree in bayou country and the ensuing investigation by law enforcement.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via the Amazon Vine program.

[Vero · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 14%...

Sounded interesting - the account of catching a gay serial killer, who raped and killed many young men between the 1990ies and 2006.

But the writing threw me off quite fast.

It just was too disorderly for me.

And I didn't have the patience to trudge on.

So, DNF.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bayou Strangler is an engrossing real life story about the search for and the capture and conviction of a serial killer in Louisiana. I have received an advanced reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

[Kyle Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author's note states: "This story is based on primary, on-the-scene reporting in the bayous of Louisiana; the investigative transcript of the case; and extended interviews with the primary detectives."

This book tells the story of Ronald J. Dominique, who killed more victims than any other serial killer in the United States during the past two decades. His reign of terror took place around the same time frame that Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer, was on the loose in Kansas. However, Dominique's choice of prey kept his crimes low on the radar. The detectives that put the case together soon discover that when the victims are prostitutes, society, including law enforcement, really doesn’t care that much about them.

If Dominique had only chosen different victims, whose lives were more valued by society, then the state might have acted earlier to assemble a task force to track down this serial killer. Once the case broke open, the anonymity of the task force was whisked away and the public, the media, and the justice department demanded answers. Through it all the original detectives trudged along and slowly and methodically built their case and saw it through until the end. When all the dealing is done, Dominique's “kill total” was up to twenty-three, only three serial murderers were worse: Juan Corona, who killed twenty-five ranch laborers; John Wayne Gacy, who murdered thirty-three boys and men; and Ted Bundy, known to have murdered thirty-five women.

Part one gives background and focuses on majority of killings. Part two focuses on the relentless investigation. Part three focuses on building a case, tracking, and capturing Dominique. The investigative reporting and interviews from the primary detectives really add a lot to the content of this book.

I would recommend this book to fans of true crime. I received this as a free ARC from Open Road Integrated Media on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the true story of Ronald Joseph Dominique, a prolific serial killer who is almost unknown outside of the Southern United States. Between 1997 and 2006 Dominique raped and strangled at least twenty-three men, most of them young, black and gay.

While the crimes were truly awful the story, as told here by author Fred Rosen, isn't very interesting. I know how that sounds; terrible, horrible crimes that are kind of dull? But it's true. I don't know if it is because killer Dominique is so bland as a person or because there are so many victims that it becomes just a blur of names and dates, but the story never really got my attention. There didn't seem to be a focal point for the structure of the narrative.

The two lead detectives on the task force - Lieutenant Dennis Thornton of Jefferson Parish and Detective Dawn Bergeron from Terrebonne Parish - were remarkable individuals who possessed "...advanced college degrees, allied with street smarts and a healthy lack of prejudice.." and the times when the author focuses on them are usually the more intriguing parts of the book.

The Bayou Strangler: Louisiana's Most Gruesome Serial Killer reads like an extended newspaper article. I don't know that I would recommend this book to anyone other than true crime aficionados.

***Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this title.

[Gina Gallo · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, this was a total mindfuck. When you think of serial killers, you think of that happening somewhere else. However, a bunch of things hit home here literally:

In 1997, I used to regularly hang out at The Rawhide. Apparently, so did this asshole. He killed 3 men that he picked up there. Thank God, none of them were friends of mine-but still, that’s just sad.

In 1999, my Mom and Dad moved to Houma. So did he. They settled in 2 houses down from the Church. He lived across from the Church.

This means that I’ve driven past a serial killer countless times over the years where he lived there. That is such a bizarre and horrifying thought. The author makes a point many times that the media did not report these crimes due to the victims. I had no idea that this ever happened.

