Joint Investigation Leads to Significant Arrest in Erica Hunt Cold Case Homicide

Evangeline Parish – The Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations (LSP BOI), in collaboration with the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office (EPSO), St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office (SLPSO), and the Opelousas Police Department (OPD), have made a significant arrest in the investigation of Erica Nicole Hunt’s disappearance and homicide.

The investigation began when OPD opened a missing person's case following Erica Hunt’s disappearance on July 4, 2016. In December 2018, unidentified skeletal remains were discovered in Evangeline Parish. Following the discovery, investigators from LSP BOI consulted with the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab, LSU Faces Lab, and the DNA Doe Project to positively confirm a forensic match of the remains to Erica Hunt.

Over the past 8 years, detectives continued to investigate this case. On November 21, 2024, detectives with LSP BOI interviewed 33-year-old Jordan Jamal Barnes of Opelousas. During the interview, Barnes confessed to killing Erica Hunt. Barnes was subsequently arrested and booked into the St. Landry Parish Jail for LA R.S. 14:30.1 - Second Degree Murder.

Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact St. Landry Crime Stoppers by calling 948-8477 (TIPS), visiting stlandrycrimestoppers.com, or leaving a WEBTIP via Facebook. Tips can also be submitted by texting TIPS625 followed by the tip to CRIMES (274637). Additionally, the Louisiana State Police offers a secure online reporting system for submitting tips by visiting www.lsp.org and clicking the Suspicious Activity link. All information will be directed to the appropriate investigators.

Contact Information:

Trooper First Class Peggy Bourque

Louisiana State Police

Public Affairs Section – Troop I

Office: (337) 262-5880

[email protected]