Woman killed and dumped in Lake Pontchartrain in 1986 is finally identified

COVINGTON, La. — It's taken 38 years, but Louisiana authorities have finally identified a woman whose body was found floating in Lake Pontchartrain.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office said the homicide victim's body was found June 19, 1986, near the Interstate 10 Twin Span bridges close to Slidell. For years, she was known only as “Lake Lady Jane Doe.”

The woman has now been identified as Pamela Lee Hupp, also known as Deborah Gail Justice, the sheriff's office said in a news release Tuesday. Hupp, who was born in April 1958, was pregnant at the time of her death, and her last known residence was in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, authorities said.

The circumstances surrounding her death remain under investigation. Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact the sheriff's office at (985) 898-2341.

“I want to thank the many investigators over the years who worked on this case and sought out available resources and technology to identify and give a name to the victim,” Sheriff Randy Smith said. “Our detectives will not stop working until they have identified and arrested the person(s) responsible for Ms. Hupp’s death.”

The case began when a fisherman spotted Hupp's body in the lake. Her body was turned over to the parish coroner's office, which ruled the death a homicide. Despite multiple attempts over the years, including DNA analysis and efforts aired on “America’s Most Wanted,” Hupp’s identity remained unknown.

In September 2022, a grant from NamUs (National Missing and Unidentified Persons System) allowed for further DNA analysis and genealogy research. By April 2023, investigators had identified potential family members of the victim and were able to confirm Hupp's identity.