Two years after Samuel “Saint” Easterling vanished from the Bywater neighborhood, his family says the investigation is stuck and new leads have mostly dried up. The Lafayette-born photographer was last seen on Aug. 29, 2024, after leaving a neighborhood bar, and he still has not been found, leaving relatives and friends with the same unanswered questions.
Cold-case unit followed tips into Bayou Sauvage and Mississippi woods
According to The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com, the New Orleans Police Department’s cold-case homicide unit took over the investigation in April and chased down tips that sent detectives into Bayou Sauvage and a forest in Mississippi. Those hunches did not pan out. Detectives told reporters the probe remains active, but big gaps in surveillance footage and in what witnesses can or will say have slowed any real progress.
Where and when he was last seen
Local authorities and family flyers say Easterling was last seen walking from a Bywater bar toward Marais Street in the early hours of Aug. 29, 2024, and that video that might have helped was not captured in time. Police bulletins place him near the 1300 block of Saint Bernard Avenue and describe his clothing and tattoos, as detailed by FOX 8 (WVUE).
Family hires private investigators and keeps pressure on police
Easterling’s parents have paid out of pocket for private searches and hired a private investigator as they keep pressing for answers and pushing police for more action, family members told the Missing Magnolias podcast. The family has leaned on social media and local volunteers to keep the case in public view while investigators continue to follow what tips they get.
Missing-persons data shows a broader strain on investigations
Data compiled by the police show thousands of missing-person reports over recent years and only a small number that end with the discovery of a body, a pattern family members say helps explain why some cases seem to languish. According to The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com, NOPD reported 1,523 adults and 1,774 juveniles missing between 2020 and May 2025, and just 20 missing-person cases ended with a body being found.
How detectives are asking the public to help
Authorities have urged anyone with information to come forward, and city reporting has noted earlier public appeals for a person of interest believed to have information about the disappearance. In coverage of the search for someone thought to hold critical insight in an unsolved disappearance, investigators emphasized that the person of interest was not labeled a suspect but might have details that could move the probe forward.
For Easterling’s family, the waiting has been bitter and relentless, and volunteers and relatives say they will keep looking until someone speaks up. Anyone with tips is asked to contact the New Orleans Police Department’s Investigative Services Bureau or Crimestoppers.
