Earlier this month, Medium published a very lengthy, fascinating, and engrossing piece by Ethan Brown on the Jeff Davis 8, the unsolved murders from 1995 to 2010 of 8 Louisiana women from Jeff Davis Parish, crimes that have long been connected to a serial killer. Before the piece, there was some suggestion that Nic Pizzolatto had perhaps gotten inspiration for True Detective from the Jeff Davis 8, and as a huge twist emerged in the narrative of the real-life case, the connection it has to True Detective has picked up more steam.
That twist? Essentially, that the unsolved murders of eight Louisiana prostitutes wasn’t the work of a serial killer as the police tried to suggest, but in fact the work of local law enforcement officers themselves. There’s even some suggestion that a “task force” assigned to solve the murders may have actually had a connection to murders. At the very least, it seems clear based on the piece that the investigation is steeped in corruption and a cover-up to protect certain members of the police department. (Again, if you have 20 minutes, I can’t encourage you enough to read the entire piece)
Now, of course, Pizzolatto almost certainly didn’t base True Detective on the Jeff Davis 8. For one, the series was originally set in Arkansas, and second of all, the twist in the Jeff Davis 8 case didn’t come until well after Pizzolatto had written the series. However, this very well could turn into one of those situations where fiction inadvertently echoes reality.
Why? Because the twist in the Jeff Davis 8 case seems to be exactly where True Detective is heading: Away from Reggie Ledoux and the serial killer theory, and toward a bigger conspiracy, of which Reverend Tuttle, the Spaghetti Monster, and the police department are involved. We’ve already talked about the 5 Horsemen Theory, tying together a picture of the 5 horsemen (from a Mardi Gras celebration), the beer can men, and the way that Audrey Hart staged those dolls.
But even putting aside the theories based on that imagery and looking at True Detective with a more straightforward reading — as Pizzolotto hinted at in tweeting about this Uproxx piece (nice job Andrew!) — this seems exactly where the series is going. We know that Reverend Tuttle is likely behind the death of Dora Lange and several other missing people all tied to the Wellspring school. We also know that, as soon as Rust Cohle got close to Tuttle, he was suspended. Why? Because the cops — specifically those involved in the early task force — are in on it. Like those Louisiana cops involved in the Jeff Davis 8, the True Detective cops are a corrupt bunch.
Cohle’s impetus for quitting his job was the fight he had with Martin Hart, but I think we all know that that’s exactly where he was headed anyway. He couldn’t continue to pursue this case within the police department, because they were erecting too many impediments. Why? Because the police department was involved. When they finally uncover the men behind the series of deaths, dollars to donuts says that not only is Tuttle involved, but so are at least a few members of the police department. Five members, in total. These five men, to be exact.
Pizzolatto may not have taken his inspiration from the unsolved murders of prostitutes in Louisiana, but I think the twist in True Detective is going to have an eerie parallel to the twist in Jeff Davis 8 case. That’s not ripped from the headlines; that reality being as strange as fiction.
Source: Medium
![[avatar]](http://p.uproxxcdn.com/photo/4006/profile)
Art imitating real life. Eerie.
Creepy.
I don’t think I’ve been this excited for a season finale since Breaking Bad ended.
The season finale of Boardwalk Empire was the best thing I’ve seen since the Breaking Bad finale but this is right up there with them. I like my shows with a little meat on the bones.
Am I the only one picturing the “Spaghetti Monster” as a guy in a ghillie suit?
I agree
Nic tweeted the Jeff Davis 8 story tho, so there is something there.
Another coincidence…Pizzolatto is from Lake Charles, which is situated in the parish just west of Jeff Davis parish. Jennings, where most of the murders took place and where the police corruption is believed to have stemmed from, is a short drive (30 mins or so) from Lake Charles.
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You’re going to be so crushed if TD moves away from the Bayou in season 2, huh?
I’m just stoked to see Lake Charles, my old hometown, depicted period let alone being part of this amazing show. I went to school with Nic from K-8 at one of many catholic schools in Lake Charles. He was a grade below me but we knew each other. It was a small community. I have family from Lake Charles through Jennings, Lake Arthur Gueydon, Kaplan all the way to Mamou. The show has captured the landscape with perfection. I give the most gracious thanks to Nic and Cary for creating and producing such a fine story.
