Luther Murphy Meshell

Background

Luther “Buddy” Murphy Meshell was born 02/24/1941 in Zwolle, Louisiana, to Steve and Christina Meshell. He had an older sister, Mary, a younger brother, Clayton, and two children, Allen and Tammy.

Luther had been married to his second wife, Pearley, for about four years, though they maintained separate residences. At the time of his death, he lived at 1653½ Michel Street in Shreveport’s Caddo Heights neighborhood. His daughter said the couple lived together for about six months before deciding they were more comfortable living apart. Despite maintaining separate homes, they remained close, regularly visited one another, and occasionally spent the night together.

About 20 years before his death, Buddy was working as a pulpwood trucker when a tree fell on him. The accident left him partially paralyzed. Although he used a crutch at times, he primarily relied on a wheelchair for mobility.

An avid music enthusiast, Luther collected blues, country, and rock ’n’ roll records and maintained an extensive stereo system. He occasionally worked as a private disc jockey at dances, family reunions, and other gatherings to supplement his disability income.

Tammy described her father as outgoing and said the things he cared about most were his children, his mother, and his music. Neighbors remembered him as friendly and said he often waved when he saw them.

Luther was interred at Old Zwolle Cemetery, also known as St Michaels, in Zwolle.

Case Summary

Luther’s children last saw him on the morning of 03/25/1991. Tammy picked up Allen, who had been living with their father for several months, and he stayed with her for the next two nights. Luther was expected to spend the night of 03/26/1991 at Pearley’s home, but he never arrived.

Between 11:00 and 11:30 pm on 03/25/1991, a neighbor saw Luther’s 1977 Oldsmobile Delta 88 leaving the neighborhood. She couldn’t see who was driving. Over the following days, she noticed that his apartment lights stayed on and his laundry remained outside, which was unusual for Luther.

At approximately 7:35 pm on 03/27/1991, Tammy and Allen returned to Luther’s house. His car was gone, but a light was on inside.  Minutes later they found him on the bedroom floor near his collapsed wheelchair. Initially believing he’d had a medical emergency, they soon realized he’d been attacked. His phone line had been cut, so they rushed to a neighbor’s to call 911.

In the kitchen, investigators found a chair had been knocked over, and grease and what appeared to be blood were spread across portions of the floor. A skillet containing grease was found discarded on the floor.  A blanket that had been used to clean some of the floor was pushed up against the slightly opened rear door, obstructing entry from the outside.

There were no signs of forced entry. Allen told investigators that Luther normally kept his doors locked and did not let strangers into the home. His family also noted that he normally dressed before answering the door, yet he was found wearing only boxer shorts and socks.

A butcher knife was located several feet from his body with no visible blood on it, and investigators could not immediately determine whether it had been used in the attack. A bloody palm print recovered near a bedroom window did not belong to Luther and did not match the prints of several people connected to him, including his wife and children. When the case was reviewed years later, investigators were unable to locate the original latent print among the remaining evidence.

An autopsy found he’d been stabbed multiple times in the chest and neck. He had a contusion to his head and injuries to his forearms. The stab wounds were consistent with someone standing over him and stabbing downward, and the forearm injuries were consistent with attempts to defend himself. Investigators believed he either crawled or was moved from the kitchen to the bedroom.

Several items were missing from the home, including a television, stereo and DJ equipment. His vehicle was also gone, leading investigators to consider robbery the most likely motive.

At approximately 8:00 am on 03/28/1991, the car was recovered behind an apartment complex on Mabel Street in Shreveport’s Queensborough neighborhood. The car was unlocked with its windows partially lowered. The right rear tire was flat, the hood was slightly open, the battery was missing, and there were signs that someone had tried to force open the trunk. What appeared to be blood or blood spatter was found inside. Investigators removed a portion of the console and submitted it for testing, but the surviving case records do not contain the results or establish whose blood it was.

Pearley told investigators Luther never arrived at her home as expected.

His keys, TV and stereo equipment were never located.

In 2025, Shreveport Police Corporal Chris Bordelon said investigators were reviewing the remaining evidence to determine what could be submitted for additional forensic or DNA testing.

Suspects/Persons of Interest

Pearley was interviewed several times and was considered a suspect at one point during the investigation. Police examined whether his death could have resulted from a domestic dispute but later said other circumstances did not support that theory. No arrest was made.

Timeline

Limited Information – Can You Help?

If you have additional details, records, photos, or other related materials about Luther Meshell or his case, please consider sharing them.

Research Notes

This profile will be updated as requested public records are received.

Sources

• Shreveport Journal,  “Son Finds Father Stabbed to Death in His Home,” March 28, 1991.
• The Times (Shreveport), “Disabled Man a Tempting Target,” March 29, 1991.
• The Times (Shreveport), “1991 homicide retrospective/listing,” May 26, 1991.
• The Times (Shreveport), “19 Years Later, Homicide Case Remains Open,” June 28, 2010.
• KSLA News 12, “Luther Meshell’s Murder Case Remains Unsolved Since His Death in 1991,” April 29, 2025.
• Caddo-Shreveport Crime Stoppers, accessed August 18, 2026.

rev 08/26/26.
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