Compsite sketch of the suspect - aged 15 years

Composite sketch of the suspect

Jennifer Altemeier

by Mary-Devon Dupuy

On Mardi Gras Day, 1992, Jennifer Altemeier was found near Gallier Hall. The 20-year-old briefly separated from a friend and was abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered. The tourist from West Palm Beach, Fla., was found a few blocks off the parade route in the 900 block of Lafayette Street. Eight years later in 2000, another woman was raped and beaten severely near I-10 and St. Bernard, and she survived the attack. Now, NOPD is revisiting the Carnival cold case.

Today, police released side-by-side sketches - both of the suspect. Chief Ronal Serpas and Sergeant Daniel McMullen spoke today to ask people to come forth with information regarding the perpetrator.

Based on a description given by the second victim, Officer Stephanie Tallion sketched an image of what the perp would look like today, 20 years after his first alleged attack. Two other suspects have been cleared—Serpas reported, and the Chief of Police warns people to keep their eyes peeled and call the police immediately if anyone sees someone who closely resembles the attacker, pictured right.

“We believe the DNA that matches these two cases demonstrates someone who is incredibly dangerous and violent,” Serpas said.  

Sergeant McMullen, who reopened the case in 2011, said “all we need at this point is a name,” in terms of the search for the suspect.  One reporter asked the Sergeant why it took so long to investigate further, and McMullen said that Katrina was the culprit.

“I hate to use the storm as an excuse, but just prior to the storm, we got the information from the state police laboratory. It was placed into the file, the storm hit, the detective that placed that information retired.” McMullen said detectives have been investigating the case for ten months now since it entered the cold case files.

“All of the cases are on the same basis, but especially when you have rape-murders…Everybody has a mother, some people have sisters, a lot of us have wives, and sometimes you take these—not any more personal—but you kind of do,” McMullen said.

Anyone with information regarding the perp’s identity or whereabouts should contact the New Orleans Police Department’s Cold Case Homicide Section at 504-658-5300.