Vivian Chaney lived with her boyfriend, Billy Joe Harris, her brother, and three daughters in a small house in Sherveport. Vivian, her oldest daughter Carlitha, and her brother Jerry all had severely impaired vision. In addition, Vivian’s two youngest daughters, Tomika and Marla were described in court records as “mentally retarded.”
Sometime between 11:30 p.m. on July 18, and 5:00 a.m. the next morning, a serial killer entered the Chaney house. It wasn’t until the next morning at 6:00 am the horrific events of the night before was discovered.
In an unfortunate happenstance, Shirley Culbert, Vivan, and Jerry’s sister arrived from out of town to surprise her family. She knocked on the front door, but no one answered. From outside, she heard music blasting from the stereo. Next, she walked around to the back of the house and knocked on the backdoor. When she did, it opened up. Once inside the house, Shirley found Tomika and Marla still asleep in their bed. However, everyone else living there lay slaughtered throughout the house. Shirley grabbed Tomika and Marla called the police.
The police and coroner, Dr. McCormick, arrived at the scene, and what they witnessed matched the horrors seen in the movies. After a thorough examination, they were able to piece together the night’s events.
The horrors of the Chaney murders weren’t Nathaniel’s first nor would they be his last murders. Listen to “Louisiana’s Signature Serial Killer” to find out more about this ritualistic serial killer.
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