Thibodaux, Louisiana | October 31–November 3, 2017
Shantell Pollard was only 19 years old.
She loved dancing, singing, modeling, and doing makeup. Friends and family remembered her as a young woman with a vibrant personality, big dreams, and an exciting future ahead of her.
On Halloween night in 2017, she dressed up to celebrate with friends on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
Before leaving home, she waved goodbye to her mother, LauraLee Pollard.
Neither of them knew it would be their final goodbye.
A Stop Before New Orleans
According to the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, Shantell and several friends stopped in the Marydale neighborhood of Thibodaux so one of the passengers could drop off a child before the group continued to New Orleans.
At approximately 10:35 p.m. on October 31, 2017, deputies responded to reports of gunfire on Park Avenue.
When they arrived, they found Shantell sitting unresponsive in the front passenger seat of an SUV with a gunshot wound to the head.
She was transported to Thibodaux Regional Medical Center, the same hospital where she had been born, before being airlifted to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge.
For three days, doctors fought to save her life.
On November 3, 2017, Shantell died from her injuries.
A Final Gift That Saved Lives
In the midst of unimaginable grief, LauraLee Pollard made the decision to donate her daughter’s organs.
Shantell’s final act of generosity helped save multiple lives.
One of the recipients later honored LauraLee with a custom teddy bear containing a recording of Shantell’s heartbeat—a treasured reminder that a part of her daughter continues to live on.
Determined to honor Shantell’s memory in another way, LauraLee returned to school after her daughter’s death. She earned her GED and pursued medical training, inspired by the healthcare professionals who worked tirelessly to save her daughter.
An Unsolved Murder
At the time of the shooting, the Marydale neighborhood had experienced a troubling increase in violence, with three separate shootings involving injuries occurring within a single week.
Despite years of investigation, no one has ever been arrested or charged in connection with Shantell’s murder.
Her case remains an active, unsolved homicide.
Anyone with information regarding the murder of Shantell Pollard is urged to contact the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office at (985) 448-2111 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-743-7433.
© The Vivid Faces of the Vanished
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