Note: This transcript was generated using AI and may contain inaccuracies or discrepancies when compared to the actual audio. Please refer to the audio for the most accurate representation.

Tucker Simmons: Hey, guys, it’s Tucker. In an effort to keep spreading the word and keeping Donna’s memory and case alive, I have a favor to ask you. Help us get to a thousand reviews. Every single one makes a difference. If you’re not sure how, check out social media or freezeframepodcast.com for a quick guide that our team put together.

Here’s a few my producer sent me this morning. Andy Lynn, 2736, said, I can’t wait for more. I absolutely love this type of reporting. It keeps me totally engaged. Can’t wait for the next episode. The flow is great and his voice is perfect for storytelling. Aw. thanks, Andy. Another one here from Dee Dee of Three “Small town secrets.” This is so full of tea and twist in a small town. Love how you’re going through every detail to find out what really happened. Me too, Dee Dee. The more we put out there, the more tips that roll in. And every detail matters. And here’s one more from Graffiti Spoon. Really enjoying this so far. I was leaving the Washington Parish Fair to head back to New Orleans when I saw a sign for this podcast. You should definitely consider putting a billboard up in NOLA. That’s not a bad idea. I’ll see what I can do.

Thanks for all your support and dedication to Donna’s story so far. Our team will pick several reviews for me to read on social media and upcoming episodes, so keep them coming. I look forward to reading each and every one.

Narrator: The claims, views and opinions expressed are those of the speaker and do not represent those of But Why Media or its Partners. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty. This is a podcast about difficult topics and it may not be suitable for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised.

Tom Anderson: This is a no win situation for me. No win. There’s no benefit to me to tell you anything.

Demmie Rice: And ah, what you do is you keep on baiting them. and he’s gonna trip up. He won’t remember those details. He’ll screw up.

Jason Smith (Sheriff Candidate): If people think that it’s a political stunt because it’s gonna reflect negatively on Randy. I mean, that probably tells you everything you need to know about how it was handled in the first place.

‘Something Strange’ by Tabitha Meeks: I’m feeling heavy. There’s a pounding in my chest. The shadows hiding. But I see the silhouettes. fear lives in the quiet whispers in the sigh.

Tucker Simmons: I’m Tucker Simmons and this is Freeze Frame, an investigation into the unsolved murder of Donna Arceneaux.

Tucker Simmons: There’s a lot of rumors floating around about the integrity of the Washington Parish Sheriff’s office. And there have been a slew of scandals under every Sheriff for as long as I can remember. Most notably, on June 2, 1965, 34 year old army veteran Deputy O’Neal Moore and his partner, David Creed Rogers were shot in a drive by Deputy Moore, who had just celebrated his one year anniversary as a deputy the day before, died instantly from a gunshot wound to the head. Deputy Rogers survived and was able to provide a description of the vehicle. Moore and Rogers were the first two black deputies in Washington Parish, and it’s believed the KKK was responsible for the shooting. Known Klan member Ernest Rayford Ray McKelvin was arrested and booked on $25,000 bond. Nine days later, he was released after Klan members raised the funds to post his bail. Charges against McKelvin were dropped due to insufficient evidence, and the FBI reopened the case, on three different occasions. In 2016, the FBI closed the case for a third time, citing the virtual impossibility of prosecuting the case. The Washington Parish Sheriff’s office received an onslaught of criticism from both sides. Those who felt the investigation was mishandled and from those in the sizable KKK membership who protested the hiring of Moore and Rogers to begin with. Longtime Sheriff Randy Seal was Sheriff at the time of Donna’s murder; back in 1965, Sheriff Seal’s father, who went by Slick, worked for Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries. He would later become Washington Parish’s chief deputy in 1991. To this day, the rumor mill has its theories as to who was behind the ambush. Many suggest it was an inside job.

Tucker Simmons: It’s a sad reality, but the lack of trust in the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office is nothing new. For many victims families. Those doubts are aimed at Captain Tom Anderson and his team of investigators. On the other hand, Tom is admired by many for his lifelong dedication to law enforcement and his many convictions throughout his career. It would be easy for me to point fingers. God knows there’s a line of former colleagues and families waiting to trash talk with anyone who will listen. But the truth is, the rumor mill has tainted everything. I can understand why Tom doesn’t want to talk to me, but he’s a key figure in Donna’s case, and I need to know his side of the story. Probably should have put it in the park. Yeah. Yeah.

