Roxanne's Family and the Ozone

Hello. Hey, is this Michelle? Yeah. Hey, Michelle. My name's Charles Dowdy.

“I'm working on a podcast about your, I think it's your aunt, Roxanne.”

Yes, yes, sir. All right.

I was wondering if you had a few minutes to talk.

Yes. So, uh, and is that correct? She was your aunt? Yes. Um, her sister, Stacey, was my mom.

Any individuals mentioned in this podcast are presumed innocent, until proven guilty in a court of law. This case remains an active, ongoing investigation, and all discussions are based on publicly available information, investigative updates, and legal proceedings where applicable.

The goal is to seek justice, provide awareness, and encourage the public to come forward with any relevant information. This podcast does not make any allegations of guilt against the individuals discussed, and is intended for informational purposes only. My mom was a youngest of four, and so Roxanne was, you know,

uh, next above her, she was older than her. And, um, she did talk about her a lot. You know, Aunt Roxanne was like her protector. You know, she would talk about how she would stand up for her, and that she looked up to her, you know,

because that was her older sister. And so they didn't, you know, they had a close relationship. They thought just like, I mean, they were only a few years apart in age, but, you know, she still looked up to her a lot, and it was really, you know, devastating what happened to her.

And I want to talk about Roxanne's impact, uh,

her death, the impact on the family in a second,

but you're not the first one when you talk about her, that's kind of talk about the fact that she was tough, and, you know, that she took care of her own, kind of, do you know why that was? Why she was like that?

Well, the mom told me that, you know, they had a rough life. They, you know, were poor. And so I know she talked about how it was hard. She just talked about, you know, them struggling financially.

And so it just, it was a hard life.

“And, and I think Aunt Roxanne just kind of adapted to the situation.”

They were in the area they lived in at this time. I think was kind of rough. And so I think she just, you know, she felt she needed to be tough. And I think having, you know, my mom,

as a younger sister, I think she just felt she, you know, she had to protect the people that she cared about. And I think to kind of sit into, you know, the neighborhood and the situation they were in, you know, you kind of had to be tough.

So I think it was just something she did because she had to. And because of like said, the life that they lived being poor. And just having our time back then, you know, they didn't have it. They didn't have it easy.

I think it was a way to cope with, you know, life being so difficult. The neighborhood that figures prominently in the podcast is called the ozone. Did your mom ever talk about the ozone?

I didn't hear a lot about it. I mean, she told me, you know, it was later in my life that I found out what it would have happened. But she, she did tell me, you know, about certain people that lived there and,

and people they knew. I don't remember it now. But it was definitely, you know, I know where it is, you know, because I grew up in St. Timony,

Paris, so I knew where it was. But she said, you know, they, it was rough, you know, they did not. They, you know, that area is, all right, did at that time had, you know, poverty.

And so, you know, that was a big thing. And a lot of places they moved and they moved a lot. That's what my mom told me. She went to a bunch of different schools. I can't remember them all now.

But my mom said they moved quite frequently. And so she told me all the schools that she had went to as a kid.

“And so that I think that was also really hard.”

Roxanne's death, the impact on not only your mom, but the family. Were you talking a little bit about that? Yeah. When I got older, you know,

my mom had told me, you know, that she had passed when I was younger. But when I got to be a teen, she actually talked to me about it. And she had, she had two scrap books.

She had a blue one and a red one.

And I remember seeing them growing up and I always wanted to look at them.

And she told me I could look at them when I got older. And one of those scrap books was about Aunt Roxanne. And she carried that when she made it. But when we moved later in our lives,

She never lost it. She never misplaced it.

But she made a scrap book about Aunt Roxanne and what had happened to her. And so it, I know it stayed, you know, that was her sister. I mean, I know that stayed with her.

It was really hard for her to talk about what had happened to her. But she, I mean, it just shows that she made that scrap book because it stayed with her. And it bothered her, you know, what happened and that they hadn't,

didn't know what had truly happened to her and why. And I would say that it was like a cloud that hung over everybody.

“I think it really kind of destroyed our family.”

You know, a lot of my family has passed.

And they all passed very young.

And Aunt Roxanne was very young. And I feel like if she was still here, I mean, I would say that I believe strongly that a lot of them would still be here. You know, it just changed everybody.

