The New Orleans Police Department has reportedly apprehended a suspect linked to the murder of Patricia Fitzgerald, a 45-year-old White woman whose body was found last month beneath the wharves by Esplanade Avenue along the Mississippi River. The suspect, identified as Courtney Cantrell, a white male born September 7, 1988, was arrested on Monday in Poplar, Montana, according to New Orleans Police Department News.
Cantrell was taken into custody while on tribal lands and is currently detained by the Fort Peck Tribal Police. A hearing will soon take place to discuss the extradition process, aimed at transferring Cantrell's custody from the Tribal Police to state Montana authorities and then over to the New Orleans police.
The New Orleans Police Department continues to seek information about the case. They have encouraged anyone with knowledge pertaining to the crime or the suspect to contact their Homicide Section detectives at 504-658-5300.
The specific circumstances of Fitzgerald's death have not been detailed by authorities, and the investigation remains ongoing. The legal proceedings for Cantrell's extradition are expected to reinforce the collaboration between various law enforcement agencies, including tribal police, state, and local entities. Further details are anticipated as the case progresses through the legal system.