Tucker Simmons: Hi there. Hey, Tom. My name is Tucker. I’m working on the Donna Arceneaux case.

Tom Anderson: Have you talked to a state police?

Tucker Simmons: I have, yes, sir.

Tom Anderson: Then they. That’s their case. I cannot comment on another agency. I’m right in the middle of video game.

Tucker Simmons: Okay.

Tom Anderson: You’re welcome to come in play, but.

Tucker Simmons: Well…

Tom Anderson: I’m retired. You’re not gonna catch me up in the trick bag. They want information, they’ll give it to you.

Tucker Simmons: Well, they’ve told us it’s a cold case at this point.

Tom Anderson: They’ve got a cold case squad they give it to. I heard they were making progress. That’s all I can tell you.

Tucker Simmons: Yeah, I’m just. I’m trying to figure out what made you think Donna killed herself.

Tom Anderson: Go see the state police. Well, under. Why don’t you request a report?

Tucker Simmons: Well, we have.

Tom Anderson: Did you get supplementals? No, that’s not public record.

Tucker Simmons: Well, we’ve been given a lot of information.

Tom Anderson: I know you have I got. You got. Donna was a very popular person. She had friends. She had a messy lifestyle as far as choices in men. And it is what it is. So the rest of it, you need to go to the state police because I cannot release – I cannot talk about – Why don’t you put your phone back in the car? Your phone.

Tucker Simmons: I have my phone. I mean.

Tom Anderson: Yeah, because you might be recording. I’m sure you’re are.

Tucker Simmons: Louisiana is a one party consent state. As long as the person recording is a party to the conversation, it’s legal. That’s how I obtained many of the recordings you hear in this podcast. The legalities and rights to privacy get more fuzzy when on someone’s private property and they ask to not be recorded. Obviously, I was recording. But Tom asked me to put my phone in my car. As I motioned to do just that, he continued talking and didn’t ask me to stop recording. I put my phone in my pocket and we continued

Tucker Simmons: You seem nervous. I’m not trying to be ugly.

Tom Anderson: Well, you come to my house on uninvited.

Tucker Simmons: Well, I called you a few times and you hung up. Well, I didn’t.

Tom Anderson: Well, it was an unknown area code for one. And then if you go in there and try to have cell service.

Tucker Simmons: Yeah…

Tom Anderson: You know.

Tucker Simmons: I, I’m not. I’m not trying to be adversarial with you. I really am not.

Tom Anderson: Well, listen, I know what you’re trying to do. You want a story? She went with your uncle. Yeah, whatever.

Tucker Simmons: Yeah.

Tom Anderson: So go to the state police, but get them.

Tucker Simmons: But there are questions that only you can answer.

Tom Anderson: Do you want me to call the Police?

Tucker Simmons: No…

Tom Anderson: I want you to leave.

Tucker Simmons: Okay. Okay.

Tom Anderson: So we’re not friends. You know, you’re. I don’t trust you. Your motives are not there.

Tucker Simmons: You haven’t asked what my motive is. My motive is just find out what happened.

Tom Anderson: No,

Tucker Simmons: What do you think my motive is?

Tom Anderson: You’re a journalist? Documentary. That’s what your bio. So go to the state police.

Tucker Simmons: So what they told. I’ll tell you what they told me. They, they told me that due to a different standard of investigating in Washington Parish, they started with less than what they expected.

Tom Anderson: Shit. It’s a. It’s a case that sat in limbo from the coroner’s office for close to a year. They said it’s better to leave it as a homicide than it is as a suicide, just under remote chance that it wasn’t. So we’ve investigated it fully. What we could do, the family, boyfriends or somebody or others requested the state police take it up. The Sheriff wanted us to give it to the state. That’s what we did. I’m not going to talk about it. Do you want to talk about LSU? Talk about anything. Tell me about you. Let’s sit down and just talk. I’m going to talk to you a minute.

Tucker Simmons: Okay? As you heard, Tom asked us to leave. And once again, as I motioned down the steps of his front porch, he continued the conversation. We sat in rocking chairs and talked about my grandparents, where I went to high school and how I got into television. I shared how I discovered my passion for investigating after developing and producing a series for the A & E network that looked into a, female led cult in North Carolina, which prompted Tom to get back to Donna’s case.

Tom Anderson: This is a no win situation for me. No win. There’s no benefit to me to tell you anything about that now. If we want to talk about anything else…

Tucker’s brother: There would be a benefit if they could find out who did it. Correct?

