LOUISIANA — A Shreveport-Bossier City native has been arrested in connection with the brutal murder of a woman near the New Orleans’ French Quarter.
Courtney Cantrell, 35, was apprehended on Monday, September 16, 2024 in Poplar, Montana, by Fort Peck Tribal Police. This arrest comes after a multi-state search for Cantrell, who was identified as a person of interest in the death of Patricia Fitzgerald. Authorities found Cantrell hiding on tribal lands within the Fort Peck Indian Reservation.
Cantrell emerged as the primary suspect after investigators determined he was the last person seen with Fitzgerald before her body was discovered beneath the Governor Nicholls Street Wharf last month. Fitzgerald had suffered severe head injuries, and a disturbing detail in the case was a bite mark found on her abdomen.
The murder has deeply impacted the French Quarter community. Cantrell’s capture on tribal lands marks a significant development in the case. He is currently being held by the Fort Peck Tribal Police, and an extradition hearing will be scheduled to determine when he will be returned to Louisiana to face charges.
Sources familiar with Cantrell, a graduate from Airline High School, revealed to Love Shreveport-Bossier that he had just recently relocated from Bossier City to New Orleans about two weeks ago. The investigation is ongoing as authorities seek to piece together the circumstances surrounding Fitzgerald’s tragic death and pursue justice for the crime that has left the city in shock.
Another source stated, “He went to Airline High, but he lived in Shreveport for his adult life off of Flournoy Lucas Road at his relatives house.”
