A body retrieved from the Mississippi River in LaPlace, which has since been identified as 20-year-old Jameshia Selders by family members, was initially found this past Saturday, as reported by the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office. The discovery was made near Highway 628 at approximately 5:38 p.m., prompting a swift response from local deputies and the St. John Parish Fire Department.
An individual with knowledge of Selders described her as "a bundle of joy," according to a statement obtained by NOLA.com. The same source reported that tattoos and other physical identifiers led to initial recognition by relatives, while official identification by authorities is still pending confirmation through an autopsy. Details of how her body ended up further upriver from New Orleans to LaPlace have not yet been disclosed by either the Coast Guard or the Sheriff’s Office.
In an interview with WGNO-TV, Selders' mother, Bianca Duplessis, mentioned her daughter went missing around 1 a.m. on June 9 during an outing with friends at the New Orleans Riverwalk. Following a report of a person in the water to the U.S. Coast Guard, an 18-hour search ensued, ultimately suspended by the agency around 6 p.m. the same day, WWLTV reported.
While the Sheriff's Office has begun an investigation into Selders' death, the circumstances surrounding it remain unclear, as stated by FOX8Live.