Tom Anderson: It’s not a benefit to me

Tucker’s brother: To solve a case…

Tom Anderson: Benefit to me to tell you anything.

Tucker Simmons: Can you at least acknowledge that?

Tom Anderson: I acknowledge nothing other than,

Tucker Simmons: No but we’re…

Tom Anderson: They’re uninvited, that I told the Sheriff I wasn’t going to talk to you about it. I told Brent M. Jones app. But you came here anyway.

Tucker Simmons: It never made its way to me. I…

Tom Anderson: You know you’re over here uninvited. Now you know, so,

Tucker Simmons: I mean, we can leave. I’m not…

Tom Anderson: I just want to, I want to clear the air out, I cannot give you no information.

Tucker Simmons: Are you open to at least hearing my questions for you?

Tom Anderson: You can ask, but I’m not gonna answer.

Tucker Simmons: Okay. Did you know Scott @&$% before Donna was killed?

Tom Anderson: I can answer that honestly. No.

Tucker Simmons: Okay. Because that’s one of the allegations.

Tom Anderson: Was it Demmie Rice?

Tucker Simmons: No. No.

Tom Anderson: Because I didn’t know this guy @&$% Tucker when I met him. And we investigate by committee. I’m gonna tell you this. He went through a very brutal interrogation for hours, hours. Hours. By not me. By, seasoned investigators from the state, from the sheriff’s office. Now, you probably didn’t know that, did you?

Tucker Simmons: I did. Well, I also. I know he failed his polygraph.

Tom Anderson: Listen, I used to give the polygraph during the training. I failed because you cannot use that.

Tucker Simmons: Right. It’s not admissible.

Tom Anderson: Just something. A sidebar.

Tucker Simmons: Yeah.

Tom Anderson: When they tell you, like during a training, which you would never. And I still don’t think you’re not recording. So if you are, you don’t have my permission.

Tucker Simmons: And there you have it. Out of respect for Tom’s request, my copious note taking ability came in handy. For the next two hours, we sat on the porch and discuss details of the case, controversy around other cases Tom worked his military career and his dislike of Demmie. The following reenactment is based on my notes and encapsulate Tom’s position on many of the issues we discussed in those two hours. These are NOT direct quotes.

Narrator: I went to Clay and Donna’s wedding. He turned toxic on me during the investigation because he was just as much of a suspect as Scott. We were buddies, but he doesn’t have anything for me now. I was just doing my job. We worked this case to the bone. There’s evidence she did this to herself. There’s evidence she didn’t. I ask all our investigators if anyone thinks there’s enough probable cause, let’s get a warrant. But there wasn’t.

Tucker Simmons: I asked him to clarify who and what the warrant would have been for. Tom confirmed it would have been an arrest warrant for Scott. When asked why there was never a search warrant for Scott’s home, he said they never requested one because they didn’t know what they were looking for. Later in the conversation, he acknowledged there was something taken from the crime scene. The object on the bed that left a bloody 90 degree angle that we’ve discussed in previous episodes.

Demmie Rice: There was very minimal blood on the bed. However, there was a 90 degree angle where blood outlined an object, possibly a phone, that was removed and could not be found.

Tucker Simmons: I asked why locating that object wouldn’t have constituted a search warrant of the suspect’s home. Tom reiterated they didn’t know what they were looking for. I then asked his theory on what happened to the second bullet. There were two shell casings, but only one bullet recovered.

Narrator: Scott and Donna were fighting Sunday night. He was with his kids at his place behind Donna’s. They heard a gunshot, and Scott thought Donna had killed herself. So he called her, Donna told him there was someone outside her bedroom and she fired a warning shot out the window.

Tucker Simmons: It could be that Tom is just misremembering, but that version of the story is not what Scott told investigators during his interview. When I left Tom’s, I called Demmie to clarify claims of a shot out the window. We’ll get back to my meeting with Tom in just a few. Look, I wanted to clarify a couple things from my interview with Tom Anderson.

Demmie Rice: Hold on. I’m just getting in the car, I’m gonna turn the air-conditioning . Cuz this bitch is hot.

Tucker Simmons: He claims that Scott and the kids were at their house behind Donna’s on Sunday night and they heard a gunshot. He thought she had committed suicide, so he called, she answered and said that someone was standing outside the window. So she fired a warning shot. So was, was the window broken?

