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Murder in the Bayou: Who Killed the Women Known as the Jeff Davis 8?

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A New York Times Bestseller & the Basis for the Hit Showtime Docuseries

Murder in the Bayou is a New York Times bestselling chronicle of a high-stakes investigation into the murders of eight women in a troubled Southern parish that is “part murder case, part corruption exposé, and part Louisiana noir” ( New York magazine).

Between 2005 and 2009, the bodies of eight women were discovered in Jennings, Louisiana, a bayou town of 10,000 in the Jefferson Davis parish. The women came to be known as the Jeff Davis 8, and local law enforcement officials were quick to pursue a serial killer theory, stirring a wave of panic across Jennings’ class-divided neighborhoods. The Jeff Davis 8 had been among society’s most vulnerable—impoverished, abused, and mired with mental illness. They engaged in sex work as a means of survival. And their underworld activity frequently occurred at a decrepit motel called the Boudreaux Inn.

As the cases went unsolved, the community began to look inward. Rumors of police corruption and evidence tampering, of collusion between street and shield, cast the serial killer theory into doubt. But what was really going on in the humid rooms of the Boudreaux Inn? Why were crimes going unsolved and police officers being indicted? What had the eight women known? And could anything be done do stop the bloodshed?

Mixing muckraking research and immersive journalism over the course of a five-year investigation, Ethan Brown reviewed thousands of pages of previously unseen homicide files to posit what happened during each woman’s final hours delivering a true crime tale that is “mesmerizing” ( Rolling Stone ) and “explosive” ( Huffington Post ). “Brown is a man on a mission...he gives the victims more respectful attention than they probably got in real life” ( The New York Times ). “A must-read for true-crime fans” ( Publishers Weekly , starred review), with a new afterword, Murder in the Bayou is the story of an American town buckling under the dark forces of poverty, race, and class division—and a lightning rod for justice for the daughters it lost.

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 13, 2016

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Ethan Brown

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5 stars
525 (15%)
4 stars
1,090 (31%)
3 stars
1,336 (38%)
2 stars
431 (12%)
1 star
105 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 374 reviews
Profile Image for Julie .
4,248 reviews38k followers
February 28, 2017
Murder in the Bayou by Ethan Brown is a 2016 Scribner publication.

Although this case may have made headlines at some point between 2005-2009, I was not familiar with it. I stumbled across this book while browsing through the Axis360 library and decided to check it out, but I never imagined it would give me a real case of the shivers.

The ‘Jeff Davis 8’ case was so named because the murders took place in Jefferson Davis Parish in Louisiana. The location does indeed create that Gothic tone the blurb hints at. That tone, coupled with the cold- blooded murders of eight women and the astounding corruption in law enforcement, was enough to make me feel squeamish and a little jumpy.

The author’s stark and rather jarring style of journalism, which may not be polished enough for some, but works in this case, in my opinion, because it really opens up the reality of these murders, and throws a harsh light on a southern version of the syndicate in the midst of the lurid sex and drug trade.


It’s such a convoluted and murky case complicated by corruptions so deep and prevalent, it’s hard to fathom.

Don’t expect the usual focus on the victims' lives, or a precise law enforcement investigation, or a courtroom drama with a definitive verdict, which is often featured in true crime, but instead you should brace yourself for a hard and gritty investigative report that will leave you chilled right down to the bone.

If you read True Crime, this book is not to be missed!

4 stars
Profile Image for Ronnie Cramer.
1,031 reviews34 followers
March 27, 2021
It was tough getting through this one. The book is ostensibly about a series of unsolved murders in Louisiana, but it's mostly about the author and his self-styled "investigation." Written in a vainglorious style that is generally dull, murky, repetitive, and unfocused. My "to-read" list had included SHAKE THE DEVIL OFF, but I notice it's by this same guy so I will likely avoid it.
Profile Image for Jeanette.
4,088 reviews836 followers
October 2, 2019
This is not worth the read, IMHO. Too much hear say and they say. And too much author's opinion interpreted.

