A woman whose body was discovered inside a bag floating in a New Orleans bayou has been identified, but authorities have yet to determine what happened to her.
The Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office identified the woman as 44-year-old Benita Robinson of New Orleans on Sept. 2, about a month after her remains were recovered from Bayou St. John. According to WDSU, the New Orleans Police Department is continuing to investigate Robinson’s death, while her cause of death remains undetermined.
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A Resident Found The Bag In Bayou St. John
The discovery was reported shortly before 5:00 p.m. on Aug. 2 in the 5100 block of Bancroft Drive, in New Orleans’ Filmore neighborhood near City Park.
Early reports said a resident found a bag containing a body in a backyard. Police later clarified that the bag had been floating in Bayou St. John and was pulled from the water by a resident who lived nearby.
At the time, authorities had not released the person’s identity or said how long the remains may have been in the water. It was another month before the coroner publicly confirmed that the woman was Robinson.
Police have not disclosed how the bag came to be in the bayou or whether investigators have determined where Robinson was before her death. No suspect or arrest has been announced.
Friend Remembers Benita As Someone Who Shared With Others
Those who knew Robinson have since begun filling in details about the woman behind the investigation.
Eddy Roche told WDSU that he became friends with Robinson several years ago and often spent time with her along Decatur Street in the French Quarter.
“She was such an angel,” Roche said. He remembered Robinson as someone who would share what she had, including her own food, when someone else was in need.
Her sister, Evelyn Bennett, has publicly appealed for information about Robinson’s death and how she ended up in the bag.
“My family, her closest friends, are still shocked and devastated at the [loss] of my sister, and we just want answers about her death,” Evelyn stated. She asked anyone who knows how Robinson ended up in the bag to come forward, adding, “Cocoa was loved and did not deserve this.”
Police Have Not Classified Benita’s Death As A Homicide
Despite the circumstances in which Robinson was found, New Orleans police have not publicly classified her death as a homicide.
NOPD is investigating the case as an unclassified death, meaning authorities have not yet publicly determined the circumstances or manner of her death. The Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office has also said her cause of death remains under investigation.
Anyone with information about Benita Robinson’s death or how she ended up in Bayou St. John can contact the New Orleans Police Department at 504-821-2222. You can also submit anonymous tips to Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at 504-822-1111.
Please share this story about Benita Robinson as investigators work to determine what happened to her. She is our sister, and her life matters.
Case Number:
Agency: New Orleans Police Department
Phone: 504-821-2222
Email:
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