Crystal ‘Shay’ Benoit Zeno, 23, was last seen 08/29/08. Her remains were found 09/11/08 near a dry irrigation canal a few miles from Jennings, Louisiana.
Crystal was employed with Sonic in Lake Arthur until May 2008 when she moved to Jennings. She enjoyed spending time with her daughter, fishing, singing, listening to music. She was a people-person, who also enjoyed spending time with friends.1
According to her parents, Shay was diagnosed with bipolar at the age of 12, and started using drugs early as a way to cope with the illness.2
She is survived by husband Stanley Lee Zeno; daughter Ananey Paige Benoit; parents Bryan Lee and Sarah Ann Gaspard Benoit; siblings Zachary, Jennifer and Melissa Benoit. She was laid to rest 11/11/08. She is interred at Shell Beach Cemetery in Gueydan.1
Shay is considered the sixth ‘Jeff Davis 8‘ aka ‘Jennings 8’ victim.
Crime Scene
On 09/11/08 hunters reported a foul smell in a wooded area to authorities. The remains of Crystal Shay were found around 3:00 pm on the LaCour Road levee, off LA Highway 1126, a few miles southeast of Jennings. Due to the advanced state of decomposition, she was not identified with DNA until nearly two months later on 11/07/08.3 The manner of Shay’s death was ruled murder, but the cause has not been determined.4
Similarities to Other Cases
See Jeff Davis 8.
A Mother’s Plea
Referring to Crystal, her mother writes “How beautiful you are. Your smile is forever a reminder of how special you are. It has almost been a year, but it seems like yesterday that you were taken from us.”
If anyone has any information on my daughter’s death, please come forward. Without closure, not knowing who could have done this to Shay is very frightening. I pray every day that God will give the task force what they need to solve these cases.~ Sarah Benoit, Mother.”5
Have Information?
Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are working in conjunction to solve the Crystal ‘Shay’ Benoit Zeno case, and bring her killer(s) to justice. If you have information about this crime, please call your local FBI Office or the Sheriff’s Office at (337) 824-3850.
Please submit corrections/updates here.
Submit corrections/updates here.Sources:
- Find A Grave: Crystal Shay Benoit Zeno, accessed 08/08/20. [↩][↩]
- Investigation Discovery: 5 Things You Need to Know about the Complex Case of the Jennings 8, accessed 08/08/20. [↩]
- Morgan City Daily Review: DNA test identifies 6th Jeff Davis body, page 4, published 11/11/08. [↩]
- The Shreveport Times: Killer-women’s deaths perplexing, page 7A, published 11/16/08. [↩]
- Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office Hot Cases, accessed 08/08/20. [↩]