Cordarious Cortez Smith : NPSO seeks public help in 6-year cold case double-homicide investigation

– public help investigating cold case double homicide
– NPSO seeks assistance solving 6-year-old murder case.

Accident – Death – Obituary News :

Natchitoches, Louisiana – May 29, 2024

Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Detectives are reaching out to the public for assistance as they continue to investigate a nearly six-year-old cold case double homicide that took place in Payne Sub-Division and resulted in the tragic deaths of two Natchitoches men. Sheriff Stuart Wright is urging anyone with information to come forward and help bring closure to this case.

On the early morning of August 8, 2018, multiple 911 calls were made reporting gunshots in the 200 block of Michelle Drive in Payne Sub-Division, located off La. Hwy 6 East in the Grand Ecore area of Natchitoches. Deputies from the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office quickly responded to the scene.

Upon arrival, deputies discovered a 2000 Nissan passenger car that had crashed into a tree. Inside the vehicle were two individuals, identified as 24-year-old Cordarious Cortez Smith and 24-year-old Rodney D. Richards, both of Natchitoches. Tragically, both men had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene by the Natchitoches Parish Coroner’s Office.

According to reports, Smith, who was driving the vehicle, and Richards, his passenger, had just left a music studio when they were ambushed by gunfire. The bodies of the victims underwent autopsies to determine the exact cause of death.

Following the discovery of the crime scene, Sheriff Victor Jones, along with a team of investigators and patrol deputies, worked tirelessly throughout the night to gather evidence and process the area. Despite their efforts, the suspects responsible for the double homicide managed to flee the scene before law enforcement could apprehend them.

Since the initial investigation, detectives have been actively seeking leads and information from the community to help solve this case. Sheriff Wright emphasised that the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office remains committed to pursuing justice and holding accountable those responsible for such senseless acts of violence.

If you have any information related to this case, please contact the NPSO Criminal Investigations Bureau at 318-357-7830. Additionally, individuals providing information to Crime Stoppers of Natchitoches at 318-238-2388 may be eligible for a reward. It is important to note that Crime Stoppers guarantees confidentiality for all tips received.