It was like there was life before Aunt Roxanne was murdered and it was life faster. And I think it was just devastating. And you know, my cousin, which was Roxanne's son, Tommy. I mean, he grew up without a mom.

I heard that his dad had a lot of difficulty coping with what happened to her. So he was not in his life a lot. And I mean, so he grew up without a mom and a dad. And I mean, he struggled a lot in his life. And I mean, I can't imagine growing up without, you know, without your mother.

And then not having your dad in your life. And my grandma was the one that raised me. And he struggled his whole life. And I feel like if she hadn't been killed, he maybe would still be here.

So I think it just affected everybody. And I don't think anybody, you know, back then, to do how to cope with it.

“You know, everybody just dealt with it the best way they could.”

But most of our core family has died. And as God with no one would happen to her. You know, when my grandma would talk about it, she didn't like to talk about it. But everyone's in a while.

She would talk about it. And my cousin, you know, I see that older because and Tommy, he would get angry about it. You know, as he got older, it, you know, it was hard for him to deal with.

He was so young when she, when she died. But as he got older, you know, just he was angry that he didn't have, and hurt that he didn't have his mom. And so it just was just not a topic that everybody talked about. But when they did, everybody was,

was broken by it. I definitely believe that. Tommy, do you remember when he died? Yes. He was in his 30s, his early 30s.

He'd actually moved out of state. And he died of an overdose. You know, he died really young.

“And just, you know, lead him have been close.”

Growing up. And he was just kind of lost. He kind of just, he was kind of like, he hit Roxanne. And he kind of just was lost.

You know, he kind of wandered. He just kind of was here and there. And when he got old enough to move out, he just kind of was all over the place.

He never could really kind of settle.

I don't know if that was because of, you know, not having his parents. That he just never could just be in one place. And just, you know, it's, you know, it was, it was really hard on him.

Michelle, if you could, let's say that there are folks in that neighborhood in the ozone that may know what happened. What would you say to someone that is sitting on that information and not sharing it? I would say police come forward.

She wasn't perfect, but she was loved. And it's, you know, I've seen since this podcast has come out that people did care about her. And art, you know, most of our family is going, but the reason why I'm here today doing this is from a mom,

because, and, you know, all of my family, you know, that has passed because they can't be here just to speak up for her today. And, you know, even though they've passed, I mean, I think it would still mean a lot for our family

and to have somebody held accountable for that.

“And so I would just ask them to please come forward”

and let somebody know what you know, no matter how small it is. And I know there was a lot of fear. You know, I know there was a lot of fear back then that something could happen, but it's been so many years.

I mean, just please tell somebody what happened and let her be at rest and let my family be at rest because I feel like this is an open wound

that will never be closed so it can heal

until we know what happened to her. You know, I just would like to see, at least someone in our family, be there to have closure for everybody to be able to feel that, you know, just as it was done and everybody can rest now.

So I just would ask them to please come forward. You know, we just want and closure. You know, that's all. I mean, just to know what happened to her for everybody. My name is Charles Dowdy with Norshore Media Group.

And this is the sixth episode of Who Killed Rock Sand. And barring something dramatic in the near future. This will be the last episode for a little while.

“Remember what I said about my intentions with this podcast?”

Way back in the first episode. I said advocating on Rock Sand's behalf now of 40 plus year old cold case might be a lost cause. But I said I was going to tell you her story and I have. And I said I know how it starts.

I know some of the middle, no one knows how it will end. Well, hopefully this is not the end. It is my hope that this is only a pause before the end. Remember the stats I quoted to you about cold cases and how many of them there are.

And we talked about the challenges of solving one. Witnesses die. Evidence is degraded or ghost missing. People's lives go on. The stats tell us it would be a tall order to find and convict

to ever killed Roxanne Sharp.

In that first episode I said maybe it was two tall of an order

for the stated purpose of this podcast. So what if the bar was lower? I said what if all I was trying to accomplish was to get information from people who so far had been unwilling to provide it?

That's what I said back in episode one. And that was good enough for you to keep listening then. And it was good enough for me to keep working on this project we can and we can. Except I'm not sure it's good enough now.

Roxanne deserves better. She deserves more.

“Look, to be honest, I think I quoted those stats”

and lowered those expectations to protect myself from the fear of failure. What if I did all this work and no one cared? What if we made this big effort and no one came forward with information?

Well, my expectations are a lot higher now than they were when we started and it's your fault. That's right, I'm blaming you because lots of listeners of this podcast have cared. You've listened and shared and commented

and given this dead story some life. And even though I don't know everything that your tips have contained, I do know that valuable information has been brought forward in the last few weeks.

Maybe not enough for an indictment now, but I sincerely hope that is where we are headed. I pray that someone is charged with this hideous crime and convicted. Now, if I sound a little more confident than I should,

it's because I know something you don't. Right now, more people are listening to this podcast than at any time since it started. And right now, we have as many people downloading

the very first episode as any other episode,

which means people are just now finding the podcast. So we have to continue inviting people to hear this story. It might take a little more time to find the person we are looking for. It might take a little more time

for someone to feel comfortable enough to come forward and tell the authorities what they know. But know this, some people have already come forward. We just need more. Now, I said we're going to talk about DNA

with the St. Tamony Corners office in this episode. We're not. And it's not because they weren't willing. They were. In fact, I was looking forward to seeing

the cutting edge technology St. Tamony is lucky enough to have.

and there would be limited things they would be willing to tell me.

“Plus, I felt like Mary White from Southeastern”

gave us the basics on DNA. She gave us a pretty good picture of the difficulty they could be facing when attempting a DNA match with evidence that is so old. Besides, someone else came forward

a niece from Arkansas. I felt like Michelle did a great job humanizing her ant rock sand and making it clear what a devastating impact her death had on the extended family.

It wasn't just that they lost a sister, a daughter, an ant, a friend. It was also the start and stop of each investigation. The interest that came like waves, roaring in with energy and good intentions

and then slowly receding away with frustration and disappointment. Whenever somebody knew would take over the case or somebody knew would open it, anytime somebody would reach out to them,

they would talk to them because they wanted to see the person who killed ant rock sand brought to justice

and they did express frustration

because somebody would reach out and they would get their hopes up that something was going to happen and then it would just hit a dead end and it was just constant disappointment.

I know in the early years, they said that it was hope because the family was not. It was really hard on them because it almost opened up their business

to everybody and so they, you know, ant rock sand did get in trouble. She wasn't perfect and so it was upsetting to them too that it didn't get solved.

“Sometimes felt like it was because she was not innocent.”

And so they had to endure a lot of people, I think saying not great things about ant rock sand being killed and that was really hard. And so I think sometimes they felt

that because she wasn't perfect and she sometimes got trouble and did bad things that that wasn't maybe another reason why

they had never could get solved.

But I know through the years I know there was different things that happened and I know some evidence was damaged during Katrina. It was just like everything

bad that could happen happened. And that was from the beginning of the investigation that anything bad that could happen

kind of derailed it get solved and that was really hard and frustrating. And after a while,

I think my grandma just kind of gave up and mom kind of gave up and I think they still hope that it would be solved. I think they had been disappointed

for many times that they just couldn't and they couldn't keep open anymore that it would be solved. Like I said a minute ago

when we started this podcast I didn't know if this was going to work but after speaking with Michelle and after all of this I wanted to now more than ever.

I just wanted to express to you and Mr. Montgomery for doing this. You know, I've had friends reach out.

I've had people say they saw billboard about it. I've had so many people share about it

and I've had I've read a lot of great things about at Roxanne about people that cared about her

and so that was really good to see that and to hear that on the podcast is that people cared about her and to hear that part of it.

I think my family I wish they would have been here to hear that stuff because like I said I think this is such a hard thing

to go through and I think at the time it was I don't know if they heard that enough how wonderful she was

and how people were impacted and how much they cared about her and what they had the good things that they remembered about her

you know and my cousin I mean he didn't get to know his mom he was always he was less than two

years old and I wish he was you know wish they were all still here but

it was nice to read that stuff to know that people still think of her and care about her and remember her

and that it impacted a lot of people you know because it kind of felt like

it was overshadowed about other things and that she kind of was forgotten

but she wasn't she wasn't forgotten The last episode ended with state police

investigators Stefan Montgomery talking about a neighborhood in Covington called the ozone

I want to make this clear

is not like it was in 1982 I've written through their numerous times

and tried to imagine seeing it like it was back then you have to use

your imagination there's families there's new construction I'd be willing to get the roads

or a lot nicer too

When I talk about the ozone

and the podcast I'm talking about a place in the early 80s that really doesn't exist anymore

I'm not knocking a neighborhood where people are investing their hard-earned money today

I still wanted to get a little more information on the mindset of the people who are in that neighborhood

back in 1982 If we're right then why have they banded together in a conspiracy of silence?

