Donna Bennett Johnston was 43 when her body was found on February 27, 2004, in a drainage canal near Ben Hur Road, south of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Investigators determined she had been raped and strangled with a nylon tie wrap. Significant post-mortem mutilation was reported: her breasts were slashed, her left nipple removed, a tattoo was cut from her right thigh, and her left arm had been severed at the elbow.

Tire tracks near the scene led investigators to a specific tire type that, together with DNA testing, helped identify Sean Vincent Gillis. After his April 2004 arrest, Gillis confessed to Johnston’s murder and to killing seven other women in the Baton Rouge area. Police recovered 45 digital photos of Johnston’s mutilated body, including images of her corpse in the trunk of his car. Gillis was charged in connection with Johnston’s death and later convicted; he received life sentences.

Does anyone have information about Johnston’s life in Baton Rouge or knew her before February 2004?