GOLDEN MEADOW, La. — For four decades, people in a small community in Lafourche Parish, have wondered what happened to a young mother who disappeared after the Parade of Boats festival.
Now, sheriff's deputies believe this cold case has been solved, and have their suspects in custody.
For 38 years, it's been a mystery in Golden Meadow. Now, two people, ex-husband and wife Judith Weiser, and Russell Lee, are behind bars for the murder of 22-year-old Paula Boudreaux back in 1986.
“It was almost the worst kept secret in Golden Meadow," Lafourche Sherriff Craig Webre explained how the rumors went.
"Judith Lee (now remarried as Weiser) was married at the time to Russell Lee, and Russell was alleged to have been romantically involved with Paula, and Judith became enraged by that. She and, or Russell would have killed Paula."
In 1989, hunters found remains in Slidell woods. A break came in 2022 when St. Tammany investigators had the FACES lab at LSU (Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services) recreate a composite over that Jane Doe skull.
Back in Golden Meadow, a mother, who lost her 20-year-old son in an accident, was watching.
“Hearing that these parents didn't know what happened to their daughter, and never found her, and died that way not knowing it, touched me,” said Michelle Chouest, who is a distant relative of the family.
Chouest felt safer not showing her face last year in a Katie Moore investigation on this story, as well as today. But knowing the crushing pain of losing a child, and finding a relationship with Paula Boudreaux while working on a family tree, compelled her to alert the Lafourche Sheriff's Office that the composite looked like Paula.
“Well a huge catalyst,” Webre said about Chouest. “We were then able to find her (Paula’s) sister Lillian, and her son, Eric, and get DNA from them for St. Tammany to confirm.
Now with a positive I.D. on the remains found in the woods, Lafourche investigators went back to the house where the murder may have happened.
“We recovered some possible blood areas, one in the kitchen, and one in the bathroom. That evidence has been submitted to St. Tammany for more detailed analysis,” he added.
Add that possible new evidence to Russell Lee's past history.
“He's had mostly violence involving women, domestic violence, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated batteries, some very serious violent offenses,” said Webre.
Michelle says when deputies gave her news of the arrests, it was bittersweet and left her speechless.
“I couldn't contain it. I just cried. It's an emotion I can't understand myself. Just closure, but justice,” Chouest said.
Russell Lee and Judith Weiser are each awaiting extradition. He is in Missouri, and she is in Tennessee.