Demmie Rice: No, the window was not broken. However, the window, which would be the south side of the house, in the bedroom, the screen had a hole in it, but the hole in the screen was bigger than a size of a quarter. That’s a far fetched story that, that was probably concocted amongst people because he can’t keep his story straight because he knew the gun was fired twice. And he claimed in the interview with Tom Anderson that Donna shot the gun outside his children’s window.

Tucker Simmons: Just to refresh your memory, Demmie’s notes were incredibly detailed, especially concerning the sounds of gunfire. In his interviews with investigators, Scott claimed he was at home with his kids and heard a gunshot outside his kids bedroom window. Phone records showed he texted Donna at 12:47am

Narrator: Scott texted Donna, “shooting a gun right outside my kids bedroom window.” To which Donna responds.

Donna’s Narrator Voice: What are you talking about? I’m, in bed.

Tucker Simmons: So where did the story about someone outside Donna’s window and a warning shot come from? On top of that, Scott’s ex wife couldn’t remember if her kids even heard the gunfire or if it was Scott who told them about it. Which, if I were to speculate again, does make it possible he told them about the gunfire in case they heard it. And the origins of that gunfire was actually the altercation that resulted in Donna’s death. Now back to Tom. I asked him about the allegations that Scott was allowed to go from the scene to his house and change clothes with no supervision. Tom refuted those claims.

Narrator: I escorted him to his house. I watched him strip down. We put his clothes in a bag for gunfire residue. There was none. There were no bruises or defensive marks on his body. Could he have showered before he ever called in the death? Of course I ask him, but there’s no way of knowing.

Tucker Simmons: Perhaps a search warrant on the home would have been helpful. I also asked Tom about the statement to the paper announcing Donna’s death was officially a suicide. I’ve hounded on it, I know, but there’s never been an explanation.

Narrator: That statement was not my doing. That was Chief Mike Haley. I asked him about it, and he said it was a casual conversation with Steve at the Era Leader. It was never meant to be published. I was upset about the article, and had it been corrected, I think it may have taken a lot of the heat off of me.

Tucker Simmons: Mike Haley has never returned my calls, But I have a hard time believing Mr. Steve at the Era Leader would expose an off the record conversation. He and I have exchanged many off the record emails, and I know he values that understanding. Mr. Steve has confirmed the communication with Mike Haley regarding Donna’s manner of death was an email exchange. I don’t know about y’all, but I’ve never had a, casual conversation via email. Toward the end of my conversation with Tom, I circled back about why he was so convinced of suicide. Multiple people who were on scene and who worked the case have said he was almost belligerent and even argued with his detective, Raymond Myers, about bringing in the state police crime lab to process the scene.

Narrator: It wasn’t just Clay who had told me in years past that Donna was suicidal. They would say even if she threatened it, she would never do it. Well, okay, but our detectives were split 50 50. Raymond got mad at me on scene because he wanted to call the state police crime lab, and it pissed him off that I asked why. Then he came back and apologized. Why do you think I told him to go ahead? The crime lab doesn’t come out to suicides. It’s easy for people to dog me out and all that, but I stand by our work on the case. And if Clay and everyone else would have just left it alone and let us do our jobs, I think we could have solved it.

Tucker Simmons: We left off on a cordial note. Tom shared that he’s had a lot of health issues recently and was hoping I wouldn’t trash him in my story. I’m not out to trash anyone, but the questions have to be asked. I think he took that as some personal vendetta against him. His memory of certain details contradict what others have told me and even more so, contradict suspect statements to investigators. So, no, it’s not personal. It’s about airing it all out so we can get to the facts, which are probably somewhere in the middle.

Tucker Simmons: I mentioned in the last episode that it was time to go public. For weeks, the team and I contemplated the best way to notify the public that Donna’s death was ruled a homicide and to seek tips from those who had information. Social media ads, a column in the paper tipping off local media. It was all on the table. But there’s nothing quite like a billboard in the center of town. It had to be provocative, both visual and in location. Across the street from the Washington Parish sheriff’s office felt appropriate. Before installing, I called a few sources for advice on approaching Scott for an interview. As usual, Demmie was the only one willing to go on the record

Tucker Simmons: You there.

Demmie Rice: Yeah, you call and tell me: hold on.

Tucker Simmons: I wanted to get my recorder on. That’s why. So I am in Franklinton because the billboard is ready. I’m trying to decide if I want to attempt to speak with Scott before that happens. I have no doubt that he’s already been notified and he knows that someone’s digging in. But once the billboard goes up, I mean, like, all bets are off. I mean, everyone’s gonna have their guard up, I would imagine.

