This picture so aptly predicts the future of the woman in the foreground. She was Dorothy Thompson from Toca, Louisiana in St. Bernard Parish. The man standing over her - Brandon Nodier - has just been arrested for her murder....27 years after it happened.
NOLA.com published an in-depth article about the history of this case here. It's a great read and would make a fantastic movie. The story starts at the beginning of the 20th century and ends in 2012. I found it fascinating.
Excerpt:
It was estimated that about 5,000 pets were buried on its grounds, mostly dogs and cats, but also parakeets, parrots, myna birds, a cheetah, a hen, monkeys, rabbits -- even the boa constrictor named Serita who had performed on "The Tonight Show" in the 1960s and was afforded a funeral with a choir that sang "Goodnight, Irene."
Graves ranged from simple to very elaborate, costing as much as $2,000. A human-sized Buddhist statue topped one of a pet cat, and one woman's ashes were cemented in a large urn atop her dead dog's tombstone, as per her last wishes.
Thanks to Benjamin Alexander-Bloch from the Times Picayune.
