Account
Feb 25, 2019
Oct 06, 2022
Elter
Deshotel
90
54
67 inches
175 lbs
White / Caucasian
Male
In the late spring of 1988, a quiet disappearance in Allen Parish, Louisiana, left a family searching for answers that have yet to come. Elter Lawrence Deshotel, a 54-year-old man known to his friends and family as Jack, was last seen on the morning of May 15th. He was at his home on South River Road, just outside the small community of Oberlin. A man of routine and simple pleasures, Deshotel was preparing for a familiar activity: picking huckleberries. He was dressed for the outdoors in a white t-shirt, blue jeans, and tan leather work boots. With a one-inch scar over his right eyebrow, graying hair, and blue eyes, Deshotel was a recognizable figure in his community. That morning, his plans were clear and he set out for a day in the woods, a pastime he likely enjoyed many times before. Around 11:00 a.m., Deshotel left his residence with the intention of heading to the southeastern part of the West Bay Game Management Area. This area, located near Little Mill Creek, was approximately two and a half miles from his house. He was equipped for his berry-picking excursion, carrying a white five-gallon bucket, a gallon jug of water, and a yellow pocket knife. Notably, he did not have any form of identification with him. His vehicle was later found parked by the roadside, right where he intended to enter the woods to forage for berries. However, Elter Deshotel never returned home from his outing, and from that day forward, no one has reported hearing from him or seeing him again. The initial discovery of his abandoned vehicle signaled that something was amiss, prompting a search of the vast wooded area. Despite these efforts, no trace of Deshotel or his belongings was ever located. The circumstances surrounding his disappearance remain shrouded in uncertainty. Over the years, his case has grown cold, leaving his loved ones without closure. The absence of any evidence, coupled with the passage of time, has made the investigation incredibly challenging. The official record of his disappearance is a testament to a day that began with a simple, peaceful activity and ended in a lasting mystery. The case of Elter "Jack" Deshotel serves as a somber reminder of how quickly a person can vanish, leaving behind only questions and a lingering sense of loss within a small Louisiana community.
May 15, 1988
Oberlin
Louisiana
Allen Parish
No
48393
Allen Parish Sheriff's Office
Oberlin
Louisiana
Allen Parish
70655
sheila laird
detective
7340 LA-26, Oberlin, LA 70655, Louisiana
3376394353
County
Law Enforcement
88--0372
1988-05-15
Allen Parish Sheriff's Office
na
Gray or Partially Gray
Blue
Blue
05/25/2026
