CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Tenn. — The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office helped arrest two people in a cold case from Louisiana, the office said in a social media post.
The sheriff's office shared a post from the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office, in which they announced that two people had been arrested and charged in the murder of a woman from Golden Meadow, Louisiana, in 1986. Russel Lee and Judith "Judy" Weiser have been charged with the murder of Paula Boudreaux, who was 22 years old at the time of her death, according to LPSO.
LPSO said Boudreaux was reported missing in 1986, with her skeletal remains being found in January 1989. The remains were not identified until 2023, the office said.
"After rendering a possible image of the person’s face, an anonymous tipster submitted Boudreaux’s name in an attempt to identify the remains.," LPSO said. "In coordination, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office investigators then collected DNA evidence from one of Boudreaux’s surviving relatives which was then submitted for analysis."
According to LPSO, detectives then reopened the cold case and followed up with surviving friends and family of Boudreaux. Along with questioning those with information about the case and diving into past notes from investigators, LPSO said Lee and Weiser were named as persons of interest.
LPSO said Lee was in a relationship with both Weiser and Bodreaux at the time of her death.
"Investigators found Lee had amassed a violent criminal history since 1986, including aggravated charges of kidnapping, assault, battery, burglary, and arson among many others," the sheriff's office said. "They also found statements and evidence implicating both in the incident."
Investigators then concluded that Lee and Weiser killed Bodreaux, dismembered her body and dumped the remains in Slidell. LPSO said it obtained arrest warrants for both Lee and Weiser.
"LPSO detectives traveled to Missouri and Tennessee this week to assist with the arrest of both individuals," the office said. "On July 9, 2024, with the help of the Mountain Grove Police Department, Lee was taken into custody in Missouri."
Soon after, on July 10, Weiser was taken into custody in Tennessee with the help of CCSO.
Lee and Weiser were both charged with second-degree murder and obstruction of justice. LPSO said the two will be transported and booked at the Lafourche Parish Correctional Complex in Louisiana with bail set at just over $1 million each.