@LastTexansFan I actually thought it was well-established the the setting was changing. But yeah, I kinda dig that a great show takes place in my homeland.
@Josh Fontenot When I was going to ULL I rented a house in Kaplan for a year and worked for a medical supply company as a tech covering all of southwest Louisiana, so I’m well-versed in all those little towns that dot the landscape out there. It sort of tickles me each time one gets mentioned.
So Pizzolatto is the Yellow King?
ULL? Saweet. Ragin Cajuns! I have a baby momma from there. The kitty at that campus is absolutely top notch.
In the photo of beer can men one is laying on his back. Is this meant to represent the dead Tuttle? I don’t remember seeing all of them standing.
yep.
Man some of these commentators are the Michael Jordans of a Son of a Bitch. Hee Hee!!!
Wow. I just read the Ethan Brown article and, lemme tell you, Jeff Davis Parish sounds like one fucked up yokel shithole.
Wow, that’s an amazing piece and, wow, that parish sounds like it needs to be nuked from orbit.
I’ve gotten four speeding tickets in my life and three of them have been in that parish.
I’m sure places like Jeff Davis Parish are not unique, its shit like this that gives credence to conspiracy theorist. Obviously its not 100%, but wow Otto Man I think they really should just nuke it to be sure.
So the five kings might be: Reverend Tuttle, Governor Tuttle, Maggie’s father, and two others. The black priest from the first ep? I also read a theory that the Yellow King is just the girl they worship at one time, the newest being Audrey.
I’d like to play a game called “How many different ways can Rowles misspell Pizzolatto?”
One of the things I’ve been pondering the last few days is that while it is looking like dozens of people may have been enslaved and killed, there are only a few crime scenes, all done up in full “Cthulhu Meets Andy Goldsworthy” style. They are vaguely Satanic/pagan in style, and reference supernatural horror stories that have echoed through time and flat-circle back to “The King in Yellow,” a tale said to derange all who come across it, including perhaps Rust (and clearly a big chuck of the internet—I have a touch of Yellow King Fever myself!) I am wondering if the carefully staged tableaus of the murder victims are mainly meant to throw folks off. Freaky crime scene found? Call in the spell Satanic Crimes Squad (and we know how corrupt they are looking!). Want to keep folks tithing, paying tuition at Tuttle schools and throwing something in the plates in those revival tents? Scare them with talk of demonic war being waged on them, and show them a couple of spooky crime scenes! Want to continue your human trafficking and murderous activities? Hide in plain sight beneath layers of theatrical mojo and spiritual manipulation. I am wondering now if “True Detective” is going to turn out to be the lushest, best acted, most complex episode of “Scooby Doo” ever, and that it was just pervy old Mr. Y. L. King and his Courir du Mardi Gras dress-up loving minions all along! And he would have gotten away with it too if it weren’t for that meddlesome Cohle and Hart! (Full disclosure: I say this as someone who has always hated “Scooby Doo,” and doubled down on my hate after Casey Kasem’s dust up with Negativland!). My other theory this week is that Nic Pizzolatto could readily use the wrong but compelling theories that folks have been offering up on the internet to generate the next series, which in my dreams will star Ian McShane and Timothy Olyphant or Damian Lewis and Ron Livingston. I am going to greatly miss this show—AND all the wonderful internet fun it has generated!
Oh, man. A Deadwood reunion would be perfect.
Damien Lewis and Ron Livingston would rock. Winters and Nixon back together. Just bring the Vat 69!
This thread is far less interesting without that comment string tooling on Dustin’s obsession with conspiracy theories (I already forgot he started it). Since you guys can clearly delete comments now, any chance of adding an edit button?
Forgot who started it. Man, that edit button is sooooo necessary.
Yeah they deleted all my comments and my account.
So classy of Dustin.
Didn’t swear or say anything offensive. Just said I don’t like Dustin’s theories….the worst of all sins
MikeG2 is the Yellow-bellied King. Get it? Theorize about it.
@MikeG2…Dustin didn’t ban you. He knew nothing about it. I was the one who called for your head. Criticism is fine and welcome when warranted, but continuously trolling the people who write on this site will not be tolerated. Consider yourself warned. If you want to be an asshole in the comments just to be an asshole, go to fucking Buzzfeed or something.
