Louisiana Serial Killer Ronald Dominique

Louisiana Serial Killer Ronald Dominique Ronald J. Dominique of Houma, LA has confessed to murdering 23 men over the course of nine years and dumping their bodies in sugarcane fields, ditches and small bayous in six southeast Louisiana parishes. His reason for killing? He did not want to return to jail after raping the men. The First Victims In 1997, authorities found 19-year-old David Levron Mitchells murdered body near Hahnville. The body of 20-year-old Gary Pierre was found in St. Charles Parish six months later. In July 1998, the body of 38-year-old Larry Ranson was found in St. Charles Parish. Over the next nine years, more bodies of men ranging in age from 19 to 40 would be found dumped in sugarcane fields, desolate bayous, and ditches in remote areas. Similarities in 23 of the murders lead investigators to suspect the men were victims of a serial killer. The Task Force A task force made up of nine South Louisiana parish sheriffs offices, the Louisiana State Police and the FBI were formed in March 2005, to investigate the murders. Investigators knew the 23 victims were mostly homeless men, many who led high-risk lifestyles, which included drug use and prostitution. The victims had been asphyxiated or strangled, some raped and several were barefooted. The Arrest After receiving a tip, authorities armed with forensic evidence, arrested Ronald Dominique, 42, and charged him with the murder and rape of 19-year-old Manuel Reed and 27-year-old Oliver Lebanks. Just days before his arrest, Dominique had moved from his sisters home into the Bunkhouse shelter in Houma, LA. Residents of the home described Dominique as odd, but no one suspected he was a killer.​ Dominique Confesses to 23 Murders Soon after his arrest, Dominique confessed to murdering 23 southeast Louisiana men. His tactics in capturing, sometimes raping then murdering the men was simple. He would lure homeless men with the promise of sex in exchange for money. Sometimes he would tell the men he wanted to pay them to have sex with his wife and then show a picture of an attractive woman. Dominique was not married. Dominique then led the men to his home, asked to tie them up, then raped and eventually murdered the men to avoid arrest. In his statement to the police, Dominique said the men who refused to be tied up would leave his home unharmed. Such was the case with one unnamed man who reported the incident to the task force, a tip that eventually led to Dominiques arrest. Who Is Ronald Dominique? Ronald Dominique spent much of his youth in the small bayou community of Thibodaux, LA. Thibodaux sits between New Orleans and Baton Rouge and is the type of community where everyone knows a little about each other. He attended Thibodaux High School where he was in the glee club and sang in the chorus. Classmates who remember Dominique say he was ridiculed for being homosexual during his teen years, but at the time he never admitted he was gay. As he got older, he seemed to live in two worlds. There was the Dominique who was helpful to his neighbors in the small trailer parks where he lived. Then there was the Dominique who cross-dressed and did bad impersonations of Patti LaBelle at the local gay club. Neither world embraced  him, and among the gay community, many remember him as someone who was not particularly well liked. Through most of his adulthood, Dominique struggled financially and would end up living with his mother or other relatives. In the weeks before his arrest, he was living with his sister in a single-wide trailer. He was suffering from declining health, having been hospitalized for a severe heart condition and forced to use a cane to walk. Outwardly, there was side to Dominique who enjoyed helping people. He joined the Lions Club just months before his arrest and spent Sunday afternoons calling out Bingo numbers to senior citizens. The membership director said he was well liked by everyone he had met through the Lions Club. Maybe Dominique had finally found a place he felt accepted. What sparked Dominique to move from the comfort of his sisters home to the dismal surroundings of a shelter for the homeless is uncertain. Some suspect the family grew uncomfortable by the 24-hour police surveillance and Dominique, knowing he was soon to be caught, moved away to avoid getting his family involved in his arrest. A Criminal History Dominiques past arrests include forcible rape, disturbing the peace and telephone harassment. Feb. 10, 2002 - Arrested in Terrebonne Parish after he allegedly slapped a woman during a Mardi Gras parade. According to the reports, Dominique accused a woman of hitting a baby stroller in a parking lot. The woman apologized, but Dominique continued to verbally assault her, and then slapped her across the face. He was arrested but entered a parish offenders program instead of standing trial. Reports show he met all his conditions in the program in October 2002.May 19, 2000 - He received a summons to appear in court on disturbing the peace charges. Since it was a misdemeanor, he was able to plead guilty and pay a fine to avoid appearing in court.Aug. 25, 1996 - Dominique was arrested on forcible rape charges and booked on a $100,000 bond. According to neighbors, a partially dressed young man escaped from the window of Dominiques home in Thibodaux, screaming that he had tried to kill him. When the case was brought to court, the victim could not be found to testify. In November 1996, the judge continued the case indefinitely. May 15, 1994 - Arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and speeding.June 12, 1985 - Arrested and charged with telephone harassment. He pleaded guilty, paid a $74 fine and court costs. Three days after Dominiques arrest for killing Mitchell and Pierre, investigators said Dominique confessed to 21 other murders, giving details only the killer would know.

