On a tragic Mother's Day weekend in New Orleans, the life of 58-year-old Sandra Peters Jefferson came to a brutal end. On Friday, May 11, 2012, her husband, Archie Jefferson, the brother of former Congressman Bill Jefferson, returned to their Broadmoor home to a horrifying scene. He discovered his wife lying in a pool of blood and immediately contacted the police.
Sandra Jefferson was pronounced dead the following day, Saturday, May 12, 2012.
Initially, authorities suspected she had been shot, a theory supported by the discovery of gun residue at the crime scene. However, an autopsy later revealed a more gruesome truth. Sandra had died from blunt force trauma to her head. The blows were so severe that they caused two fractures to her skull, which penetrated her brain. The investigation into her death was complicated by the fact that there were no signs of forced entry into the couple's home. This led investigators to believe that Sandra may have known her killer.
Suspicion soon fell upon her husband, Archie Jefferson. He was identified by the New Orleans Police Department as a person of interest in his wife's murder. Investigators questioned him extensively, at one point arresting him on an unrelated traffic violation to bring him in for further interrogation. Despite their suspicions and the fact that weapons were found inside the home, authorities were unable to gather enough evidence to formally charge him in connection with her death. While he has never been officially cleared, he has never been arrested for or convicted of the crime.
In the years following Sandra's death, the case has grown cold, with no new leads or suspects emerging. The murder of Sandra Peters Jefferson remains an unsolved homicide, a painful mystery for her friends and family. The lack of resolution has been compounded by subsequent events, including public disputes between Archie Jefferson and his late wife's family. The home where Sandra was killed, which was solely in her name, later fell into foreclosure. In a move that shocked those who knew Sandra, her husband later attempted to rent out the property as a bed and breakfast. To this day, no one has been brought to justice for the violent death of Sandra Peters Jefferson.