I would like to hear more about this story. Somehow I missed it.
@Cajun Boy I’m kind of with you, but I also think Uproxx has a long tradition of assholes, going all the way back to WWTDD. And once Brenden got shitcanned, it realllllly opened up the hostility in the comments section. I don’t know if anyone here is from over there, but what I read here is 17,000% tamer than the vitriol hurled in those comments. Well, back when people commented, at least.
Anyway, I guess I’m just trying to say I don’t quite understand the thin skin when this site should be well-versed in the ugly side of the internet.
Cajun that is so crappy. It is not continuous trolling if you are giving your honest opinion once in a story. I’d be continuous trolling if I posted on EVERY single one of Dustins Posts. I might have a total of like 20 comments in 3 years. (sorry I can’t get the exact number my account was deleted) My intent wasn’t trying to piss people off for fun. Everything in Dustin’s story was in the show!!! you didn’t need external tweets or old new stories to figure that stuff out. Sorry it was a bad theory post by Dustin in my opinion and it isn’t trolling for saying so.
and yes I was sarcastic on a TV blog comment….
Your censorship of comments is far more offensive then anything on my thread,
But no you guys are really great deleting peoples non offensive comments who don’t like your writing.
@Hyrax Uproxx is not WWTDD. Thus, a different standard of behavior is expected. That’s not being thin-skinned. That’s just drawing a line. WWTDD was like a frat house. Uproxx is not a frat house. You can swear shit on a wall in a frat house and not get kicked out. Smear shit on the wall here and you’ll get kicked out.
Going forward, does this mean people are going to get their accounts erased for pointing out obvious show based flaws in Dustin’s recaps? Not to be a dick, but I don’t remember that comment thread you gassed being worse than any of those.
@MikeG2 The comment you made was something along the lines of “well we know Dustin’s not great at theories” and linked to the Mad Men/Megan/Sharon Tate post he did a while back. It was lazy and troll-y. Kris and I both went back into your comment history and there were other instances of the same sort of thing. So you got nuked. However, you’ve been given a second chance. So be happy.
Also, if you don’t like Dustin’s theory posts, DON’T FUCKING CLICK ON THEM AND READ THEM.
@Hyrax WWTDD was never part of UPROXX.
@MikeG2 it’s trolling when your entire commenting history is nothing but you stating that every post your commenting on is stupid. I’m sure it makes you feel better but it brings nothing of value to anyone else.
That is the dumbest comment I have ever read “Also, if you don’t like Dustin’s theory posts, DON’T FUCKING CLICK ON THEM AND READ THEM.”
How many comments was it? maybe 5 maybe 10? over how many Dustin Posts? How long has Dustin been writing for Upprox? I maybe have commented on 1% of them,. Also I don’t hate other writers so it sucks I had to create a new account when I read other shit. Also easy for you to exaggerate my Dustin comments when YOU DELETED MY ACCOUNT HISTORY
My comment was in response to that LastTexasFan’s , Where he said “I bet you go to other TV blogs and comment on every theory that someone wrote about that ended up being inaccurate. You must’ve been really busy during Lost.” And I retorted by saying how Dustin can be waaaaaaaaay wrong. SO it isn’t impossible to dislike his theory. And you know what in the last couple weeks, his theories on this show have been really really bad so of course there might be a couple more comments regarding him.
@Maske @Cajun Boy Ok, I’m getting way off topic here, but now you have me curious on the timeline of this. WWTDD came first, right? And then Filmdrunk, as a sort of sister-site? Somewhere along the way, Uproxx bought Filmdrunk (and I assume Warming Glow, Gamma Squad and all the rest), but you’re telling me never WWTDD. So did I just imagine the thread that once connected all of these sites or wtf? I’m dumb as shit, so I can see that being a distinct possibility.
Maske since you can’t check my history since Cajon deleted them you would see that I have been commenting since Matt ran the site (how many years ago? 3?) and didn’t comment often at all. Probably the majority were about HIMYM to Josh and how bad that show has gotten.
I think this is because I liked that FireDustin’s comment the other week. Sorry….that was really awful of me.
@Hyrax — Yeah, Film Drunk and With Leather were sister sites of WWTDD. UPROXX purchased FD & WL and created WG & GS.
