Police dig for remains of missing couple

September 27, 2007
By Theresa Schmidt reports a possible break in the case:

In December 2001, Ted Boyette and his girlfriend Charlene Denise Sawyer disappeared. The couple lived  on Clyde Chachere Road north of Kinder. Foul play was suspected almost immediately because their car was still parked at their home after they were reported missing. At the time family and friends were frantic with worry.  Pleaded one family friend tearfully, "Please if Denise or Ted is out there please give somebody a call and let them know that you're okay."

Years passed with no word of what became of the couple, but now, someone is talking. An unidentified person or people have told police the couple was murdered and they've led police to the old Indian Village cemetery. Digging is underway near the cemetery to try to locate human remains in the area where police have been told the bodies were buried. Says Sal Messina with State Police, "After they dig for a while they get in with the cadaver dog and let him search for a while. "

Messina admits they have high confidence in the information that led to the dig."Apparently they have a lot of confidence in at least one of the people who have given information. I don't know how many people they have actually gotten tips from, but I know there was one they were pretty confident with."

The cemetery road is close to the line between Jeff Davis and Allen parishes. So both parishes are involved in the investigation. Police first began assembling equipment at the site on Wednesday, and since then they've posted a guard to protect what's being treated as a crime scene. "They have a good general idea and that's why they're trying to dig it up but, you're talking five, six years ago, so mainly you're looking for remains with probably clothes or bones. We don't want any public up here. We're trying to restrict people from coming into the area."

No one is speculating on how long it may take investigators to search the site. But it's hoped the work will at long last reveal whatever happened to Ted Boyette and Charlene Denise Sawyer.

So far police say they have not found any human remains.