NQL Case File

Circumstances

Date of Disappearance

November 24, 1956

Notes

The victim was between 5'3" and 5'9" and 110 - 150lbs. She is described as having 'grey' eyes. At the time of her disappearance, she was a divorced mother of three children. On November 24, a hunter and his son spotted a blue four-door sedan near the water along Frenier Beach by Lake Pontchartrain. Inside, they observed a man and a woman in the back. They went on their way, but approximately 3 hours later another hunter also saw the vehicle. This time, he did not see the woman, but thought the man was sitting oddly. The following morning, at about 10:30am, the hunter and his son returned the same way and noticed that the car was still there. Checking it out, they discovered the man (Thomas Hotard) was dead from a gunshot wound. Near the vehicle, contents believed to be from a woman's purse were strewn on the ground; her clothes and shoes were abandoned on the floor of the vehicle. The keys were still in the ignition, but the woman (apparently in her underwear) had disappeared, voluntarily or in a kidnapping is not clear. Small footprints trailed away from the car, spaced to suggest a female running. Amongst her footprints were those of a pair of boots (seemingly male). The footprints disappeared along a road nearby, but police for a single tire track (e.g., motorcycle). Police discovered a shotgun had been put against the rear window of the vehicle when Thomas was shot through the back. The glad had a hole, suggesting the windows were up. Approximately five feet away, they uncovered signs of a strugge and a second set of vehicle keys on the ground. Audrey and Thomas were friends before becoming romantically involved despite Thomas' status as a married man. Family believed they were friends and knew that the two were meeting up each Saturday at a cafe, supposedly for work. Audrey's car was found at the cafe, matching the second set of keys from the crime scene. A few days later, Audrey's ex-MIL answered the phone to a woman who appeared to be Audrey claiming that she was in trouble. The caller hung up and no verified sightings have been confirmed since. A witness did claim to see a woman whose description was remarkably similar to Audrey in New Orleans (Audrey was initially from Baton Rouge). That woman has not been found.

Location of the Disappearance or Crime Scene

Beach, Hookup Spot, Vehicle

Potential Circumstances

During a Crime, Extramarital Affair, Married or Dating Couple, Multiple Victims, Murder & Abduction, Night, On a Date, With Others

Vehicle

License Plate

Photo of Vehicle

Suspect

Suspect Description

Photo of Suspect