I asked my Dad, who has a high chance of being the parishioner in this book, about it and he told me that he saw some men sitting in the neighbor’s driveway and asked what they were doing (worried they were casing the joint). They told him they had permission to be there and flashed a badge. So, he could have spoken to any of the detectives in this book. Such a weird thing…picking up a book that hits so close to home, yet never hearing about it in the media at the time. It makes me so sad that the media placed no value on these men’s lives due to their station in life. In murder, that shouldn’t ever matter.

[Grace Peck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dudes like Ronald here are why men and women both would choose the bear!

Should go without saying but this is incredibly gruesome so TW for rape and murder!

This was a good, short narrative non-fiction true crime book on KU about human sludge monster, Ronald here and the I believe 23 men and boys he murdered across southern Louisiana. Insane that I’ve never heard of them, he has one of the highest body counts of any American serial killer I know of at least.

This book reads quickly and had a tone of levity to it that I don’t really love in a true crime book, we definitely could’ve taken more time to learn about the victims here, at the same time this book is 200 pages so I understand not being able to go super in depth.

And the author does take the time to point out frequently that the main reason Ronald here was able to get away with this as long as he did was because of the victims he choose- which were mostly poor, gay, Black and “hustlers” that he lured into his car or trailer with the promise of money for sex, but instead he’d rape and strangle them. So of course, media and communities don’t care.

This is a really gross reality that we see with murder cases constantly, sex workers, drug addicts, unhoused or transient people are targeted by dudes like these because they are “less dead”.

[Roberta Blablanski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was doubly interesting to me as I'm interested in true crime and the killings happened where I live. I remember hearing about the deaths and search for the killer as the investigation was developing, and I appreciated having a timeline laid out in this book.

My issue with this book and author is his interchangeable use of county and parish. He mentions at the beginning of the book that Louisiana is unique in that it has parishes instead of counties, yet he chooses to use county often. He also refers to Thibodaux Parish/County quite a few times. There is no Thobodaux Parish, but there is a city called Thibodaux. It's any guess if he means Lafourche Parish (where Thibodaux is located) or Terrebonne Parish (the neighboring parish of Lafourche and where most of the killings occurred). These discrepancies make me wonder what other details and facts he might have gotten misconstrued. With the amount of research and editing required to complete this book, one would think such details would be fact checked. I would have given this book a higher star rating if it not were for those few issues.

[Cena · Rating 2 out of 5]

When, on page 2, the author decides it’s a good idea to casually drop a completely unrelated-to-anything line about the female co-lead investigator’s ‘large, voluminous breasts’, they’re already off to bad start.

He slightly redeemed himself by arguing that the reason more people don’t know about Ronald J Dominque and his 23 male victims is because RJD was a white gay man killing and raping mostly black men, which made them less sympathetic to the public (via the media). And that they were real people deserving of justice

Maybe so. But Rosen, despite having access to the complete police case file and the lead investigators, has written a book that is less than 200 pages long, and in which no one - not the investigators, not Domingue, and certainly not the 23 murdered men - emerges as anything other than a one-dimensional name.

It isn’t sourced or particularly well-written, but it’s the only book about Domingue. It’s a shame that the resources the author had weren’t put to better use.

[SKP · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband was born in Houma, and raised in South Louisiana, and we went to LSU, and lived a number of years in South Louisiana. We lived in Lafayette when the Baton Rouge serial killer, later identified as Derrick Todd Lee abducted and murdered his victims, mostly white college students, but he also abducted one black woman who was a patron at the library I worked at in Lafayette. We knew about him, and also Sean Vincent Gillis who was murdering in Baton Rouge around the same time. We never heard of Ronald Dominique until we stumbled on this book. It is unfortunate that the victims of murderers who target the so-called less desirables of society often are not prioritized as important enough to get task forces formed, and other resources to solve their murderers. But I am thankful he is now at Angola where he will never be able to troll for victims again. Thank God for the detectives who did not give up on trying to get justice for these victims.

