In late 1997, police in the southern parishes of Louisiana began to discover a series of gruesome crimes: bodies that had been raped, tortured, and murdered. These victims were mostly homeless men, found scattered along roadsides, floating in bayous, and buried in ditches. This is the horrifying tale of Ronald Dominique, the Bayou Serial Killer.
Ronald Dominique, An Unassuming And Unsuspicious Character
Born in 1964 in Thibodaux, Louisiana, Ronald Joseph Dominique seemed like an ordinary person, far from someone capable of committing such heinous crimes. He lived in a small trailer park and was active in school, even singing in the choir and performing with the glee club. Despite his friendly demeanor, a different side of Dominique began to emerge.
While he never openly admitted to being gay, Dominique spent his nights performing as a Patti LaBelle impersonator at a local gay bar. However, his attempts to fit into this world were met with discomfort and unease from the locals. Dominique’s struggle to find acceptance may have contributed to his dark transformation.
In the years leading up to his killing spree, Dominique had several run-ins with the law, including arrests for telephone harassment, speeding, and driving while intoxicated. Unfortunately, police would come to regret letting him go. But the community in his trailer park saw him as harmless, an overweight man walking with a cane who lived with his sister.
Becoming The Bayou Serial Killer
Despite his mild-mannered appearance, Ronald Dominique was capable of horrific acts. In August 1996, shortly after his arrest for driving under the influence (DUI), Dominique was arrested again, this time for forcible rape. He had coerced a man into coming home with him, attempting to tie him up. When the victim resisted, Dominique became violent. However, the victim disappeared, and without his testimony, the case against Dominique collapsed. It was a lucky break for him, but a tragic turning point for his future victims.
Not long after the failed trial, Dominique killed his first victim, 19-year-old David Mitchell. Dominique convinced Mitchell to come home with him, tied him up, and then proceeded to rape and murder him. He left Mitchell’s body in a sugarcane field, reducing him to mere bones. This marked the beginning of Dominique’s nine-year killing spree.
The Bayou Runs Red With Blood
Throughout his killing spree, Ronald Dominique was never suspected of his own crimes. The Louisiana State Police formed a task force to investigate the deaths of Mitchell and subsequent victims. The FBI eventually became involved due to the high number of victims within such a short period of time. Dominique’s victims were mostly homeless men between the ages of 18 and 40, individuals he deemed easy targets.
Using various methods, Dominique lured his victims, often picking them up at gay bars or approaching them on the streets at night. He would show them pictures of an attractive woman, claiming to be his wife and convincing them to come to his house for sex. Once at his home, the seemingly harmless man transformed into a sadistic monster. He would tie up his victims, rape them, and in most cases, take their lives. Astonishingly, Dominique later claimed that if his victims refused to be tied up, he would let them go unharmed.
For nearly a decade, Dominique continued his reign of terror, leaving a trail of victims in his wake. But his downfall came when one of his intended victims, an ex-convict living in a homeless shelter, mentioned his close call to his parole officer. Afterward, the pieces started falling into place, leading to the arrest of Ronald Dominique.
A Mild-Mannered Confession
When the police requested a DNA sample from Ronald Dominique in 2006, he willingly provided it. The results positively linked him to at least two of the murders. Amazingly, Dominique confessed to an additional 23 murders as well. He revealed that he escalated from raping to murdering his victims out of fear of being reported and going to jail.
During his sentencing, thirty relatives of Dominique’s victims attended and shared their emotional statements. In an attempt to avoid the death penalty, Dominique pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. On September 23, 2008, he received eight consecutive life sentences, which he is currently serving at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola.