Louisiana Man Arrested for Driving Around With Dead Woman’s Body for a Month

A macabre story is unfolding as Calcasieu Parish authorities release details of a missing persons report eventually leading to police finding a Lake Charles woman's body inside of her SUV.

Louisiana Man Drives Around With Woman's Dead Body For A Month

On Sunday, August 20, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office tells WSVN.com that they received a missing persons report for 72-year-old Lake Charles woman Sheila Ortega.

The family who filed the missing person's report told detectives that they hadn't seen Sheila for the past 30 days, approximately.

Having a description of Ortega's SUV, authorities began trying to locate the vehicle in hopes it would lead to finding the missing woman.

On Monday, August 21, detectives found Ortega's SUV in a Lake Charles mall parking lot.

As authorities approached the vehicle, they discovered Sheila Ortega's body in the SUV.

Missing Lake Charles Woman Found Dead In SUV

A reported acquaintance of Ortega, 41-year-old Christopher T. Cater, had been a person of interest in Ortega's disappearance.

Cater was found at a near by business.

That's when things went from tragic to gruesome.

From WSVN.com -

"According to officials, Cater admitted to detectives that he had killed Ortega about a month prior. Additionally, he confessed to using Ortega’s information to secure loans after her death.

Christopher T. Cater was arrested and booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center."

Cater is now facing numerous charges including 2nd-degree murder, unlawful disposal of human remains, identity theft, and more.

Calcasieu Sheriff Tony said in a post to Facebook "We have seen some strange cases here in Calcasieu Parish, but this case is definitely an unusual one for us. We have never seen someone drive around with a dead body in the SUV for 30 days.”