@MikeG2 Dustin’s theories aren’t dumb so much as they’re often based on small inaccuracies that avalanche into huge misconceptions. Kind of like when you watch a movie while eating nachos and constantly have to look away from the screen…hey, you’re gonna miss stuff. Doesn’t really matter, I guess. I’m still going to read it anyway. But as I’ve said it many times before, he mainly just needs more (some?) editing before his stuff goes live.
You’re welcome for this sweet advice, guys.
Sincerely,
Anonymous Blog Critic With Zero Credentials But Assloads of Opinions
I don’t think everything he postsis dumb and unlike Maske and Cajon boy say, I don’t comment on EVERY article he writes trolling him.
I think sometimes he gets carried away and it can be funny. hence why I referenced the Megan Drapper theory, which we apparently cannot ever talk about But it is the best example of what I was trying to get across but I am not a professional writer. ust because the creator of the show tweets something doesn’t mean we need a new theory about it. Everything in this article, is referenced in the show, you don’t need some real life case or a tweet from the creator to make a theory about.
Also since there are like 40 comments and 20 are my bitching about getting blocked, I feel like the internet agrees.
This is their site. They have every right to write what they want, and they have every right to ban anyone they want for any reason they want.
Don’t like it? Find another site.
Or, hey, pour all this fucking energy into creating your own.
@Otto you are normally very utilitarian about your approach to life. For the greater good and all that, but for some reason you defend UPROXX with arguments only the most staunch republican would use. Nearly along the lines of “respect my right to be offensive” argument.
Saying people aren’t paying for a service so can’t make demands, or that its a private site that can do as it was seem to be against your normal view on things. Or at least what I see of you in the comments section. Thats why Baltimore dan has a point. I didn’t see Mike’s comments so I can’t speak on that. But Uproxx has become more and more hostile to the negative comments their recent articles have been getting.
@BaltimoreDan Are you really comparing being banned from commenting on a pop culture website to being denied service in a restaurant because of skin color or sexual orientation? Jesus, the deluded sense of entitlement some of you people have is absolutely mindblowing.
Do business owners in Arizona have the right to deny service to homosexuals just because it “is their” business?
No, because business owners in Arizona are bound by sixty years of anti-discrimination laws that govern public accommodations. Unless there’s a title in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that covers the internet, blogs aren’t covered by the same set of laws.
But leave that aside, these two things are completely different. In the restaurant scenario, the patrons you’re talking about want to be there. In this context here, the patrons at this blog do nothing but bitch about how much they hate the content here.
Sorry, that first line was so idiotic I missed the follow up”
And saying someone should just go build their own website is ridiculous. If you bought a car and then it stopped working would it be on you just to build your own car?
Are you fucking serious?
Did you pay anything at all to visit this site? Did you pay $20,000? Did you get a warranty when you did, like you would with a new car? No?
Is building a car as difficult as starting a blog? One of them takes five minutes, is entirely free to do, and requires absolutely zero technical know-how.
Yeah I think we have different opinions on “deluded sense of entitlement”. I think people bitch because the content is different.
Vlad, I’m sorry, but I have no idea what you’re getting at.
The “you must be tolerant of my intolerance” line is one used by conservatives who think they’ve uncovered some secret liberal hypocrisy. Unless the Uproxx crowd has been crusading against the practice of blog owners banning commenters and then got caught doing it, there’s no real connection.
I have no idea what MikeG said that got him banned, but frankly, it’s none of my fucking business. The people who run this site got sick of his constant complaining, apparently, and they cut him off.
Fine by me. Honestly, I’m surprised they don’t do it more, given the nonstop bitching here. There are thousands of entertainment blogs out there. Whatever they want to see here already exists somewhere else. But they’re too fucking lazy to find it and instead expect Uproxx to bend over backwards to cater to their personal fucking needs.
Like CB said, the sense of fucking entitlement is amazing. And insane. I don’t go to NRO’s The Corner and complain that they’re not writing enough stories about how awesome Harry Reid is, and I don’t go to PETA’s website to bitch that there aren’t enough reviews there of steakhouses in my neighborhood.
Don’t like this site? Hit the fucking bricks.
