Roderick Simmons
Case Number:
Not publicly available
Case Status:
Unsolved — LE confirmation pending
Date of Birth:
Not publicly available
Date of Death:
Not publicly available
Date Discovered:
11/10/1999
Cause of Death:
Not publicly available
Location:
Wooded area near the 7500 block of Jefferson Paige Road
Agency:
Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office – 318.681.0611
Tip Line:
Caddo-Shreve Crime Stoppers - 318.673.7373
Background
Roderick Simmons, 23, was born in 1976 and lived in Shreveport, Louisiana. He attended C.E. Byrd High School, where he was a freshman in 1992.
His sister, Sonya Taylor, remembered Roderick as loving and kindhearted, with a sense of humor. She described him as someone who had never hurt anyone and expressed how much she continued to miss her brother.
At the time of his disappearance, Roderick resided on Drexel Street in Shreveport.
Case Summary
Roderick was last seen in Shreveport on 09/24/1999. When he disappeared without contacting his family, a relative reported him missing to the Shreveport Police Department on 09/26/1999. Despite efforts to locate him, his whereabouts remained unknown.
On 11/10/1999, two men scouting potential hunting locations discovered skeletal remains in a wooded area near the 7500 block of Jefferson Paige Road in Caddo Parish. Uncertain whether the remains were human, they took a bone home before contacting authorities. A deputy coroner subsequently confirmed that the bone was human.
The following day, investigators with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office and the coroner’s office conducted an eight-hour search of the area, which was located along a gas pipeline right-of-way and was not visible from the road. Additional evidence recovered during the search included clothing, a shoe, and an upper jaw with intact teeth. The search was complicated by damage to the remains. Some bones had apparently been struck by machinery used to clear brush, while others had been scattered by animals.
Dental records and information obtained from Roderick’s family enabled authorities to positively identify the remains. However, they were unable to determine how Roderick died or the circumstances surrounding his death.
Suspects/Persons of Interest
No suspects or persons of interest have been publicly identified.
Timeline
| 09/24/1999 | Last seen in Shreveport. |
| 09/26/1999 | Reported missing by family. |
| 11/10/1999 | Skeletal remains discovered in a wooded area near Jefferson Paige Road. |
| 11/11/1999 | Extensive search conducted, additional evidence recovered. |
| Late 1999 | Identified through dental records. |
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Research Notes
- Exact date of birth, parents, and internment information could not be found.
- Conflicting information was found regarding Roderick’s last known location. Initial missing person appeals identified the 2800 block of Essex Street, while a subsequent investigative account placed him at a friend’s residence on Drexel Street.
- This profile will be updated as requested public records are received.
Sources
- C. E. Byrd High School, 1992 Yearbook.
- The Times, “Police Seek Help With Missing Man,” October 14, 1999.
- The Times, “Police Search for Missing Man,” October 15, 1999.
- The Times, “Authorities ID Body as Caddo Man,” December 2, 1999.
- The Times, “Times Update: Investigation Into Man’s Death,” December 20, 1999.
- We Remember by Ancestry, “Roderick Simmons,” Family Remembrances by Sonya Taylor, June 1, 2026.
- Caddo-Shreveport Crime Stoppers, “Cold Cases,” Roderick Simmons, undated.