I do cut him some slack as this Jennings, Louisiana and the Jeff Davis 8 in particular, is no straight path cause/ effect story of any particular of 1000's of details to tell. It's so entwined within lewd, addicted, horrific lifestyles of violence and assault that I doubt that any particular accused perp might hold every fact of knowing what, where, when with any true accuracy. (They mostly roam and can't remember the day before yesterday. That's not sarcasm, it's honesty.) It's also improbable they are able to voice it at all in a way that would be understandable to authority "outside" the dependency exchanges of this convoluted "system".

Terrible civil and governmental corruptions twin the perversity of the dozens of primes running these games in this town. Some being police cabals, some being gang ploys/ distributions. It's too low in every sense of human nature to portray equations of all this in any straight line for one particular crime, IMHO. That's also how many a day are committed.

These women's lives were worth less than a stockyard animal. And they lived in styles of choices and non-choices (both) on such dangerous edges, that I doubt any convictions would equate to any "justice" regardless. Most of the worst perps themselves dying in violence after witnessing or committing homicides.

There is a decent charting and chronological order graphic section at the end of the book listing crimes and other criteria. It's absolutely essential because many of these people have "hood" names or same surnames or inter-marriage relationships etc. etc. etc. Most are NOT related by blood despite all the same last names. Nearly everyone in this town has one of 3 or 4 "common" Cajun surnames.
Profile Image for Trisha.
5,920 reviews231 followers
June 24, 2019
"It's Jennings, man." He gave me a friendly, almost collegial clap on the shoulder. "Welcome to the dirty south."

This was an interesting and deeply sad story. A small town, population about 10,000, has had a horrible habit of losing some of its most vulnerable members - women who are struggling on the fringes of their town - but losing them to murder.

All of these women left family behind - mothers, siblings and sometimes even children. And the mystery around all their deaths, the author's reasons to tie them together but also to tie them to certain people who maybe probably did it. It was an interesting read full of heartache but also anger. How have these not been solved?! I'm anxious to see the show they made out the book.
Profile Image for Toni FGMAMTC.
2,098 reviews26 followers
February 7, 2017
Interesting. If you like true crime stories or mysteries like Making a Murderer, you should check it out. There are so many questions. Things were definitely not handled right.
Profile Image for Alexis Braun.
23 reviews
October 3, 2017
While the case may be very interesting and suspenseful and Ethan Brown may be a very fine journalist and writer, this book was organized in such a way that it both confused and disinterested me. The jumping around from victim 1 to early history of the parish to another victim to the history of the last few sheriffs of the parish introduced so many persons important to the plot so quickly and all at the front, which made it hard for me to follow the nuances of the plot. Ultimately, I just wish this book had been organized differently, because the story may be an important one about police corruption in America and the resulting stifling of justice in the communities affected by that corruption.
Profile Image for rachel.
831 reviews173 followers
August 27, 2020
The thing of value in this book is the way it pokes (meteor-sized) holes in the idea that cops are extra righteous and morally virtuous because of their position as enforcers of law. The extent of corruption happening in plain sight in Jennings, LA is nearly unbelievable.