This, this whole thing, all of it, deserves the gold medal at the Special Olympics Bed Shitting event….. Or is bronze a worse achievement for this queef-off? Ugh.
Otto, maybe I wasn’t clear enough, you normally take a liberal (in the original sense, not what ever monstrosity America has turned the word into) stance on most things, but will defend Uproxx with a stance that I wouldn’t expect from you and is quite old fashioned. “DON’T LIKE IT MOVE ON” is a great way of staying in the fucking stone age. Entitlement?? YOU DIDN’T CREATE THIS FUCKING SITE FOR YOURSELF. You are running it as a business. Stop with this bullshit. Ad revenues, click baiting, it has gotten worse and worse over time.
I don’t even see the point of explaining that, what does it achieve?
I came here to say that just because someone doesn’t agree with you, doesn’t mean you can ban them. Unless Mike was being a huge asshole like Patrick Bateman. Especially since Dustin is clearly trolling the commenters of Uproxx, because he writes some what (in fact very well) professionally on Pajiba. If a “customer” doesn’t like something, there should be a middle ground. If you keep ignoring it, people will complain more not just mosey on down to the next culture site. Especially since these people are some of the older users from back in the day.
Did Patrick Bateman finally get banned?
And I couldn’t agree more on Uproxx Dustin vs. Pajiba Dustin’s writings. His Pajiba articles, often about the same exact subject, are remarkably better written than the seemingly rushed bull he posts here. As Vlad said, it truly is as if he’s trolling the readers of this site.
If you guys have no problem with that, than that’s your deal, but if I’m going to take the effort to read something, I think it’s fair to expect a little bit of effort went into writing it.
@Antbaby Machete Squad Leader @VladimirA There really are only two answers to explain the difference in Pajiba Rowles vs Uproxx Rowles. One is effort and the other is editing. I don’t buy that he’s purposely trolling us, but I can easily see a pop culture blog having almost zero editorial oversight, and seeing how most of the entertainment writers I’ve edited are barely literate, it’s probably best to adjust our expectations.
@Hyrax you’re either with us or against us.
I’m not entirely sure that the way the victims are dressed and tied up with the iconic twig art are made by the same person. In other words, there’s more than one actor in all this.
When the show is over, I expect an in-depth piece on how fantastic the soundtrack is for the show.
DEMAND it really.
I join you in your demands. I want a damn episode-by-episode set list.
Whos house is the photo of the horsemen in?
Dora Lange’s mother’s house.
I kinda want to see a scene where Rust interrogates Marty’s daughters. I know this seems random, but I can’t stop thinking about what Marty could have done to better understand where her (temporary?) fixation on people doin’ it came from.
I found a better picture of the 5 horsemen – more detail.
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Dude, you are one picture-finding son of a bitch. Like the Michael Jordan of picture finding. Good work.
And how much therapy is that sweet little actress going to need? Was it like a Shining thing where she had no idea what kind of movie she was making?
Oh, cool, nightmare fuel.
*nice find
Twist at the end…Oh yeah, It’s coming folks.
The 5 horseman/5 beer can men idea is compelling. There are also 5 points on a star. Nick is just the best TV writer since Rod Serling. He’s got us.
I’m sure there is a sick child molesting, murdering cult that has been operating in that area a very long time. It’s based on a Carcosa/Yellow King/Voodoo/Nature Worship/Circle of Life screwed up mythology.
I’m sure the police are in on it. I think Tuttle was not, but he was covering it up because these sick bastards were getting a steady supply of kiddies from his swamp-schools and he couldn’t live with that.
Here’s a twist at the end for you: “Big people” are involved. Lots of gas lines run all over that area. Erath, where Dora Lange’s body was found is the hub for these natural gas pipelines. In fact Erath is where price points for natural gas futures contracts are set.
The historical lowest price was set in 1995. Some few made insane fortunes. 1995 Dora Lang’s body turns up.
Did ultra rich speculators “get the goods” on pedophile cult Lawyers, Police, Judges and assorted big shots and use that leverage to somehow “set the prices” in their favor.
I like this theory.
I don’t know about an economic incentive, other than the Tuttle’s and their rich cronies using pseudo-satanic symbolism to cause a religious scare and push for more laws favoring religion, such as the school voucher Tuttle aluded to. they are literally sacrifing humans for the “greater good” of more religious influence. the crimes are staged to show satanic like cults are rampant. the police were supposed to get their fancy task force and the ministry was supposed to get its vouchers.