Demmie Rice: I want to watch them put that billboard up!

Tucker Simmons: Like, if you were investigating this, would you, you would want to speak with the suspect before, you know, a bunch of news hit, I would imagine, right? Or, like, what’s your opinion?

Demmie Rice: I would have been tried to talk to him. You have to play into it. I would have went to him like, hey, you know, we understand that, you know, y’all in a relationship. How is it being falsely accused? And what you do is you keep on baiting them. Then, you compare his statements to you, then his statements that’s in the report.

Tucker Simmons: Yeah.

Demmie Rice: And he’s gonna trip up. He won’t remember those details. He’ll screw up.

Tucker Simmons: I just don’t want to jump the gun and do that and then not have enough people prepared to, you know, follow his movements for a couple days. But it’s almost to the point where the story is developing quickly and people are finding out. So I think I might need to just do it.

Demmie Rice: I don’t know Tuck, I really don’t know. But I guarantee if you can get in with that and play him off as, you know, we filing up on cold cases, and we found that, you know, it was a turbulent relationship and you were being accused, you know, would you like to give us your side, tell us what happened? Because I guarantee he’s not going to remember the details he said before.

Tucker Simmons: As fate would have it, my Producer and I were driving through Franklinton and recognized Scott’s vehicle

Producer: Just got closed in that white car.

Tucker Simmons: Oh, that’s Scott.

Producer: It’s a GMC or something or other.

Tucker Simmons: Oh, that’s him. That’s it.

Producer: Okay.

Tucker Simmons: Yeah, it’s gotta be. He took the side road.

Producer: Yeah.

Tucker Simmons: He’s probably just going back home, though.

Producer: Yeah.

Tucker Simmons: We were hoping to approach him in public, but we were out of time. We waited a bit, knowing he was home and hoping it would stop raining. It never did. So we pulled into his driveway. The same home Aunt Donna lived and worked in for decades. The same home where she was murdered.

Tucker Simmons: What’s up, man? Hey.

Scott: How you doing?

Tucker Simmons: Good. my name is Tucker. We’re working on a story about Cold Case with you.

Scott: Yes.

Tucker Simmons: About the Donald Arms in the case. Yeah, we’re just curious about if you want to talk to us about it.

Scott: No, my girlfriend is fixing to come because we are going to the movies.

Tucker Simmons: Okay. Scott cracked the door open, placed his arm across the opening, and rested his hand on the door frame. He was visibly shaken by two strangers at his door, and his voice was cracking. I reminded him that Donna’s case has officially ruled a homicide and asked him what he thinks should happen to bring justice for the woman he loved.

Scott: You know, Dr. Thomas was a coroner for a long time, he’s one of my good friends. And he said, you know, that can go either way, depending on, you know, who it is. I mean, you know, like I said, a couple of these women pushed the theory that somebody could have killed her, and my kids were questioned. You know, do you think that bothered me? It bothered me, too. Of course it did. I mean, who wouldn’t, you know? Yeah, that’s pretty sickening, too, that I was a suspect. I mean, that was pretty sickening.

Tucker Simmons: Yeah, that didn’t really answer my question. Scott has maintained he was madly in love with Donna and wanted to work it out with her. So any response other than fighting like hell to expose the mishandling of the investigation and finding who killed her strikes me as odd. He was visibly angry when explaining his disdain for being a suspect, but that’s pretty normal, especially for someone with the history he had with Donna.

Tucker Simmons: But you guys were together at the time.

Scott: What’s that?

Tucker Simmons: You guys were together at the time of her death or.

Scott: Yeah, I’m done with talking. I went up there voluntarily and told them everything. I had nothing to hide whatsoever. Yeah, I didn’t bring an attorney or nothing. You know, if you want to go get a copy of that. You welcome to. I don’t want to talk about this.

Tucker Simmons: Scott stepped out the Door and stuck his head around the house for a view of the driveway. Unfortunately, this is where our conversation ended. I immediately regretted not pressing him harder from the start. I’m no body language expert, but there was one major takeaway. As Demmie would probably say, he was scared as shit.

Tucker Simmons: The next evening, in the dark of night, on the wall of a local bail bonds office, we installed a 6 by 15 foot banner that reads: There’s a murderer among us. Official ruling homicide. We included a photo of Donna, a tip line, and a website address to upload files and documentation anonymously. By sunrise the next morning, all hell broke loose.