Reach More Customers by Sending an Email Newsletter

Reach More Customers Email newsletters are one of the best ways to keep your readers, clients, and supporters updated on what’s going on with your work. While email has been around for awhile, it’s effectiveness has not waned. In fact, email marketing can drive more purchases than other forms of marketing, including social media. You may already be sending other types of emails, but if you aren’t using a newsletter to communicate with your customers, you could be missing a good opportunity. It’s a great way to help build and maintain relationships with your readers and customers, which can ultimately lead to more sales. Read on to find ideas for creating a good newsletter and content ideas too. Creating a newsletter A newsletter can be anything you make it and can contain updates on books, publishing news, tips, or events you’re attending. Really, any content or information that your customers would love to know about and can help your sales is fair game. But you’ll need to keep your newsletter content fresh to keep your readers engaged, and you’ll have to send it regularly. Here are four tips to keep your newsletter generating interest: Manage expectations When people sign up to get your email newsletter tell them what type of content they can expect and how often you plan to mail. You’ll want to send at least once per month, but more often will keep your work in your reader’s minds. Don’t let the frequency scare you off, you can decide how much information should be in each one. that can hold their attention. People tend to skim emails until they find something they really want to read, so make your content easy-to-read and digest. be sure they know what they’re supposed to do when they finish reading it. Want someone to make a purchase? Go to your Facebook page? Fill in a survey? No matter what the purpose of your email, using a call-to-action can help your readers complete the action you’re looking for. Use phrases like â€Å"Read an Excerpt,† â€Å"Find Out More Now,†Ã‚   or simply â€Å"Buy Now.. Don’t forget images While a writer may not agree that a picture is worth a thousand words, they do serve important purposes in emails, so be sure to include them. An image can help sell a product, they lead your readers further into the email, and they make it easier to read Content ideas Coming up with new content for each email you send may seem daunting, but you can use a surprising amount of things you’ve already created as content. The infographic 25 Content Ideas for Your Email Newsletter has lots of great suggestions such as: Product updates Be sure your customers know about exciting new changes to your product or service. Let them know exactly what the changes are and most importantly, how these changes will (or won’t) affect them. Happy Birthday/ Anniversary Is your business celebrating a company anniversary or other milestone? Virtually invite your customers to share in the fun. FAQS Rather than waiting for customers to email you with questions, anticipate their needs and send out a list of FAQs with thoughtful answers. FAQS may seem like something outside of what a writer might need, but if you make it fun and answer common questions you get, your customers will love it. Thank you, Thank you When it comes to your customers, donors, event attendees, etc. it’s always appropriate to send an email to say, â€Å"Thank you.† Wrap up want to read. And remember, you don’t have to create everything you share in your newsletter yourself. If there’s an infographic, image, event, or blog post that someone else has created, give them credit of course, but share that with your readers. They’ll enjoy a different perspective and it can save you a lot of time. Plus you’ll look like a genius for sharing great information they may not be able to find on their own. will look forward to them, open them when they arrive and become loyal customers. Source: 25 Content Ideas for Your Email Newsletter