Episode 149 James 'Jimmy' Townsend

In 1985, 13 year old James 'Jimmy' Townsend was a popular boy in his hometown of Monroe, Louisiana. He was a friendly and gifted athlete who played a variety of sports and excelled at them. By September of that year, Jimmy had become involved in boxing, but that wasnt all that was new for Jimmy. He was also a new father to a baby girl; Kristy. Being a father at 13 was certainly going to be a challenge for Jimmy, but he was ready to take it on. Sadly, he'd never get the chance. On September 28th, 1985, Jimmy along with a couple friends went to a local fair, and while there, they got into an altercation with a group of seven young men and boys, thought to be members of a local gang. Jimmy fought back before he and his friends ran for their lives. Sadly, Jimmy couldn't outrun his attackers, and he was savagely beaten to death.

Although police had the accounts of multiple witnesses, and names of suspects, the case was never resolved and remains unresolved to this day. The mother of Jimmy's daughter Kristy wound up giving her up for adoption when she was just eleven months old so she never got to know her father. As she grew up and began to wonder about her roots, Kristy was upset that her father's murder forever changed the outcome of her life. She was determined to get justice for her father, and has helped to re-ignite a fresh look into the case. In this episode, Kristy discusses her father's tragic and violent murder, and how her life was affected by it.

Kristy is personally offering a reward of at least $1000 for information that leads to a conviction in her father's case. If you have any information or tips, please call Crime Stoppers of North Delta at 318-388-CASH or the Monroe PD at 318-329-2600.

To learn more about the case, be sure to visit the Facebook discussion group set up by Kristy. You can also check out the petition Kristy kicked off in order to get her father's case looked at with fresh eyes.

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