One detail in the headline needs a fact-check: reliable contemporary sources describe Dorothy Lou Thompson’s body as weighted down with steel chains, but the sources reviewed for this article do not substantiate the often-repeated figure of “200 pounds.” The documented fact is disturbing enough without turning an unverified weight into a fact.
What investigators said about the chains
On May 2, 1985, fishermen found Thompson’s body in the Mississippi River on the Plaquemines Parish side. The St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office said her body was weighted down with steel chains; a plastic bag and wire were also reported around her head and neck. Investigators said she had been suffocated at the cemetery’s main house before her body was taken to the river.
These descriptions come from law-enforcement statements and contemporaneous news coverage. This article does not reproduce graphic crime-scene imagery, and it does not speculate about the exact number, length, or total weight of the chains because the sources reviewed do not establish those measurements.
Why would chains be used?
Investigators and prosecutors described the chains as a way to weigh the body down in the river. That explanation is consistent with the reported discovery, but it does not tell us precisely who selected the chains, how they were attached, or what their combined weight was. Those details should not be filled in with guesses.
The case’s legal outcome also deserves precision. Nodier was indicted on a second-degree murder charge in 2012. On July 11, 2014, he pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of manslaughter and received a 10-year sentence. The plea followed a case that officials said relied heavily on testimony from a witness who came forward years after the killing.
The land dispute and the long delay
Authorities said Thompson had been in a legal dispute with Nodier over the cemetery property and that she disappeared shortly before a court date. That was the motive investigators presented publicly. The case remained unresolved for years because, according to officials, there was not enough evidence to seek an indictment until a witness came forward in 2012.
What the sources do—and do not—prove
- Supported: Thompson’s body was found in the Mississippi River on May 2, 1985.
- Supported: The sheriff’s office described steel chains weighing the body down.
- Supported: A plastic bag and wire around her head/neck were described in official and news accounts.
- Not verified in the sources reviewed: A precise total chain weight of 200 pounds.
- Not established by the chain detail alone: Every minute of the disposal process or the exact reason each item was used.
Official records and reporting
For the most reliable account, compare the sheriff’s office release with the original local reporting. The official release says Nodier pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received a 10-year sentence in 2014; FOX 8’s reports document the 2012 indictment and the details officials shared about the body’s discovery. The HBO documentary adds context about the community and the unusual witness accounts, but paranormal claims are not forensic evidence.
St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office: 2014 plea release · FOX 8: 2012 indictment report · FOX 8: 2014 sentencing report
Embedded social post
The sheriff’s office’s official social post is included below for readers who want to check the agency’s own updates. If your browser or Shopify theme blocks Facebook embeds, use the direct link.
Open the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office Facebook post
Sources
- St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office — plea and chain details
- FOX 8 — 2012 indictment and investigation
- FOX 8 — 2014 guilty plea and sentence
- WDSU — arrest and cold-case reporting
- Autopsy of Architecture — cemetery photo essay
Conclusion: The chains are a documented part of Dorothy Thompson’s murder case. The exact “200 pounds” figure is not verified by the primary sources cited here, so it should be treated as an unconfirmed claim rather than a proven forensic measurement.
