A body found in a creek near Ethel, Louisiana, in June 2021 was identified as 38-year-old Billie Washington. The East Feliciana Parish Coroner’s Office ruled the death a homicide, and the local sheriff’s office opened an investigation.

Months of limited public updates followed. The probe later produced a suspect in Baton Rouge, and that person was arrested and charged in connection with Washington’s death. The case then moved into the judicial phase as the community and Washington’s family awaited trial.

What details about Billie Washington’s life or the case might help explain what happened that June evening?