Historical,  Homicide,  Rapides

Donald Rogers Koehler

tad photo

Case Number: Not publicly available
Nickname: Tad
Case Status: Unsolved — LE confirmation pending
Date of Birth / Age: 10/05/1952 (19 yo)
Date of Death: 06/30/1972
Date Discovered: 11/19/1972
Cause of Death: Not publicly available
Manner of Death: Homicide
Location Discovered: Cooper's Rd near LA Hwy 28 West, Alexandria
Investigating Agency: Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office
Tip Line:

Background

Donald Rogers “Tad” Koehler was born October 5, 1952, to Robert and Lois Rogers Koehler. He grew up in Alexandria with his brothers Chris and Carl.

Tad was a 1970 graduate of Bolton High School, where he was active in a number of school organizations and activities. As a sophomore, he worked as a photographer for the Bruin yearbook. By his junior year, he served as the yearbook’s Sports Editor and Photography Editor and was a member of the National Junior Honor Society. He was also involved with Quill and Scroll, the international honor society for high school journalists.

Photography was an important part of Tad’s high school years. He photographed school activities for the Bruin, and in May 1970 he received the school’s Bruin Photographer Award. He was also academically accomplished, receiving a National Merit Letter of Commendation during his senior year.

Tad had other interests as well. As a boy, he played baseball in Alexandria’s Civitan League. After graduating from Bolton in 1970, he attended New College in Sarasota, Florida.

By the summer of 1972, Tad was 19 years old and had returned to Alexandria. Shortly before his disappearance, he was going to ask his girlfriend to marry him.

Case Summary

Tad was last seen dropping off his girlfriend for work at St. Frances Cabrini Hospital, 3330 Masonic Dr in Alexandria, on June 30, 1972. Investigators later learned he was preparing to propose that night.

Donald was reported missing July 9, 1972. His father distributed a poster offering a $500 reward, but the family received no calls.

On July 31, 1972, his 1964 light blue Mercury Comet was found parked at the former Howard Discount Center that was located at 2956 S MacArthur Drive, in Alexandria.

On November 19, 1972, Sam Lewis of Alexandria discovered part of a human skeleton next to a barn on his property along Cooper’s Road, approximately one mile north of Louisiana Highway 28. Deputies searched the area and recovered the remainder of the skeleton. At the time, Cooper’s Road was a gravel road in a wooded, rural area. The area, which included an abandoned farmhouse, was known as a place for parties.

An Alexandria dentist confirmed the remains were Tad’s through comparison with his dental records. The FBI Crime Laboratory initially examined the remains but was unable to determine the cause of death. Further examination was undertaken by the Smithsonian Institute, which in January 1973 concluded that his death was probably caused by a broken neck.

crime map - tad

Suspects/Persons of Interest

No suspects or persons of interest have been publicly identified.

Timeline

Fri 06/30/72 Dropped girlfriend off to work on Masonic Dr.
Sun 07/09/72 Reported missing.
Mon 07/31/72 Car found on McArthur Dr.
Sun 11/19/72 Skeletal remains discovered near Cooper’s Rd.
Nov 1972 Remains identified through dental records.
Dec 1972 FBI and Smithsonian examine remains.
Thu 12/28/72 Interred at Greenwood Memorial Park in Pineville, LA.
Jan 1973 Smithsonian found cause of death was broken neck.

Limited Available Information – Can You Help?

Few details about this case have been made publicly available. If you have additional details, records, photos, or other related materials about Tad or his case, please consider sharing via the Case Contributions Form.

Pages Dedicated to Tad

None found.

Have a Tip?

Contact the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office at (318) 473-6727 or Crime Stoppers at (318) 443-7867. Whenever possible, firsthand information should be reported directly. If you prefer, you may submit through our Tip Form for forwarding to the appropriate authorities.

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S&J Investigative Notes

This profile will be updated as requested public records are received.

Sources

  • The Town Talk, “youth baseball,” July 5, 1965.
  • The Town Talk, “Junior High yearbook staff,” September 10, 1966.
  • The Town Talk, “National Junior Honor Society,” November 12, 1966.
  • The Town Talk, “Bolton Bruin yearbook staff,” May 4, 1968.
  • The Town Talk, “Bolton High School activities,” October 12, 1968.
  • The Town Talk, “Bausch & Lomb Science Medal,” December 6, 1969.
  • The Town Talk, “Senior Awards Day,” May 12, 1970.
  • Bolton High School yearbooks, 1968, 1969 and 1970.
  • The Town Talk, “Skeleton Said That of Youth,” November 24, 1972.
  • The Town Talk, “Koehler Services Planned Thursday,” December 27, 1972.
  • The Town Talk, “Smithsonian Institute Attempting To Determine How Youth Here Died,” December 28, 1972.
  • The Town Talk, “Youth’s Death Ruled Homicide,” January 19, 1973.
  • The Town Talk, “Several Murders Here Still Unsolved,” September 11, 1976.
  • The Town Talk, “From The Past,” January 2, 1995.
  • KALB, “RPSO still trying to solve 1972 homicide of man whose remains were found behind farmhouse,” Aug. 11, 2021

rev 08/24/26