Gary Lane Wages

Background

Gary Lane Wages was born on 04/20/1944, in Hodge, Louisiana, to Hider Lee Wages and Martha Corrie Duck. He had a sister, Teresa Grant.

He attended Grayson Elementary School, where he appeared on the honor roll several times. In 1960, Gary played basketball for the Grayson High School Warriors.

Gary married Wanda Gail Smith on 10/11/1974, in Pulaski County, Arkansas. The couple later lived near Olla, Louisiana, and had three children: Jeff, Sharon, and Peggy. At the time of his death, he worked as a pipeline inspector for Quality Control Specialists in Austin, Texas.

Gary was interred at Zion Hill Cemetery in Olla, Louisiana.

Case Summary

On the morning of 01/16/2001, Gary was seen alive in Columbia.

At approximately 5:30 pm his wife returned home from work and found Gary dead inside their home on Louisiana Hwy 127 near Olla. He was in the living room near a door leading outside. Investigators didn’t know how long he had been dead before he was discovered.

Gary had been shot twice, once in the back and once in the back of the head. Investigators later determined that two different firearms had been used: a .22-caliber rifle and a .308-caliber deer rifle. There were no signs of forced entry, and investigators found no footprints or tire tracks around the residence.

Gary’s wife was ruled out as a suspect, and investigators said they did not know why he had been killed.

The LaSalle Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated with assistance from Olla Police Department, and an Alexandria Police Department crimescene investigator, the FBI, and other law enforcement agencies. Evidence recovered from the scene was sent to the crime lab for analysis, but produced no useful results. Chief Deputy Jeff Windham later indicated that the scene had been wiped.

Around the same time authorities in nearby Catahoula Parish investigated the murder of 65-year-old Herbert Townsend, who had also been found dead inside his home. Investigators noted similarities between the two cases and contacted LaSalle Parish detectives, but no evidence was found linking the murders.

Suspects/Persons of Interest

No suspects or persons of interest have been publicly identified.

Timeline

Limited Information – Can You Help?

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

Research Notes

This profile will be updated as pending public records requests are received.

Sources

• LaSalle Parish Sheriff’s Office, “January 2001 Homicide,” accessed 07/07/2020.
• The Caldwell Watchman-Progress, “Honor Roll For Grayson School,” 01/18/1951.
• The Caldwell Watchman-Progress, “Honor Roll Fourth 6-Weeks Period Grayson School,” 03/29/1951.
• The Caldwell Watchman-Progress, “Honor Students For Grayson Listed,” 06/21/1951.
• The Caldwell Watchman-Progress, “Grayson High School Warriors Open 12th Season Under Present Coach,” 10/27/1960.
• The Caldwell Watchman-Progress, “Warriors Defeat H’burg 50-49,” 11/10/1960.
• Pulaski County, Arkansas, Marriage License and Certificate for Gary Lane Wages and Wanda Gail Smith, 10/11/1974.
• The News-Star, “Police Have No Suspects in Olla Death,” 01/18/2001.
• The Town Talk, “Gary Lane Wages” obituary, 01/11/2001.
• The Town Talk, “Still No Suspects in Olla Murder,” 01/27/2001.
• The Town Talk, “Lab Report on Wages’ Death to Be Released,” 02/03/2001.
• The News-Star, “State Police, Sheriff Investigate Murder of Enterprise Man,” 03/01/2001.
• The Town Talk, “Catahoula Man’s Death Similar to Olla Slaying,” 03/08/2001.
• The Town Talk, “Probe Continues in Olla Man’s Slaying,” 04/27/2001.
• The Town Talk, “Officials Seek Info on Murder Case,” 10/05/2001.
• The Town Talk, “‘Cold’ Murder Cases Not Forgotten,” 04/06/2002.
• The Town Talk, regional cold-case coverage discussing the Wages investigation, 05/12/2005.
• The Town Talk, “Cenla’s Unsolved Crimes,” 10/22/2005.

rev 08/27/26