Narrator: He was always stalking her and stalking people that she talked to. You need to look into.

Tucker Simmons: The tip line lit up nonstop. A photo got shared on facebook and the gossip groups were on fire. And more people than I expected believed the newspaper headline that Donna did this to herself. Friends of Donna, friends of suspects, local pastors, elected officials. Everyone was reaching out with what they knew and what they had heard for six years in order to protect them. I’ve chosen not to play those voicemails right now. I got the feeling that no one wanted to be the one to stir up the hornet’s nest, but as soon as it was swarming, they couldn’t wait to tell all. I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly, but it was definitely reassuring. Most people felt like what they had wouldn’t be helpful, but when compiled, things were adding up. And then the rumor mill took hold. I got call after call asking if I was doing this for political purposes. Obviously, I was aware of the sheriff’s election coming up, but at the time, we were years into this investigation, the theory that a man named Jason Smith was responsible for the sign took off.

Jason Smith (Sheriff Candidate): I’m a retired marine who runs a farm here in Mount Hermon. I’m a father, I’ve got five kids, I’m married to a public school teacher, and I want to be the next Sheriff of Washington Parish. The farm has been in my family for about as long as Washington Parish has been here. There’s always a fence that needs to be mended. There’s always a cow that’s in the wrong spot. If you don’t take care of the things that need to get taken care care of and just continue to do things the way you’ve always done it, things are not going to get better. And the same goes for our Parish.

Tucker Simmons: Jason was running for Sheriff against Randy Seal and two other men in what would become a volatile campaign. In Louisiana, the Sheriff is also responsible for collecting Sales tax. I’ll spare you all the details, but prior to launching his campaign, Sheriff Randy seal sued Jason for unpaid sales tax. Jason won the case with the support of many elected officials. And as he put it during the campaign, throughout that legal process, his eyes were open to just how poorly the sheriff’s office was managed. I called him about all the billboard rumors.

Jason Smith (Sheriff Candidate): I could probably understand how people think because of just the timing, because we’re in this middle of this campaign. It might be politically motivated, But I didn’t really know anything about Donna’s case. I still don’t know anything about Donna’s case, except that it kind of was unresolved. So my reservations or my problems with the current administration don’t really have anything to do with Donna’s case, because I don’t know anything about it. I mean, if I’ve been pretty clear about some of the things I’m dissatisfied with with the current administration, I don’t know. I guess I feel that if people think that it’s a political stunt because it’s going to reflect negatively on Randy, I mean, that probably tells you everything you need to know about how it was handled in the first place.

Tucker Simmons: As part of our investigation, we launched the Who Killed Donna Arceneaux Facebook group. We posted a statement there to dispel the rumors and moved on. Shortly after, Sheriff Randy seal installed a campaign sign next to ours. Same size, same wall, inches apart. Once again, the rumor mill ran wild, with many believing he and the sheriff’s office were responsible for Donna’s sign, as if they were working diligently to solve the case. As disrespectful as his stunt was, it was all the proof we needed. The billboard was sending shockwaves throughout the community. It was effective. Donna’s case was the topic of conversation at nearly every campaign event and debate forum. Community leaders were forced to acknowledge the shortcomings of the initial investigation. And although this has never been a political endeavor, after four years of investigating, it’s now my belief that the unsolved status of Donna’s case is directly linked to the lack of oversight and accountability at the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Tucker Simmons: As the gossip around town was swirling, a laundry list of names were coming into the tip line. One in particular stood out. Tommy. Even prior to the billboard installation, the name had come up in multiple conversations and in investigative files. I had a feeling why, but I was holding off as long as possible. It wasn’t until an elected official in Washington Parish approached me at a campaign event with some new information that my interest in Tommy piqued. He and Scott are cousins. They hang out a lot. And several sources, including law enforcement officials, thought I should make contact. I had never met him, but I did know he had quite the reputation in the area and a slew of protective orders filed against him. It took a while to track him down, but I had a street name as well as the make, model, and color of his vehicle. So one afternoon while on the Mississippi Gulf coast, I took a drive and found his house.

Tucker Simmons: Hey there. Hey, man.

Tommy: Hi, how you doing?

