New Orleans, La. -- Back in 1992, 20-year-old Jennifer Altemeier traveled from Florida with friends to experience Fat Tuesday. But early that morning, before parades started rolling, police made the gruesome discovery of her body near Gallier Hall.
"Jennifer was sexually assaulted and murdered Mardi Gras morning in 1992. We didn't have a lot to work on with that case at the time and we weren't able to make much headway," says NOPD Superintendent Ronal Serpas.
Police collected DNA evidence from the scene, but the investigation wasn't turning up much.
Altemeier's mother was devastated.
"I miss her and that's not a way to go. These people are not supposed to take loved ones away from you like that," says Charlotte Altemeier.
Eight years after Altemeier's brutal murder, another tourist told police she was picked up near North Rampart and Iberville and sexually assaulted by a man. She was then dropped off near North Claiborne and Saint Bernard. Investigators collected DNA evidence in that case as well.
In the meantime, Altemeier's family held on to hope for an arrest. That hope faded, though, when Altemeier's mother got a phone call from the NOPD in 2003.
"They said that her evidence was lost amongst other evidence that was lost at that time," says Charlotte Altemeier.
Altemeier says she was told that, during a housecleaning of the Central Evidence and Property Room, critical DNA evidence in her daughter's case was among many items destroyed.
"That really ticked me off. I thought, how could they do this," she tells FOX 8 News.
In 2003, the NOPD admitted that the lost items included possibly thousands of rape kits and DNA samples.
It turns out, though, while Altemeier's physically DNA evidence was lost, an analysis of the DNA still existed at a private testing lab.
"As you know, we continued to learn more and more about DNA technology. Years went by and nothing was happening," says Serpas.
NOPD says it received information in 2005, linking DNA from Altemeier's case in 1992 to the sexual assault of the other tourist in 2000, meaning the same person was responsible for committing both crimes. At the time, though, the NOPD seemed to put the case on hold.
"I hate using the storm as an excuse. But in this particular case, just prior to Katrina, we got information from the Louisiana state lab. It was placed into the file and the storm hit. The detective that had that information then retired," says Sgt. Danny McMullen.
Now, 20 years after Altemeier's murder, the NOPD's Cold Case Unit has opened up the investigation once again. The surviving 2000 sexual assault victim described her attacker to police and composite sketches of the suspect were made.
Police are asking the public to help identify the suspect through two sketches. One is what the suspect looked like then, and the other is what the suspect may look like now.
If you know anything about these brutal crimes, call Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111.
Jennifer Altemeier
