| id | cleanReleaseDate | troopName | title |
| 6517 | 2016-11-02 | Statewide | Multiple Agencies Work Together to Close 27 Year Old Cold Case Homicide |
HEADQUARTERS NEWS RELEASE November 2, 2016 Multiple Agencies Work Together to Close 27 Year Old Cold Case Homicide Houma, LA – By working closely with multiple partner agencies, Louisiana State Police Criminal Investigators have helped bring resolution to a 27 year old homicide case that took the life of Gerald Daigle. On June 15, 1989, Daigle was found in his place of business, Standard Furniture in Houma, LA, after having been stabbed to death in an apparent robbery. The murder was initially investigated by the Houma Police Department. During the commission of the crime, the killer dropped a pair of sunglasses at the scene that had a partial fingerprint. Detectives also located a shoe print that was made by the killer. The evidence was collected, but a suspect could not be matched to the fingerprint and the case went unsolved. In 2012, the Terrebonne Parish District Attorney’s Office contacted the Louisiana State Police Criminal Investigation Division in Houma to assist with the investigation. Troopers worked with Houma PD Investigators to develop new leads and suspects. One of the suspects was Bryan Wolfe (B/M, DOB 6/7/1960) who was living in Houma at the time of the murder. Wolfe was known to commit robberies in the area to support a drug habit, and at the time of the murder he had an active arrest warrant for robbery. Investigators learned that Wolfe was convicted of Capital Murder in Beaumont, TX for the killing of Bertha Lemell during a robbery on February 15, 1992. Wolfe had been sentenced to death for the murder, and was executed by the State of Texas on May 18, 2005. In 2016, State Police Investigators developed additional information identifying Wolfe as the primary suspect. Troopers resubmitted Wolfe’s fingerprints for analysis to the State Police Crime Lab, and using technology not previously available, it was determined that Wolfe’s fingerprint positively matched the partial fingerprint from the sunglasses left at the scene. Other information developed by investigators that identified Wolfe as Daigle’s murderer included matching the shoe print to a particular style and size of shoe that Wolfe was known to almost exclusively wear. Also assisting with the case was the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Houma Office, Terrebonne Parish District Attorney’s Office, Houma Police Department, Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory, Louisiana State Police Criminal Records, and Texas Department of Public Safety. “By never giving up on this case, all of the investigators from the different agencies involved performed at a level that went above and beyond,” said Colonel Mike Edmonson, Louisiana State Police Superintendent. “Louisiana State Police are extremely pleased that we could assist with giving some closure to this painful and tragic memory for the Daigle family. We are also thankful for the Crime Lab that strives daily to keep up with technology. By doing so, they are able to assist with cases to help bring to justice those who commit horrible crimes such as this one that can go unresolved for years.” Contact Information: | |||
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