Tucker Simmons: Good. My name is Tucker Simmons. I’m working, I’m the journalist working on the Donna Arseneaux case. I wanted to see if you would talk to me for a few minutes. People tell me I need to talk to you, so…

Tommy: Not, …it’s too close to my family. You know what I’m saying? It’s too close. And, you know, I appreciate you asking, and I hate you came out this way, but, I am looking forward to seeing it.

Tucker Simmons: Yeah. I mean, did you know Donna well?

Tommy: I knew her, I’ve known her for a long. She’s actually a cousin of my ex wife.

Tucker Simmons: Okay. But,

Tommy: But yeah, I knew her.

Tucker Simmons: Obviously, there’s a lot of theories about what happened. I think the reason people wanted me to talk to you is they say that you and Scott were really close.

Tommy: Uh huh. Yeah, Scott, he’s my first cousin. We were really, really close. And, you know, all I can tell you, all I want to say is that Donna, she just had a trigger man. She just. She would flip out, like, crazy. And…

Tucker Simmons: You know, look, I, I’m trying to get everybody the benefit of the doubt. I have a lot of questions for Scott. I think there’s a lot of things that don’t add up. There’s a lot of people in his life that have had bad experiences with him. So I just wish he would talk to me. I mean, I’m gonna have to tell his story. And I think it would behoove him to tell his own story. But we’re piecing it together based on his, you know, what he’s told investigators, that kind of thing. And there’s also Clay.

Tommy: You know, she had a lot of enemies. Donna did she. She’s pissed off a lot of people. I don’t think my cousin killed her. I don’t think he could have. You know, he would have never done it.

Tucker Simmons: Were you aware that he was violent with her as well?

Tommy: I think a lot of times, they just want him situation where she. He had to do Whatever he had to do to get her off of him, you know, because the way he always explained it to me, it’s like, man, she went in one of her things last night.

Tucker Simmons: The allegations of a video have been of interest to investigators since the case was with the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office, which made it of interest to me, given the sensitivity of what I was about to ask. I won’t be using the audio of my question to sum it up, though. I asked Tommy if he was aware of any compromising situations his cousin or anyone else for that matter, may have been videoed in that Donna could have used as leverage if backed into a corner.

Tommy: I think I know where you’re coming with that. Because, you know, and, I’ve heard it, you know, and some of the stuff on, like, the who killed Don Arseneaux thing on Facebook. Facebook, you know, But I’ve, never suspected it, you know, or even seen anything like that.

Tucker Simmons: Yeah, it’s come up in the police file as well that, you know, there are a couple potential motives, and if Donna was threatening to use something against. Him,

Tommy: Well, that’s about it, man.

Tucker Simmons: Do you think you could talk to him and see if he.

Tommy: I talked to me. Yeah, I talked with him. Did you have a card or something?

Tucker Simmons: Yeah, let me get a card. Although it was a denial, his demeanor changed dramatically when I asked the question. As I’ve said before, I’m, no body language expert, but that stood out, given the details of what I’ve seen in Demmie’s notes and heard from other investigators about the case and this alleged video. His reaction was very telling. In my opinion, of course. I’m sure Tommy called his cousin as soon as I left, but I had no expectation that he would actually encourage Scott to talk to me. It was worth a shot, though.

Tucker Simmons: As helpful as the tips and public attention had been up to this point, the most significant lead came late one evening on my drive home from Louisiana. Hey, guys. Sorry for the late call. Look, I think we just got what we’ve been waiting for. Someone just uploaded 200 plus files via Who Killed Donna.com. I have really bad service, so I can’t get them to load, but it looks, looks like crime scene photos and a bunch of documents, so download and back them up ASAP.

‘Something Strange’ by Tabitha Meeks: See something staring back at me Can’t look it in the eyes. There’s Something Strange in the air tonight.

Tucker Simmons: Thank you guys for all the support and discussion on social media. It’s been really awesome to see the response and passion for Donna’s case. So keep the questions, theories and tips coming in. Up next, the Louisiana State Police deliver an update to Donna’s son and the anonymous upload that you’re not going to believe. I know I didn’t. Make sure you follow rate and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening. It’s a huge help in spreading the word about Donna’s case. Then head over to freezeframepodcast.com for behind the scenes details on the investigation and follow us on socials at Freeze Frame Pod for exclusive content. Freeze Frame is a But why Media Production it’s written and produced by me, Tucker Simmons, editing and post production by Evan Disagnier, narration by Greg Geringer and Kerry Lauren, and our original music is Something Strange by Tabitha Meeks.