I agree about a pentagram.
I love how speculative theory on True D gets everybody all fired up. I am as guilty of it as anyone but I just love it all the same.
It’s just like Chambers’ play within the play short stories. Nic is driving all viewers of TD MAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have definitely fallen down the True Detective rabbit hole reading all of these articles, news stories, and blog posts. Plus my King In Yellow book will arrive tomorrow, so there’s that.
I am all in on this theory. I think Cohle knew he was going to get shitcanned once he went to see Tuttle. He was willing to witness his own crucifixion. Major foreshadowing when he said the cops were either incompetent or corrupt.
But I also wonder if Marty’s father in law is also involved. Maggie made reference to having to deal with men who think they are so clever. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out her dad is an ex-cop or D.A.
The father in law specifically asked Marty in Ep 2 about how the investigation was going. And the mother told “Maggie” that she knows what it’s like to live with a “man”. I think they decided “cop” would have been too obvious.
The other faaaaaar out theory is Maggie being involved somehow. When she visits Cohle and sees how he is carrying on the investigation it’s then that she decides to sleep with him and then tell her husband, essentially breaking up the partnership of Cohle and Hart. She has her own reasons for lying about the affair to the 2 cops. She is the source of all the sex imagery. I think we see more of her and her dad in the next 2 episodes. Maybe Hart’s impending freak out has more to do with seeing something involving his wife. We do know she did not like him getting involved in religion.
More in this vain, there is the idea of the false historian in the Yellow King books. We are now getting three narrators, including Maggie. We know they are telling lies to the two current officers. What else is she lying about, and her line about not having been fucked that good since before the kids might have a more profound meaning.
@Philip Rivers Cuomo man as I watch the ep more, I do think Maggie plays a big part of the mystery in all this. She’s smart, connected, and elusive. Everyone assumes men play a part in the abuse of Aubrey, but what if it’s a female. Maggie more to the point. Michelle laughed in an interview I read when an interviewer asked her what plays out. She laughed and said she couldn’t say, obviously, and gave the word staggering. I believe women play a bigger role in all this.
This Maggie thing is far out there and I doubt they take it that direction, but if you want to make a case for it, it’s plausible. There is imagery of the spiral shape in a drawing in their kitchen, the flower drawing in the bedroom, the doll rape scene, the nude drawings…someone has exposed the girls to these things. Everyone assumes Grandpa did it lately, but we really do not know much about what Maggie does off camera. She’s even had a few questionable lines that I suppose we could twist into meaning, like “Girls always know before boys,” “It’s just me and you, honey” (outside Audrey’s door post-Varsity Slut incident), “You don’t know the half of it” (when telling Marty about boning Rust), and the religion comment. This really would be the most “right under my nose” scenario possible for Marty, but I would absolutely hate it. Unless there is a lot more development, it would feel like one of those SURPRISE! endings where it’s a twist just for the sake of being a twist, one where the audience isn’t really even allowed to play along. And that just feels cheap.
Well! the other interesting thing to me is that it seems like only white girls are getting targeted. And the father in law seemed to have some old fashioned (read:bigoted) ideas. So why aren’t minorities being targeted? That’s an indication that we have either family or “lost souls” that the Horseman think they can save. These girls are volunteering, and perhaps the horseman only consider white girls worthy of sacrifice.
We have men in mask =. Men hiding behind their badges.
As Cohle said, “I am police. I can commits crimes when impunity.” (Paraphrasing)
Going back to earlier episodes, during autopsy the body had no fingerprints, but there was blue latex residue. Like what the cops were wearing, but also what doctors wear. And Maggie is a nurse.
Also, the retired Sheriff is definitely involved. And I think he has a relative who is one of the prison guards who killed that one inmate who said he had seen the Yellow King.
At the whorehouse where Marty made his “down payment” to the young girl, it is referenced that the Sheriff has a stake in the whore house. Wouldn’t be surprised if he is one of the players. This is one way they picked victims.
@Philip Rivers Cuomo hey, I eluded to that in an earlier post somewhere else here. Great minds think alike!
Okay now.. this makes the entire series more disturbing and more important… frightening