TANGIPAHOA PARISH — The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that a body found wrapped in a tarp along Highway 51 has been identified as 69-year-old William Nicholas Abraham, a mental health therapist from Baton Rouge.
TPSO has now released pictures of a person of interest, whom detectives believe was the last person seen driving with Abraham.
Deputies stated that around 8 a.m. on September 29, a person driving along Highway 51, between Fluker and Tangipahoa, reported seeing a “suspicious, rolled-up tarp.” Upon arriving at the scene, deputies discovered the body of a white man inside the tarp.
The Tangipahoa Coroner’s Office has determined the preliminary cause of death to be homicide due to blunt force trauma.
Tangipahoa Sheriff Gerald Sticker told UWK the evidence speaks to that.
“It was quite obvious from the scene, it was a very violent, very physical encounter. And the evidence speaks to the coroner’s findings,” Sticker said.
The body was found north of Amite in a rural part of the parish. Sticker said the initial investigation shows Abraham was likely killed elsewhere, however.
“It’s speculation but I would surmise that he was probably killed elsewhere and he was simply discarded at that location,” Sticker said, explaining that he wasn’t able to speculate on a motive behind the killing at this point.
“We’re casting a broad net. We’re going to follow the evidence where the evidence leads up in this case and so wherever that may be, that’s the route we’re going to take, but we’re cognizant of the big picture here,” Sticker said.
Car & person of interest
A black car, wanted in connection to the homicide investigation, was found at an office complex off Sherwood Forest Blvd. Monday afternoon. Baton Rouge Police reportedly spotted the vehicle and pursued it, but the driver allegedly hit multiple parked vehicles before fleeing the scene. No suspect was arrested. Sticker said his detectives believe that vehicle is registered to Abraham.
It’s unclear if the last person seen driving with Abraham and now is wanted as a person of interest was the person who bailed as BRPD officers chased the car.
UWK was on the scene as the vehicle was towed from the scene. The East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office is also involved in the case because Abraham lived in EBR Parish. Sticker said his office is in contact with the EBRSO about the vehicle, but couldn’t offer any more information at this time.
For now, Sticker said the investigation will remain in the hands of the Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office.
“Until proven otherwise, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office will take the lead. We have the scene. We have the body. We have the bulk of the investigation. However, we’re keeping an open line of communication with our law enforcement partners,” Sticker said. “Our main goal here right now is to locate, if possible, the scene where this homicide took place, and then to identify the subjects responsible, and one may come before the other. But we are exercising every available option at our disposal to work this case.”
Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Gerald Sticker is asking anyone with information about the crime to contact the criminal investigations office at (985) 902-2008. To share information anonymously, you can do so through Crime Stoppers of Tangipahoa’s tipline at 1-800-554-5245 or by visiting tangicrimestoppers.com and clicking on the submit a tip icon.
This is a developing story. As soon as more details are provided, the story will be updated. Check back for new information.
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2 Responses
Is there a name of the deceased
I work at a Louisiana Laserderm on coursey and he came into our office yesterday in Baton Rouge