Killing of Carol Cole

Carol Ann Cole was born November 5, 1963, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and was raised largely by her grandmother alongside her sister, Linda "Jeanie" Phelps, after their parents divorced. In 1979, at age 15, Cole moved to San Antonio, Texas, to live with her mother, Sue, though she stayed in contact with her sister by phone. Between May and October 1980, Cole resided at a girls' home in Austin, Texas, run by the Palmer Drug Abuse Program (PDAP). She continued to call and write to her family, but this contact ceased in late December 1980. Her grandmother traced her to a residence in Shreveport, Louisiana, and learned Cole had left for a party and never returned. Cole's sister and a family friend, Patty Thorington, searched for her without success. Investigators pursued a lead that Cole may have spent time at the New Bethany School for Girls in Arcadia, Louisiana, but it produced no confirmed identification.

On January 28, 1981, the body of a young woman, estimated to be between 15 and 21 years old, was discovered concealed among trees in Bellevue, Bossier Parish, Louisiana. She had been stabbed nine times, and investigators considered a knife recovered from the soil near the remains a possible murder weapon. Her clothing bore several names, including "Michael Brisco," "David," "Resha," and "D. Davies," none of which produced meaningful leads. Much of the physical evidence from the scene was destroyed in a 2005 fire at the storage facility. Examination indicated the victim was likely white with possible Native American ancestry, approximately 5 feet 5 to 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 125–140 pounds, with blonde, straight, shoulder-length hair. She had once worn orthodontic braces, which she appeared to have removed herself. Convicted killer Henry Lee Lucas falsely confessed to the killing; he was later confirmed to have been in Florida at the time, consistent with his established pattern of false confessions.

Facial reconstruction efforts, first using a clay model and later a digital method by the Louisiana State University FACES Lab, aided ongoing identification attempts. In February 2015, the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office launched a Facebook page for the case, drawing significant public attention. A 911 operator noticed a Craigslist ad placed by Thorington and connected it to the case, prompting DNA testing against the profiles of Cole's parents. The results confirmed the victim was Carol Ann Cole. She was buried in Maple Grove Cemetery in Comstock Township, Michigan, on June 18, 2015.

Following her identification, investigators shifted focus toward finding those responsible for her death. Frances Aucoin, daughter of John Chesson—who, along with his brother, discovered the remains—told authorities she suspects her father was involved. Police have confirmed Chesson as a person of interest, noting his prior conviction for the 1997 murder of his estranged wife's mother, though he has not been named a prime suspect. The case remains unsolved and the investigation is ongoing.