However, if you, like me, wanted to know more about the women who were killed (aside from the fact that they were sex workers and hooked on crack), you will be left feeling sort of unsatisfied. I picked it up after catching about 20 minutes in passing of an ID channel documentary featuring the sisters of Whitnei Dubois and their effort to keep pursuing justice in her memory. The show also featured the brothers of Loretta Chaisson talking about what she was like growing up. That personal touch seemed really lacking here, as Brown hurried to connect the dots from one member of the criminal underworld tangentially related to the victim to another, and then to list all of the crimes they ever committed together. Stated plainly, this is a t e d i o u s read.
Profile Image for Whitney.
79 reviews56 followers
October 13, 2019
A quick read and dismal yet fascinating to know this is not only a true story but also very much so alive. The show was incredible to watch as well but as any true book nerd will tell you, the book was better. At times hard to keep up with due to the number of people involved and on more than one occasion, a chapter will begin concerning one subject and end with another. Lots of twists and turns. Keep up the research Mr. Brown. These women, and all those who suffered along with them, deserve justice, and the governmental forces who played a deadly role deserve to wear that shoe on the other foot. We see you.
Profile Image for Yesenia Cash.
269 reviews20 followers
May 11, 2020
The writing was hard to get into, I would have really appreciated to have been able to read this story because it’s a good story everyone must read about the Jeff Davis 8 deserve this. Unfortunately I couldn’t finish this book the writing style was boring and hard to follow.
Profile Image for Angus McKeogh.
1,376 reviews82 followers
December 3, 2017
Pretty good. I somehow heard about this book through a quirky connection between the LISK documentary that recently came out and figured this was something similar. Actually it revolves more around the corruption of Southern law enforcement than anything to do with a serial killer. But overall it was informative, interesting, and shocking in many respects. Fits with the current societal problem of power leading to corruption.
Profile Image for Sonnet.
124 reviews7 followers
December 8, 2016
Honestly? I think this should be required reading for Louisiana residents. The events behind these murders are...atrocious? Terrifying? Indescribably heartbreaking for anyone who loves Louisiana and wants her to be the best she can be. It's obvious that things were (and probably still are) amiss in Jennings, La. Sadly, there are other towns across the state and across the country with these same issues of corruption. A well-written, thoroughly researched account of these murders and the investigation (or lack thereof) that accompanied them. He posits some plausible, even highly likely, theories of who was responsible, as well as clear motives and methods for these murders. A few typographical errors--very few--along the way, but the information is sound. Charts of victims, witnesses, suspects, law enforcement, and other major players are provided along with a timeline. Only thing I could have used was a chart of how everyone was related. One of the issues with a small town, especially one in La--it's hard to tell who is actually related and who just has the same French name. Brown does a good job of explaining those connections, though.
Profile Image for Sarah.
136 reviews17 followers
September 25, 2019
So as far as a "true crime" book goes it's not up there with my favorites - Monster of Florence, Helter Skelter, Stranger Beside Me - but it was a good book, just more like long-form journalism. I wasn't captivated, but it's an important story. I hope his reporting will help to bring justice for these poor women and their families. Overall, I would recommend reading the book and never setting foot in Southwest Louisiana.
Profile Image for Heather.
5 reviews
October 5, 2016
I've been waiting for this book for a while now, ever since the podcasts Thinking Sideways and Sword and Scale covered the case. I was engrossed by this book and the wait was well worth it. It's horrifying to think of the system that failed these women and may have ever been involved in their murders. I highly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Bethany.
53 reviews
October 6, 2016
Brown, as a investigative reporter, blurs the lines too much. He's also a private investigator, but that gives him no license to offer his own personal opinions on what happened.
The writing was not very compelling, the investigation was complicated and hard to follow, the graphics were difficult to read because of how they were formatted in the book.
I'm sure Brown has ability, but he wrote this story as someone with a lot of knowledge of the case instead of as someone who has to explain the case step by step to a person with no knowledge.
This could have been done a lot better.
Profile Image for Sassy Sarah Reads.
2,334 reviews305 followers
April 17, 2018
4 stars. I really enjoyed this one. It's a fantastic look into corruption and cover-ups that are prevalent in a small town in Louisiana and it's connection to political tycoons and law enforcement. Review to come.
Profile Image for Shirley Schwartz.
1,418 reviews74 followers
January 25, 2020
I had heard a lot about this book and heard a lot about the Jeff Davis 8. The Jeff Davis 8 consisted of group of eight women who had been involved in the sex and drug trade in the heart of Jefferson Davis County in Louisiana. All of the eight had been murdered between 2005 and 2008. Ethan Brown lives in New Orleans, and he spent a great deal of time in Jefferson Davis County completing extensive research into these crimes. The real travesty is that, to this day, these crimes have not been solved. During Brown's research he finds reams of information on law enforcement staff in the County, and in what appears to be their involvement in the drug and prostitution trade. Brown does a good job in the book of presenting the story. Everything that he has written has been personally researched through arrest records, interviews with people peripheral to the case, and thorough examination of newspaper articles, land titles and internet searches. I found the book a bit of a tough slog though, as there was almost too much fact, and the back stories are revealed in bits and pieces throughout the book. I prefer to read an expose in chronological order, and with one point-of-view at a time. What Brown has exposed in this book though is chilling and frightening. How can this kind of lawlessness go on for so long, and no outside agency be called in to deal with these very serious allegations? In some ways this expose makes it a bit easier for me to understand our very own unsolved disappearances and murders along "The Highway of Tears”. Society's most vulnerable people are truly the forgotten ones in this world.
Profile Image for Angela Young.
2 reviews
January 13, 2017
I live within 30 minutes of Jennings & had followed this story over the years. I couldn't wait to read the book. I am so glad that I did even though it is very disturbing to have so much crime in such a small town.

