A geophysicist is found shot to death In the autumn of 1971, the life of Jerry Dwight Laymon, a 27-year-old geophysicist, was tragically cut short in what remains an unsolved mystery. Having recently relocated to the New Orleans area from Los Angeles in April of that year for his work with Mobile Oil, Laymon was also pursuing classes at Tulane University. He was last seen on the university's campus before he was reported missing on November 16, 1971.
The search for Laymon came to a grim end on November 24, 1971, when his body was discovered alongside a swamp, about 300 yards north of Airline Highway Road in Reserve, located in St. John the Baptist Parish.
An examination of the scene revealed the brutal nature of his death. Laymon was found lying face down and had sustained two gunshot wounds to his head, inflicted by a. 22 caliber weapon. Investigators found his wallet, which still contained his birth certificate and credit cards, but the cash he was believed to have been carrying was missing. This, coupled with the fact that his Mustang was also gone, pointed towards robbery as a possible motive for the homicide. The condition of the scene suggested a struggle, as he was found with clumps of grass in his hand, indicating he was alive when left at the location.
The investigation into Jerry Dwight Laymon's murder was met with significant challenges, characteristic of the era in which it occurred. The limited forensic technology of the 1970s hampered the ability of law enforcement to gather crucial evidence. Adding to the difficulties, his Mustang was later found abandoned in a grocery store parking lot in Houston, Texas. It had been towed and impounded after being deserted on the same day authorities believe Laymon was killed. Over the decades, the case grew cold. Attempts by his family to revive the investigation were met with disheartening news; the original case files and documents from the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Louisiana had been lost to time.
To this day, the murder of Jerry Dwight Laymon remains unsolved. No suspects have ever been publicly named, and no arrests have been made in connection with the case. The passage of over fifty years has not brought definitive answers or justice for Laymon and his family. The circumstances surrounding his final days and the identity of his killer or killers are still unknown, leaving a painful and unresolved chapter in the history of the New Orleans area.
