A series of e-mails has circulated during the past few weeks containing alleged information about the serial killer, causing panic about false information.
One e-mail even featured a picture of someone believed to match police’s “person of interest” sketch. The e-mail also said the man lived in Tigerland and gave information about his previous jobs.
The targeted man chose to take action and pursued a lawsuit to defend his name.
Nathan Fisher, the lawyer representing this man, said his client does not wish to be identified.
“My client is not involved in the investigation other than having his picture circulated in the e-mail,” Fisher said. “The damage has been done and continues to be done to his character.”
Baton Rouge Police Department Cpl. Mary Ann Godawa, spokeswoman for the Multi-Agency Task Force, said officials investigated the e-mail, but the unidentified man is not a suspect in the case.
Fisher said the culprit who created the e-mail has been identified.
Nick Simonette, WAFB’s general manager, said a general staff member started the e-mail and it was unauthorized.
“We’ve taken appropriate action to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Simonette said.
Fisher said students need to be wary of e-mails because the source is not always reliable.
Elementary education freshman Rachel Fromenthal said she did not believe the e-mail because the excess of information would have sparked interest from the police department.
“I was a little scared [after first reading the e-mail] because one of my friends lives in Tiger Plaza,” Fromenthal said.
The lack of close-proximity parking for visitors around Tiger Plaza makes it a dangerous area at night, Fromenthal said.
Meg, a communication disorders junior who did not wish to give her last name because of safety concerns, said the information in the e-mail kept her on guard.
“I’ve gotten the e-mails before, so I am skeptical of them sometimes,” Meg said.
It is hard to know if an e-mail is giving accurate information, she said.
Godawa cautions the public to be aware of the truthfulness in e-mails.
Godawa said the task force and BRPD only use the media to release information.
BRPD Capt. Mike Edmondson said residents can contact their local law enforcement agency to verify any information they find through questionable sources regarding the serial killer.
False Emails:
Subject: Women, Be Alert!
Subject: Women, Be Alert! YOU CAN’T BE TOO CAREFUL!!!
A message I received from a friend this morning……..good advice!
Hi friends and family. I know that with all the psychos out there, we still think that something couldn’t really happen to us, right?
Wrong!
As most of you know, I live in Alexandria, but I work in Lafayette where I stay with friends when I’m there. As you know from America’s Most Wanted TV program as well as thenews media, there is a serial killer in the Lafayette area. I just want to let you know about an “incident” that happened to me a few weeks ago that could have been deadly.
At first I didn’t go to the police or anyone with it because I didn’t realize how serious this encounter was. But since I work in a jail and I told a few people about it, it wasn’t long before I was paraded into Internal Affairs to tell them my story.
It was approximately 5:15 am in Opelousas, La. I had stayed with a friend there and I was on my way to work. I stopped at the Exxon/Blimpie station to get gas. I got $10 gas and a Diet Coke…I took into the store two $5 bills and one $1 bill. (just enough to get my stuff)
As I pulled away from the store, a man approached my truck from the back side of the store (an unlit area). He was an “approachable-looking” man (clean cut, clean shaven, dressed well, etc.) He walked up to my window and knocked. Since I’m very paranoid and “always looking for therapist or killer”, I didn’t open the window….I just asked what he wanted.
He raised a $5 bill to my window and said “You dropped this.” Since I knew I had gone into the store with a certain amount of money….I knew I didn’t drop it. When I told him it wasn’t mine……he began hitting the window and door and screaming at me to open my door and that I had dropped the money! At that point, I drove away as fast as I could.
After talking to the Internal Affairs department and describing the man I saw and the way he escalated from calm and polite to angry and volatile….it was determined that I could have possibly encountered the serial killer myself. At this point, it is unclear as to how hegains access to his victims since there has been no evidence of forced entry into homes, etc. And the fact that he has been attacking in the daytime when women are less likely to have their guard up…and what gestureis nicer than returning money to someone that dropped it????? How many times would you have opened your window (or door) to get your money and say thank you….because if the person is kind enough to return something to you…then he can’t really be a threat…. can he????
Please be cautious! This might not have been the serial killer…it probably wasn’t…but anyone that gets that angry over someone not accepting money from them, can’t have honorable intentions.
Forward this to everyone you know….maybe they can be as fortunate as I was!
Subject: FW: suspect in BR serial killings
I don’t know if this is for real or not, but read it anyway I guess andsend it to people…
> > > One of my co-workers, Mary Kuntz, used to work in the Baton Rouge detective office.  She did her own investigating and found this profile on the LA Corrections web-site.  He is 30 years old and lives in Tigerland (walking distance from 3 of the victims).  He also used to work at Brian Harris BMW(three of the victims drove BMW’s).  He also has a brother who worked at adealership in Lafayette( oneof victims from Lafayette).  His profile is
– Baton Rouge Serial Killer.jpg