For the first several chapters I could only read 5 or so pages at a time before I had to put it down - and let me say that I am a "reader" & I will finish a book in a day given the opportunity - but reading about people I knew, knew of (the Lake Charles connection), etc made me sick to my stomach at the amount of corruption & back dealing & underhandedness going on on multiple levels.

There will never be justice for the Jeff Davis 8 nor any of the other people that were killed along the way. This book makes me feel sad and embarrassed for the State that we are in. It should be an eye opener for many.
Profile Image for G.
449 reviews
September 5, 2018
This felt important but not necessarily gripping. Brown offers an indelible portrait of the depths to which addiction can bring whole communities -- from the abjection of the addicts to the corruption of those who supply them with drugs -- and does some amazing investigative journalism along the way. His theories about the arcs of power that galvanized the murders of the Jeff Davis 8 make sense, and his portraits of the women are sensitive and thoughtful; he treats each as a real individual with a lived experience worthy of value and care. But in the end, it was kind of boring -- I admired its aims more than its execution.
Profile Image for Aarica.
209 reviews18 followers
August 10, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up. I discovered this book while visiting a bookshop in the French Quarter of New Orleans. A local writer and on the staff recommended reading shelf. I bought it and it has sat tucked away on my shelf for two years! Today I dug in and finished it in a day. Brown writes very succinctly and the book has the PI vibe. Now more than when I bought this book has its relevance in police corruption, political interference, and violence against women grown. Gritty, honest, and well written.
Profile Image for Ainsley McGovern.
59 reviews
May 15, 2024
Holy corruption. Growing up near the area, I always heard about the Jeff Davis 8 and assumed it was a serial killer. But after listening to this story and all the *many* hours of research and interviews the author has done, I think it’s multiple offenders wrapped up in a whole lot of police and political corruption, drugs and sex work. Truly fascinating. I’ll definitely be watching the mini series about this soon.
Profile Image for Jata Crochet.
21 reviews8 followers
September 21, 2016
Brown holds nothing back nor does he sugar coat the incidents! Loved it!
Profile Image for Alysha DeShaé.
1,264 reviews38 followers
August 21, 2022
This is definitely not my usual type of book. For starters, it's non-fiction; I like my reading to be an escape, but this came highly recommended and I'm glad I made the exception. It's also a crime book and, while I enjoy a good crime thriller, they pale in comparison to fantasy and sci-fi books for me.

Being from Louisiana, I vaguely recall these murders being in the news. Not much, because I avoid the news as a general rule, but enough that I remember getting a new pepper-spray because of it. I also remember gun shopping, but opting at the time not to get a handgun because I wasn't yet comfortable enough with guns. (Now I have and love my Sig!)

