The Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story

4 stories Updated for U.S. readers

Archival portrait of Grace Wynne Thompson, associated with the history of the Azalea Original Pet Cemetery and Dorothy Lou Thompson case
The Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story · Pet Cemetery Murders

The Heavy Chains Mystery: Why Dorothy Lou Thompson’s Body Was Weighed Down With 200 Pounds

What official records say about the chains found on Dorothy Lou Thompson’s body in 1985—and why the often-repeated 200-pound figure is no...

Oct 11, 2026 3 min read
Dorothy Thompson at the Azalea Original Pet Cemetery in Toca, Louisiana, in 1981; timeline of the 1985 cold case
The Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story · Pet Cemetery Murders

Full Timeline: From Dorothy’s Disappearance in 1985 to Brandon Nodier’s Guilty Plea

A fact-checked timeline of the Dorothy Lou Thompson pet cemetery murder case—from her April 1985 disappearance and the May 2 discovery of...

Oct 11, 2026 3 min read
Weathered pet grave marker at Azalea Original Pet Cemetery in Toca, Louisiana, the site connected to Dorothy Thompson's cold case
The Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story · Pet Cemetery Murders

Detective John Doran: The Cop Who Reopened Dorothy Lou Thompson’s Cold Case in 2009

How Detective John Doran reopened Dorothy Lou Thompson’s 1985 murder case in 2009, followed witness leads, and helped move the investigat...

Oct 10, 2026 3 min read
Overgrown Buttercat grave marker at Azalea Original Pet Cemetery connected to Dorothy Lou Thompson's murder case
The Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story · Pet Cemetery Murders

Dorothy Lou Thompson’s Body Found Wrapped in Chains: The 1985 Mississippi River Murder

On May 2, 1985, Dorothy Lou Thompson’s body was found in the Mississippi River, weighed down with heavy chains. Here’s what reporting doc...

Oct 10, 2026 3 min read