Gary Kergan, a 34-year-old businessman, was last seen on November 28, 1984, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He owned several Sonic Drive-In restaurants with his brother, and was reported missing after a night out. Kergan was last spotted leaving the Night Spot Lounge on Plank Road with a teenage exotic dancer named Leila Mulla. At the time, he was carrying $2,000 in cash.
His brown Cadillac was later found abandoned in Metairie, Louisiana, with blood in the trunk, raising suspicions about foul play.
Authorities quickly focused their investigation on Mulla and her boyfriend, Ronald Dunnagan. A search of their apartment uncovered signs of a violent struggle, and Mulla’s diary entries revealed she had been planning Kergan’s murder. Both Mulla and Dunnagan were arrested but released shortly after, as investigators lacked sufficient evidence to secure a conviction at the time. Despite extensive efforts, Kergan's body was never located, and he was declared legally dead in 1986.
The case remained cold until 2012, when advances in DNA technology allowed authorities to conclusively link blood found in Gary's car to Kergan. Mulla and Dunnagan were re-arrested, and Mulla eventually pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2014. She cooperated with authorities and testified that Dunnagan had poisoned and smothered Kergan. Dunnagan was convicted of second-degree murder in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison, though Kergan's remains have still not been found. The case remains a poignant example of how forensic breakthroughs can bring long-overdue justice in cold cases.