I will again repeat my first comment about maybe skipping the "key figures" part at the beginning unless you are not familiar with Louisiana name pronunciation; it really did just make things more confusing for me. I will also say that, while I learned a lot about the general case, I also am not interested in reading more about it or about other cases. While this might be the opposite effect that the writer was going for (I would imagine that all nonfiction authors want to inspire you to read more about their topic with their own works), it really did show me that true crime (is that what this is considered? I don't even know!) is not something I want to regularly read. I had nightmares all last night because of my overactive imagination. :-(

Considering that all of my knowledge about the case comes from this book (I know, I should have more sources to make an actual informed decision), I do feel that Jennings should probably do what Sorrento has done and get rid of their police department entirely. However, it sounds like the corruption might extend to other departments outside of the town. I'm not sure. I just don't see how a department so horribly run could not have been voted out of existence! Regardless, this sort of widespread corruption is what leads to the public distrusting law enforcement officers.

If you enjoy true crime type books, historical(-ish) books, or books about your home state, you will probably enjoy this book and I do highly recommend it. It was fascinating, informative, and worth the time. :-)
Profile Image for Eileen.
465 reviews9 followers
March 14, 2018
Good grief, what a hot mess this book was. It's a shame, because I love non-fiction; history, true crime, true events, and this tragic murder mystery deserves attention. But man, the chapters were all over the place, unfocused, just a jumble of facts whether directly related or not. The author spent years investigating this case, but the writing of this book was sub-par. He really needed a professional co-author or a very involved editor.

I wanted to quit reading this book so many times, but because it is relatively short at 200+ pages, I soldiered on. Only at the very end did it have any sort of cohesiveness, but it was too little too late. Even the ending really wasn't an ending, it was just the writing stopping, not really any sort of conclusion. So just no on this one. I had high hopes for this but nope.
Profile Image for SheriC.
716 reviews35 followers
abandoned
October 16, 2017
I’m more than a little disappointed that I couldn’t get through this book, because I genuinely like true crime and from what I’ve read about it, this was great investigative journalism by the author. But the audiobook performance was just not working for me. It sounded like the narrator was reading a news article that he just didn’t find very interesting. I gave it more than my minimum 20 minutes of listening for audio before deciding to DNF, but I’m not rating it, as my issues with it are due to the audio performance rather than the writing or content. Maybe I’ll try this one again sometime in the bound format.
Profile Image for Christine.
7,223 reviews569 followers
September 13, 2023
This isn't a bad book, and I feel that my objection to it really isn't Brown's fault, considering that the murders are technically unsolved. At times, though, Brown puts himself too much in the story and then takes himself out which is bit annoying.

However, considering the current political environment, this should be required reading - especially with the NFL players and thier protest (they are not protesting the flag or the troops but injustice. And if you have a problem with that, don't comment on my space, thanks).
Profile Image for Jennifer.
235 reviews27 followers
October 8, 2016
I don't particularly enjoy how Ethan Brown tends to interject himself in his writings. And there was a bit too much conjecture in this but I found the discussion of small town Louisiana politics and crime fascinating.
Profile Image for Lisa Williams.
79 reviews2 followers
September 20, 2016
Amazing book. The author really gets tot he heart of the matter and doesn't hold back even when his life is threatened. If you think New Orleans is corrupt, you ain't seen nothing yet!!
Profile Image for Valeri.
106 reviews2 followers
August 6, 2025
I first heard about this story in 2021 from a podcast and it captivated me. So much that I then watched the documentary and here I am 4 years later reading the book. There is no way you can read this and not think that something fishy is happening. It’s a small town sure but it’s not that small to where everyone who seemingly knows anything about anything ends up dead. 20 years on these poor women’s cases are still unsolved. And just because you hit hard times and make poor choices doesn’t mean you get to be killed and tossed aside. Their families deserve answers and folks need to be held accountable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 374 reviews

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