Who are the people who know something that might help but still haven't come forward?

Give me your full name and title what you did. Gladys Campbell Director of Education

and Naomi Southeast Louisiana I want you to explain how people react when they

have a secret. When they have a secret often times people get a little bit nervous

they look around they're trying to find who that person can tell that secret

too because this is also trusted individuals most people

can't really keep a secret to themselves they act a little bit.

I feel like Stefan Montgomery has said this again and again it's not

when you knew at this point it's simply what you know

that could help I've interviewed a lot of people during this investigation

and everyone has this same apprehension that

because they didn't come forward then or because

information they had didn't seem important and you know it is

that they are in some way liable or responsible

and I'm here to tell you there's simply not true what's important

is that we're here today having this discussion and

we're talking about what you remember and what you know now

all right now back to gladis and secrets

would it be rare for a secret to exist

for 42 years depending on a secret [laughs] you and I talked a little bit before this

but there is a neighborhood that is at the center of this podcast and

it is believed by some including myself that there may be information

within that neighborhood that could help solve a crime this crime

in particular the crime involving Roxanne Sharp can you explain what that is like, why is there

a group of people in this neighborhood that will not talk? well one thing it could be somebody's

protecting someone you know not to disrupt the comfort of the neighbors

being able to put someone that they care about into jail having that fear of

actually speaking out they probably all know about it together just talking about

the different things that they're going through what they've seen what they've heard who did what

who said what they've heard

so definitely a lot of fear

in it is it easier to be the first one to speak out

or harder? oh it's hard because you know it's with the

bystander effect I'm sure you guys all know once you got 5, 10, 15, 20 when you had

that courage at 5 people than 20 more people showed up you know what

I'm going to stand to the back I'm not going to say anything you get that pressure of

feeling like you're the one that's going to save the day and then you have more people coming

after you who went where why why didn't you say something sooner

why didn't you stop the act if especially if you seen it so it's definitely

people that get a little bit nervous when it comes to that the crime was

particularly brutal does fear play a role and people's unwillingness to come

forward well absolutely especially if they know who did it

because they're probably thinking this can affect me my family, my friends

this particular neighborhood are going to come after me and did what they did because they did you know

fear of life or death is there I wanted to touch base with Donald

sharp the retired St. Timony Sheriff's Office chief deputy

who filled in so many of the details about Robert Willie Donald

yeah hey you there uh-huh yeah I was hoping you weren't

off on your Harley and Wyoming or somewhere I just got back home at night

kidding so as you reflect on your role in this podcast

and you think about what you know as a former law enforcement officer how do you feel about things

right now when it comes to Roxanne's case I have a good feeling about to rock that case

it just moved after the podcast because all the information that has been received

although we could use a little more

move along and I think we'll get an indictment and we'll go from date when you look at

Robert Willie's involvement

when you look at Lucas's kind of being on the periphery of this thing and confessing to the crime

that could not really happen today could it? Well no I don't think so

I don't think I don't think that could happen but I can't really Lucas messed up a lot of cases but a lot of law enforcement

agencies that will go unsolved because of him

and too but this is one right here the state police definitely picked up

as making a good run or not So even as we pause for a moment in our story

telling and wait

to see what's going to happen

with this case there are some basic unanswered questions that are still at the top

of our minds once again here Steph and Montgomery The purpose for doing this podcast was

one to tell Roxanne's story and let her know that her life mattered

“and I think we've done a pretty good job”

of that we told the unvarnished truth and I think that's how Roxanne would have wanted it but secondly

we want people from that area and the help from the public and answering some of these questions

that still remain so that we can bring justice to this case and hold someone accountable

for her death so if anybody knows anything about this group of hippies that used to hang out

in and around the fairgrounds you know who they are where they went would like to know the relevance of that

