Sheriff says investigation into I-12 murders is difficult but ongoing
Two Hispanic men whose bodies where found shot execution style and dumped just four miles apart on Interstate 12 in December were traveling with drug traffickers en route to Texas to buy "a large scale amount of narcotics," Sheriff Jack Strain said Thursday.
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"Everybody we talk to is worried about getting killed themselves, and as you can see there is no regard for human life with these guys," Lt. Joe Picone said.
Shortly before 7 a.m. Dec. 12 the body of Miguel Ayala, 30, was discovered just west of Louisiana Highway 21, near exit 59 in the Covington area. The body of Felipe Alonzo, 26, was found four miles west near Louisina Highway 1077, near exit 58.
Each died from one gun blast to the head and were shot in a beige 2007 Toyota rented from Hertz Rental Car. The car was later found abandoned in Lafayette, its side window shattered.
Alonzo was not thought to be a major drug dealer. He was "basically someone who was brought along. He was not of the same (drug dealing) status," as the others, Picone said.
Positive identification of the victims led investigators to Gainesville, Ga., their hometown, and into a world of Hispanic drug dealers who "basically all have something to hide," Strain said.
"When we take someone out of work for questioning, 200 people know we are snooping around the area before we leave," Picone said. "Everybody is deathly afraid to come forward. News spreads fast."
But Strain was optimistic about the case Thursday, saying St. Tammany Parish investigators have traveled to Gainesville three times, staying about a week each time. Each trip has uncovered valuable information, Strain said.
"We knew it would be a tough case to ultimately solve," Strain said. "And by no means are were there yet, but we're comfortable in our progress."
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