News Summary
Yolanda McPherson seeks accountability following the death of her daughter, Danielle Leviege, whose body was found abandoned. McPherson criticizes the lack of communication from city agencies that failed to provide timely answers regarding her daughter’s case. The Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office is pursuing a life sentence for the suspect, Antoine Thompson, linked to Leviege’s death. McPherson emphasizes the need for systemic changes to prevent similar tragedies and improve agency coordination for families in distress.
New Orleans – Yolanda McPherson is calling for accountability after the tragic discovery of her daughter, Danielle Leviege, who was found dead and abandoned in a field on February 22, 2021. McPherson asserts that multiple city agencies failed to provide necessary answers about her daughter’s death, compounding the tragedy for the grieving mother.
Danielle Leviege’s body was located near Benefit Street and Interstate 610, but her mother remained unaware of her daughter’s demise for several weeks. The situation escalated when McPherson filed a missing person’s report on March 2, 2021, not realizing that Leviege had already been identified and was in the custody of the coroner’s office.
The Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office is actively pursuing a longer sentence for a suspect connected to Leviege’s case, Antoine Thompson, who is currently on probation. The district attorney is invoking Louisiana’s habitual offender law, which could result in a sentence of life in prison for Thompson, based on his prior criminal history. Thompson’s last parole check-in occurred on June 17, and his previous charges pertain to drug offenses.
Witnesses reported having seen Thompson dragging Leviege’s body, mistakenly identifying it as trash. Allegations have surfaced claiming that Thompson delayed notifying the police when he discovered Leviege, who was reportedly overdosing, due to fears of returning to prison.
Following McPherson’s filing of the missing persons report, she received the autopsy results on February 24, 2021. The report indicated that Leviege had died from multiple drug intoxication. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) had classified Leviege as missing without knowledge of her previous identification by the coroner.
In a breakdown of communication, the Coroner’s Office stated it did not identify Leviege until one of its employees recognized her from flyers distributed by McPherson, which were intended to locate her missing daughter. The Coroner’s Office also indicated that there was no identification found with Leviege’s body at the time of discovery, nor was there a missing persons report filed before March 2, 2021.
McPherson has publicly criticized both the NOPD and the Coroner’s Office for negligence and failures in communication related to her daughter’s case. She is actively participating in the ongoing court proceedings, not solely in pursuit of justice for Leviege, but to honor her memory and advocate for systemic changes that could prevent future tragedies for other families.
As she continues her fight for change, McPherson emphasizes the need for better communication and protocols among city agencies handling such cases. The Orleans Public Defenders’ Office has chosen to remain silent regarding the case due to its ongoing nature. Nevertheless, the district attorney’s office has expressed condolences to McPherson and is committed to holding Thompson accountable as they review all pertinent evidence in the case.
This heartbreaking situation raises serious questions about the coordination among public agencies and the potential for improvements that could help families dealing with similar tragedies in the future.
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- WDSU
- Wikipedia: Criminal investigation
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- New York Post
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- Encyclopedia Britannica: Louisiana criminal law
