HOUMA, La. — Law enforcement in Houma believe they’ve discovered the body of a man who went missing more than twenty years ago.
It’s been a team effort between many different agencies, including the Houma Police Department, Terrebone Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the LSU FACES laboratory.
Shannon Harris disappeared in 1998 after leaving his hometown of Houma, bound for art school in Dallas. He never made it.
For 22 years, his family has dealt with heartache and a lack of answers.
“The last time I saw my brother was at my wedding in July of 1998. So, it’s hard,” said La’Cha Lyons, Harris’s sister.
This week, near the corner of 9th Street and North Hollywood Road, police discovered a body believed to be that of Shannon Harris.
“We still have a lot of I’s to dot and T’s to cross. Still scratching the surface here. But this discovery here is actually historic,” said Houma Police Chief Dana Coleman.
Police were led there by 47-year-old Stanley Briggs, who now faces second-degree murder charges. Police say he revealed the location of Harris’s body while he was being treated for a drug reaction.
During the investigation, it was revealed that Briggs and Harris were close friends at some point.
He was a person of interest in Harris’s disappearance, but was never questioned.
“Twenty-two years wondering where your family member is, and we just… worked together collectively to try to bring closure to this family,” said Chief Coleman.
Investigators are still at the scene in Houma, unearthing evidence. LSU says it could be several months before lab results come back.
“It’s bittersweet. Because, I mean, we’re opening up everything all over again. We’re happy that we know where he was, and that we can have some closure,” said Lyons.
