re: Mari Ann Fowler Disappearance (2002)

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PORT ALLEN, LA — On Christmas Eve in 2002, Mari Ann Fowler—a beloved educator, public servant, and devoted mother—vanished from a Port Allen shopping plaza in what remains one of Louisiana’s most unsettling unsolved disappearances. Now, over two decades later, the mystery of her fate still weighs heavily on her family and investigators who have long suspected serial killer Derrick Todd Lee played a role, but never had the evidence to prove it.

A Routine Stop Becomes a Tragedy

Mari Ann Fowler, 65, was well-known in Baton Rouge and beyond. A former assistant superintendent with the Louisiana Department of Education, she was respected for her intellect, warmth, and kindness. On December 24, 2002, she was making her usual holiday trip to visit her husband, former Louisiana Elections Commissioner Jerry Fowler, who was serving a federal prison sentence in Texas for a bribery scandal. Before traveling to see him, she planned to stay overnight in Lake Charles with family.

That evening, she stopped at a Subway sandwich shop off LA Highway 415 in Port Allen. But she never made it out of the parking lot. Inside the shop, employees noticed that her car remained parked long after she left with her order. Concerned, they stepped outside and found a chilling scene: Fowler’s purse, keys, her food, and several of her acrylic fingernails scattered on the ground. The contents suggested a violent struggle had occurred.

Surveillance footage from a nearby liquor store caught a brief but horrifying glimpse: a dark-colored pickup truck parked beside Fowler’s car and a man seen grabbing her before the truck drove away. Unfortunately, the tape, shot from a rotating camera partially obscured by an awning, did not reveal the suspect’s face.

A Son's Last Conversation

Fowler’s son, John Pritchett, remembers that night vividly. He had asked his mother to join him and his children to celebrate Christmas Eve at his home in Brusly. She declined, choosing instead to make her annual visit to Jerry Fowler in prison. That decision still haunts him.

“I’ll never forgive myself,” Pritchett said. “If I’d tried harder to get her to come with me, maybe none of this would’ve happened.”

Driving home that evening, Pritchett noticed flashing police lights on the highway. Only later did he discover that his mother was the reason for the commotion. A message on his answering machine asked him to come identify her purse. When he arrived at the sheriff’s office and met an FBI agent, he knew it was serious.

The Serial Killer Connection

At the time of Fowler’s abduction, fear gripped much of South Louisiana due to a string of unsolved murders of women. Authorities soon suspected that Derrick Todd Lee, later dubbed the Baton Rouge Serial Killer, might be involved in Mari Ann’s disappearance. Though he was never charged in the case, investigators remain convinced of his guilt.

Lee was eventually convicted of murdering several women between 1998 and 2003. He had a pattern of targeting women alone, and typically left their bodies in places where they would be discovered. However, Mari Ann's remains were never found, making her case an outlier—and more difficult to prosecute.

Still, a string of circumstantial evidence pointed toward Lee:

He drove a maroon 1994 Chevrolet pickup, similar to the truck seen in surveillance footage.

He sold the truck just days after police issued a public request for information about a vehicle matching that description.

Lee’s cell phone pinged near Port Allen shortly before Mari Ann’s abduction.

Later that night, a second call pinged from Iberville Parish, near where another victim’s body was previously found.

A book owned by Mari Ann was found in that same area during search efforts.

Lee had no alibi for Christmas Eve. His wife later told police that she and their children returned home that evening and found the house empty. Lee didn’t return until sometime after 4:00 a.m.

Frustrating Forensics

Investigators hoped to recover DNA from the scene. Several of Fowler’s fake fingernails had broken off, likely during the struggle. But testing revealed no DNA under the nails. When police located and searched Lee’s old pickup truck, they found no trace evidence linking him to the crime—likely due to the truck being contaminated with construction materials by its new owner.

Mari Ann was declared legally dead in 2004. In 2005, family and friends gathered to celebrate her life in a packed memorial service. They remembered her as joyful, generous, and driven—an educator who never stopped mentoring and advocating.

A Missed Confession

For years, Sheriff Mike Cazes and his team held out hope that Lee would eventually confess. Cazes even visited Lee in prison, offering not to prosecute if he would reveal the location of Fowler’s remains.

Lee refused—and would become enraged when Mari Ann’s name was mentioned.

In January 2016, Derrick Todd Lee died of heart disease while awaiting execution on death row. With him went the possibility of ever learning what really happened to Mari Ann.

Col. Richie Johnson, who served as an investigator on the case, remains convinced of Lee’s guilt.

Still an Open Case

Though decades have passed, the case remains open. Investigators believe that land development, rising water, or even a hunter might someday uncover Mari Ann’s remains. Until then, her family continues to wait for answers.

Pritchett, now in his 50s, carries the pain every day.

If you have any information about the disappearance of Mari Ann Fowler, please contact the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office at (225) 343-9234 or the LSU FACES Lab at (225) 578-4761.

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