[Lisa]

A very complicated case

A very complicated case made very simple, yet told in a very complete manner by a talented story teller!
This could not have been easy to write. This crime spanned decades and had 23 victims and a multitude of hero's, yet Rosen was able to tie it all together into a neat little package where it all makes sense in a succinct manner.

I only wish maybe a psychiatrist or two could have weighed in, but Rosen is quite right about everything he says about psychopaths!

Very entertaining (of that can be said about murder and serial killers) & educational, and dives into the psyche of the demented mind of a serial killer

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suppose I’ve grown accustomed to Harold Schechter, who is so good that he compels you to devour true crime stories even when the subjects are as evil and repulsive as Ed Gein or Albert Fish. The Bayou Strangler, who killed a lot more than the two aforementioned psychos put together, is a tough sell. The author, Fred Rosen, could have delved a lot more into the background of this Purple Haze-swilling killer; maybe he didn’t have the stomach for it. The book is pretty brief, considering the trail of evil this guy blazed. Aside from an occasional flash of sardonic humour, I thought the writing was bland and perfunctory. Many questions were left unaddressed.

[Lexi Sølvhammer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bayou Strangler by Fred Rosen is a well-researched and meticulously detailed true crime account of one of Louisiana’s most gruesome serial killers. Rosen’s storytelling grips you from the very first page and refuses to let go until the end.

The level of research is impressive, bringing both the killer’s crimes and the investigation vividly to life. While the subject matter is undeniably disturbing — and may be too intense for some readers — the author’s ability to maintain narrative momentum makes it hard to put the book down.

A chilling, gripping read for true crime enthusiasts who appreciate thorough research and strong storytelling.

[Kristal Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

As my first true crime book, this was a very interesting read. I am very intrigued when it comes to gruesome crimes and this was one of them. I was surprised I had never actually heard of Ronald J. Dominique, considering he went on a decade long killing spree. This story kept me on edge as I read it through a few short sittings. Would definitely recommend to someone who loves justice being served.

[Bonnie Kernene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book on Ronald J. Dominique, a little known serial killer in Louisiana. He was there during the time that Todd Derrick Lee was, so he was overshadowed. However, this book is worth the read! It is very well researched and written. I had a hard time putting it down. If you enjoy reading about serial killers, especially ones that are not so popular or in the public eye as much, this is for you! Great book!

[Karen Bullock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outrageous!

Ronald was without a doubt, a sick and twisted individual who relied on the excuses of being picked on by his family, an alleged sexual crime by a priest, & then by a family member; his stories kept changing per the person he was detailing his life story too.
It is disgusting that all these men died for the reasons that Ronald couldn't control himself,not seek help.
True crime stories written by Fred Rosen are always written with such detail, that there is no question as to any missing information.
Another brilliant retelling of a horrific crime.

[Vnunez-Ms_luv2read · Rating 4 out of 5]

How was this man's crime not as well known as other serial killers? Was it because of who his victims were? Very interesting read, could not put down. What a monster Ronald J. Dominique. Please read this book. Everyone should read this book and realize what kind of people are in this world. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

[Christine Connallon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating true life crime experience. Well written and documented account of Ronald Dominique, a Patti LaBelle impersonator who also happens to be one of our country’s most prolific serial killers.

Author Fred Rosen was my journalism professor many moons ago at Hofstra University. He recently passed away and it was bittersweet to read this incredible work after he passed.

[Harper Schroeder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard about this case on Crime Junkie and decided to read the book after the fact. I will say, I think that prepared me for the heinous details this book dove into. It was a sickeningly tragic read. As a lover of true crime, I’m glad I read it. But a massive warning to anyone with SA triggers - it was incredibly hard to read.

[Mortisha Cassavetes · Rating 4 out of 5]

When young African American men were found dead, Louisiana knew there was a serial killer behind it all. After ten years, the detectives finally arrested Ronald Dominique, a gay man, for the crimes. This is the story of the murders, investigation and the interrogation. I really enjoy this author's books! I highly recommend this true crime!