Who killed Cindy Dale Cathey?
In the late summer of 1993, a year that would become known as one of the most violent in Shreveport's history, the life of a young woman was tragically cut short. Cindy Dale Cathey, a 23-year-old Caucasian female, was found deceased on Tuesday, September 14, 1993. Her body was discovered in a remote area at the end of Wallace Lake Road in Caddo Parish, a place known for its picturesque, moss-draped cypress trees and quiet fishing spots. The grim discovery sent a chill through the community and marked the beginning of a mystery that would endure for decades.
The year 1993 was a period of intense concern over violent crime in Shreveport, as the city would go on to set a record with 86 homicides, a grim tally that stained the year. Cindy’s death became another statistic in a year marked by violence, but for those who may have known her, it was a personal and devastating loss. Investigators with the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office were called to the scene on Wallace Lake Road, a thoroughfare that winds past the man-made reservoir south of the city. They determined that Cindy had been a victim of homicidal violence, but details of her injuries or the specific cause of death were not publicly released.
The investigation into who killed Cindy Cathey began immediately, as detectives worked to piece together the last hours of her life. They sought to understand who she was with and what circumstances led her to the secluded spot where her life ended. However, the initial efforts to generate leads proved difficult. As days turned into weeks and then months, the case grew colder. No suspects were publicly identified, no persons of interest were named, and no arrests were made, leaving a painful void for any family and friends searching for answers. The trail of evidence seemed to vanish into the dense woods and quiet waters of the Wallace Lake area.
Public records from three years prior to her death show that a Cindy D. Cathey, with a matching birth year, was convicted in Caddo Parish in 1990 for the distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine. She was 17 at the time of those offenses in 1987 and was classified as a youthful, first-time offender. While it is part of the public record for an individual with the same name and age, it remains unclear how, or if, this chapter of her past connected to the violence that claimed her life. The question of who Cindy was at 23—her hopes, her struggles, her relationships—remains largely unanswered.
Decades have passed since Cindy Cathey was killed, and her case is now considered a cold case homicide by the Caddo-Shreveport Crime Stoppers. The identity of her killer and the motive behind the brutal act remain unknown. For years, the silence surrounding her death has been profound, with no new information released to the public. The fields and woods off Wallace Lake Road hold a secret that investigators have yet to unlock.
The case of Cindy Dale Cathey is a somber reminder of a life taken too soon and a family left without justice or closure. The investigation is inactive but remains open, awaiting the one piece of information that could break the decades of silence. The Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office continues to hold the file, and authorities urge anyone who may have known Cindy or who may have information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward. Her case is a lingering question in the history of Shreveport, a tragic story of a young woman whose life ended in violence, leaving only questions behind.