we want to know where she was in the days leading up to her body being found who she was with and I want to know

what happened to her lighter with her name engraved on it that zipper lighter we talked about

and her purse I don't think these items are just missing I think someone has them I think they picked them up

whether they're involved I think someone knows where these items are and I would like for you to come forward

and if there's anything else out there that we don't know or that you feel is important or if you think it's not important but you know about

please call us and come forward I've got to know Steph and Montgomery a little bit in this short space of time

he's been easy to work with professional dedicated to termin and busier our phone calls are getting interrupted

now that wasn't necessarily happening at the beginning of our working together we started recording recently

and he cut me off and disappeared he came back a few minutes later sorry about that so that one the tip

that broke the case open I don't know as we wrap this thing up and you think about the podcast itself

as you think about the next few months where do you feel like we are and where do you hope happens? So one of the worst things

that I've ever had to do as a law enforcement officer is not going to strangers the work and tell them that their loved one

is never coming home again

but imagine you're the person opening that door and I tell you that your child has been murdered

“and the person who's responsible for this”

will never be held accountable because the people that know what happened don't want to get involved

At 17 years of age I could barely get out of my own way and a few times I didn't but I had support and more importantly

resources that Roxanne did not have and as this episode makes clear it's not just about her life

but the lives of the people around her the lives of people who loved her Roxanne could have easily gotten clear of her start

many people do a thought not lost on her niece I just think that so many people got cheated

out of no one her and especially for my mom having I think she needed a sister I think she

you know she needed her sister in her life because my mom went through a lot of things and she passed very early from breast cancer

and I think having her sister you know you know through her life would have helped a lot my mom was

was sad a lot I mean she just you could tell she had a hard life and she tried really hard to be happy and she tried really hard to do good things

enjoy her life

but she just had a sadness

about her and I think a lot of that had to do with and Roxanne not being there

not having her sister to be there for her and being there with her

“during things that they could have shared together.”

This whole podcast is full of people speaking out on behalf of a young girl they did not know who cannot speak out for herself she was left in the dark

left nude in the woods left in the rain left in the cold literally tortured and killed so now I will pause

Roxanne's story does not it has life people are learning about Roxanne and what happened to her

people are talking at some point I am confident that someone somewhere is going to say the right thing so where do you think this investigation

is going from here I'm very optimistic about this case

if you remember when we first sat down

and talk I told you that I felt like I had interviewed all the people from the original investigation that were still alive but I felt like there had to be

someone else out there didn't knew something and through this podcast

“we found out there was a lot of people out there”

that remember this they just didn't know that we cared and that we were still working this investigation and that the information that they had

was important we know the impact this crime had on the people who loved Roxanne how does it affect you look

every investigator across their career ends up with a box

and that box is filled with unanswered questions

or an unsolved case that they just refused to let go and this is my box and every

brick wall or dead end or roadblock I've hit in this case has just made me dig my heels in and work harder

because my goal is to walk away with an empty box [music] Stephen Montgomery's investigators

instincts are already telling him where the answers are heck people are repeatedly telling him where the answers are

you know, that's my question is that everybody will tell me that this is the story heard what is telling the story

that's the story that's the story you know I told you for the story not me

that it goes on [music] [music] [music] [music]

who killed Roxanne is a North Shore media group production original music by Crestley Colora

connect with the podcast online at who killed Roxanne dot com if you have a tip

“or information for Louisiana State Police”

call 985 635 3167 or email North Shore Cold Case

at L.A.gov [music] [music] [music] [music]

[music] ♪ Give me something to lose ♪ ♪ Every year that goes by ♪ ♪ I'll lose what catches you right ♪ ♪ What if I'm a night who I say I am ♪

♪ What if it doesn't work out ♪ ♪ What if I started the drought ♪ ♪ What if I'm out of the things that make you want me ♪ ♪ What if I'm not who I say I am ♪ ♪ And I'm scared to admit ♪

♪ What if this is as good as it gets ♪ ♪ What if this is as good as it gets ♪ ♪ I'm feeling like you don't need me ♪ ♪ You don't see me and my talking just to talk ♪ ♪ What if I'm not who I say I am ♪

♪ 'Cause I'm scared to admit ♪

♪ Maybe this is as good as it gets ♪ [BLANK_AUDIO]