Crowd sourcing, or engaging a large group of people toward a common goal (usually through social media) has become popular in law enforcement.

In fact, two former locals who run a podcast on their work when they were partners have utilized that system to help solve cases, or push them into new realms.

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In true ‘Real Life, Real Crime’ fashion, Sheriff Jason Ard and former Sheriff’s detective Woody Overton announced Friday morning on a ‘podcast’ of sorts, that the broadcast duo would be engaging in that same crowd sourcing method with their audience and the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office.

https://www.facebook.com/sheriffjasonard/videos/3479026705447193/

Their goal? Push the Barbara Blount case, which continues to haunt residents of Livingston Parish over a decade later, into a new realm.

Or solve it all together.

Blount was abducted, apparently by force, from her rural home on La. Hwy. 1036, near the St. Helena Parish line, on May 2, 2008. The search continued several weeks without any answers, the the sheriff’s office has plead with the public almost every May since for any information they might have.

Real Life, Real Crime is a podcast which was started by Overton, who was then joined by Jim Rathmann later. The two were partners at the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, and continued to stay in touch after. You can learn about the podcast by listening to or watching the News’ interview with the duo.

Overton and Rathmann will be working with the sheriff’s office, their podcast following, and the public to pull any information they can to try and piece together clues for a case which has caused nothing but pain and grief for many members of the Livingston Parish community.

The process will begin with exclusive podcast episodes discussing what the sheriff’s office and Overton know about Blunt’s abduction, and what pieces of the investigation were conducted after. The episodes will be open for comment and contact information will be available – including an anonymous tip line.

“Open it up, listen to it, and share it,” Overton says in the interview, “sharing is power.”

No timeline was given in the video as to when the episodes would be released, but the sheriff’s office explained that more details will follow over the weekend.

The following is a story written in May of 2018 by former News reporter John Dupont, when Sheriff Jason Ard made a plea to the public for more information on the case 10 years after it occurred.

LIVINGSTON – Ten years after a Holden woman disappeared from her home, Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard renewed his plea for information that could help his detectives in the investigation into her mysterious disappearance.

Barbara Blount, 58, was apparently taken by force May 2, 2008, from her rural home on La. 1036, near the St. Helena Parish line. Crews came up empty in a search that continued for several weeks.

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The agony continues for the family of Barbara Blount, whose disappearance 10 years ago continues to elude family, friends and law enforcement.

“It’s like we’re living this all over again,” said Sarah Baughman, Blount’s sister, who now lives in Bogalusa. “I can’t explain the hurt and agony we’ve been through. Unless you’ve been through it, you have no idea.

“I wake up seeing her face saying, ‘Help me, help me’ … all I can do is turn to God and pray,” she said.

“The only way I’ve gotten through these last 10 years is through my faith in God. That’s the only way. Whoever did this, I already forgave you.”

The case also remains fresh on the minds of the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Ard said.

“This is a conversation piece,” he said. “I can’t tell you how many times over the years in lobby people come up with information and told us what they heard.

“It’s frustrating. What happened to her? This one of those cases that stick with you,” Ard said. “We take this case very seriously. It’s important not to let this type of case go away.”

Blount, a Sunday school teacher at Magnolia Baptist Church, disappeared from her home between 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. The backdoor was left open, but there were not signs of forced entry.

Money and a gun were still in the house, and cordless phone was found on the ground in the carport, relatives said at the time. The initial investigation concluded that she had been lured from her residence.

Detectives found her car, a 2006 Toyota Camry, a quarter-mile away from her home, pulled off on a logging road, but still visible from the highway. Blount’s keys were found lying on the ground away from the car.

Blount’s family members notified LPSO the evening of the disappearance once they spent several hours searching for her.

“There were no signs of forced entry, and pots were stacked on the kitchen floor, which means she was getting ready to do some cleaning,” Ard said.

Valuables were also left in plain view in the residence, with no evidence of a robbery, he said.

Weather conditions made it difficult for search crews the day of the disappearance and several days thereafter, Ard said.

“We had a horrible rain that day, and the whole road was covered with water,” he said. “It rained so much that water covered the floorboard of her car, and deputies still refer to seeing the water rise as they waited for the tow truck … it came up that fast.”

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The turn of events on that rain-soaked Friday remain fresh in the minds of family members, her niece Suzanne Honeycutt said.

“It feels like it was only yesterday because we remember getting the first phone call that she was missing,” Honeycutt said. “This was not a random act. They came for her … they didn’t take jewelry, guns, nothing of any value.”

Holidays and the addition of grandchildren add to the pain of the disappearance, Honeycutt said.

“All Barbara ever wanted was grandchildren, and whoever did this to her robbed her and our family of the joy of seeing her raising her first grandkids, taking first steps and hitting the first ball at ball practice,” she said. “We know life isn’t fair, but it’s the tiny things we take for granted on a daily basis, the little things that trickle our memory and open the wounds again.

“She was a wonderful Christian woman and she did not deserve this, nor does her family deserve this,” Honeycutt said. “We are begging and pleading – if you know any information, please come forward.”

The family doubts investigators will ever find Blount’s remains, but Honeycutt credits her faith in God for the family’s ability to move forward.

Blount’s daughter had only one request.

“I just want to say that if anybody out there knows anything, please come forward,” Kristie Thompson said. “We need answers – that’s what we need.”

A small hint of DNA in the car could perhaps provide a clue in the investigation, although it remains a longshot, Ard said.

He said he hopes advancement in DNA testing over the last 10 years will lead investigators to additional clues.

“We just want answers and we won’t stop until we get answers,” Ard said. “We’re also hoping this press conference opens up someone’s conscience.

“Someone knows something, and we’re coming to you and asking if you know something,” he said.

Ard wants those who have previously provided information to give it once more.

“Even if you’ve given us information in the past, give it to us again,” he said. “We want to make sure we don’t miss anything. This case is very important to us, and we take these cases personal. We have very few unsolved cases, and this is one of them, so this is very important to us.”

Anyone who would prefer to give information anonymously can call Crime Stoppers at 344-STOP.

Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHY