PICAYUNE, MISSISSIPPI: A murder case was recently “refused” against Louisiana couple Inga and Andrew Carriere, who were accused of smothering a newborn girl to death and throwing her away in a trash bag back in 1992. The duo were arrested on charges of first-degree murder in February and March 2023, respectively, nearly 30 years after the incident, only for their case to be “refused for insufficient evidence,” according to Paul Purpura, a public information officer for the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office in Louisiana.
The cold case was reopened earlier this year after advanced DNA technology helped track down the pair and linking them to the newborn, who was found dead by a farmer in Picayune, Mississippi, on April 15, 1992. “They were extradited to MS and have since bonded on our charges,” Chief Joe Quave of the Picayune Police Department in Mississippi told Law and Crime Network after the Carrieres arrest.
READ MORE
Jennifer Lynn Matter: Minnesota woman sentenced to 27 years in prison for 2003 murder of infant son
Who are Inga and Andrew Carriere?
Inga Johansen Carriere and Andrew K Carriere II, both 50 years old, are a couple from Louisiana who were arrested over their role in a 1992 cold case for the murder of their newborn by smothering the child to death and throwing her away in a trash bag. Authorities alleged that the couple murdered the child in Louisiana and crossed the state lines to discard her remains.
Her body was later found inside a garbage bag behind a pizzeria in April 1992 by a farmer who was reportedly rummaging through trash while looking for food to feed his animals. The Carrieres were reportedly 19 years old at the time of the crime. They were first identified as suspects after officials reopened the case in 2021 following an advanced DNA testing and charged on suspicion of desecration of a human being.
Inga originally hailed from Jefferson Parish and was arrested in Jefferson Parish on February 28. She was booked as a fugitive out of Picayune, Mississippi, ABC7 Chicago reported. Meanwhile, Andrew came from River Ridge and was arrested on March 9 in Galliano. The couple was booked into the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center. However, the case against the pair was recently “refused” due to “insufficient evidence.”
Following their arrest, Inga’s attorney, public defender Paul Flemming, claimed that the former believed the child was stillborn. “There is evidence to show that my client believed the child was stillborn, which would not be newborn or baby or infant, and would not be a crime either,” the lawyer told WESH at the time. “What we have determined so far would tend to exonerate our client. We don't think she had any guilty knowledge of this incident that happened more than 30 years ago,” he added.
How were Inga and Andrew Carriere caught?
Detective Rhonda Johnson, of Picayune Police Department in Mississippi, first reopened the cold case in 2021 after coming across a box marked “Baby Doe” in her department’s evidence room, Inside Edition reported. An autopsy on the newborn revealed that she died three weeks premature and was alive a few minutes before being smothered, ABC7 Chicago reported.
Officials believed the infant was likely born on April 15, 1992. She was buried at Lee's Chapel Baptist Church in Picayune. After the reopening of the case, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations offered to provide assistance by using a grant that covered forensic genetic genealogy testing from the evidence collected 30 years ago. Advanced DNA technology and testing helped investigators identified the dead infant’s parents.
“With the help of advanced technology, DNA profiles, and fingerprints were developed from the preserved evidence. Through investigative means, detectives were able to identify the infant’s parents as 50-year-old Andrew Carriere and 50-year-old Inga Johansen Carriere, who were living in Louisiana at the time of the death,” police said in statement at the time. “The Mississippi State Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death was perinatal asphyxia due to smothering, and the case was classified as a homicide,” state police said in a press release following the arrest of the Carrieres.
Why was the case against Inga and Andrew 'refused'?
The three-decades old murder case against the Carrieres stood refused due to “insufficient evidence,” according to Paul Purpura, public information officer for the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office in Louisiana. “The Louisiana State Police (LSP) is committed to investigating crimes that impact the safety and well-being of Louisiana’s citizens,” a Louisiana State Police spokesperson said in a statement to Law and Crime Network. “Our unwavering mission is to ensure that justice is served in partnership with the District Attorney’s Office, and we will continue to prioritize the apprehension and prosecution of criminals who threaten the peace and security of our communities,” the statement concluded.
ncG1vNJzZmillZbEuHrCqKRooZ6crm6tzZ1kmqaUp7K4ecKaqauhlaeybq%2FArJxmqpWbwrSxw2aYoJmZo8C1ecuorKKrmZa7onnCqKyppJVirqSv1KycnWWfm3qstculoKefXZ67p63NrWSipl1mhnp%2B