Dale Allen Lafleur was 68 when he was last seen leaving his home on Bayou Road in Port Barre, Louisiana, on July 13, 2011, driving a blue 1991 Mazda Miata convertible with gray primer and a black soft top. His trailer was found unlocked and his dog left behind, both described as highly out of character. He had a recent prostate cancer diagnosis and was said to be depressed, but family did not believe he would take his own life. An extensive local search turned up no clues.

In May 2017, his grand-nephew Philip Foster Lafleur confessed to beating Dale to death over a money dispute, then placing the body in the Miata and driving the car into the Atchafalaya River near Krotz Springs. Searches at the specified location did not recover the vehicle or remains. Philip Lafleur was later indicted and pleaded guilty to manslaughter in this case, receiving a 40-year sentence to run concurrently with a separate life sentence. The family still lacks the physical remains and many unanswered questions remain.

If anyone saw the Miata or has information about Dale’s movements around July 13, 2011, please come forward.