I am asking New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell to encourage the New Orleans Police Department to seek outside investigative assistance on my sister’s unsolved death case in her city.

After going missing in August 2019, my family and I found my sister, Jessica Easterly Durning, deceased 10 days later, just 2 ½ blocks from her home. The police did NOT find her, my family discovered my sister. 

The NOPD detective working the case, told me that he could do nothing further until the manner of death is ruled by the medical examiner as a homicide. Her cause and manner of death were and are still ruled in the coroner’s report as “undetermined.” The medical examiner’s report included injuries, such as, a fractured nose and broken jaw – and post-mortem injuries of a broken rib and broken C4 vertebrae in her neck. 

Moreover, when we found her, the presence of post-mortem liver mortis was not consistent with the position of her body when it was found – indicating that her body was moved to that location after her death. How did she die? How did she end up where we discovered her? My family wants and deserves answers. What we’ve been left with is more questions, and one person after another sending us to another person – who all, ultimately, either tell us there’s nothing that can be done or stop returning my phone calls altogether. 

The New Orleans Police Department’s Lt. Ernest Luster with the 3rd District, has stated that they are not allowed to investigate Jessica’s case because the coroner has listed her cause and manner of death as undetermined. The coroner has stated they cannot change their classification, until the NOPD gives them more evidence that would point to any other manner of death. In fact, the NOPD said that my sister’s case is in limbo because of this. 

Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams agreed to investigate her case as a cold case homicide – and the NOPD stated the case was handed over to the District Attorney. Further, he announced publicly that he created a cold case unit within his own office to specifically investigate cold case homicides – using my sister’s case as an example of the cases this unit would investigate, among the 5,000+ other unsolved homicides in your city. However, since that public announcement in August 2021, the District Attorney has not given me any reason to believe that a cold case detective is investigating Jessica’s case – following an extensive investigation conducted by the investigative producers for the podcast, “Undetermined.” The District Attorney’s office has been unable to confirm with them, nor with me, that there are any detectives assigned to investigate homicides within the cold case unit. 

There are several other pertinent facets to Jessica’s case, some of them have not yet been divulged to the public, and therefore cannot be included in this petition. However, if you are willing and able to contribute to this case, we will provide you with a complete and robust compilation of information that will easily support the endeavor.

It has come to my attention that the Louisiana State Police might consider assisting in the investigation of my sister’s case – but only if they are invited to do so by the NOPD. 

I am asking that Mayor LaToya Cantrell urge and encourage the Superintendent of the NOPD, Michelle Woodfork, whom she appointed, to do the right thing and to request assistance from the Louisiana State Police’s Bureau of Investigation. 

My sister was loved – and we miss her every single day. She loved dressing up and wearing a strand of pearls. She loved the color purple. And she loved others with every fiber of her being – sometimes to a fault. She was a human being, who like anyone else in your city, mayor, deserves justice. 

Mayor Cantrell, if this was your sister, your daughter, your mother – wouldn’t you want answers, justice and resolution? Would you accept that your sister’s case is just sitting on someone’s shelf collecting dust and “in limbo.” 

Please consider taking the action that’s under your control and advise the person whom you appointed to her position, to do what’s right for my sister: Jessica Easterly Durning. 

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to working with you to finally resolve my sister’s case.

Audrey Schmitt | info@justice4jessica.org