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Missing Gary S. Kergan 
Kergan, approximately 1984; Ronald Dunnagan in 2012; Leila Mulla in 2012 Date reported missing : 11/28/1984 Missing location (approx) : Baton Rouge, Louisiana Missing classification : Endangered Missing Gender : Male Ethnicity : White DOB : 10/02/1955 (65) Age at the time of disappearance: 29 years old Height / Weight : 5'11, 170 pounds Description, clothing, jewerly and more : Jewelry worth $8,000. Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos : Caucasian male. Brown hair, brown eyes Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Kergan was last seen leaving the Night Spot Lounge on Plank Road in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on November 28, 1984. He was accompanied by Leila "Erika" Mulla, a teenAge at the time of disappearance: exotic dancer, at the time. Kergan was carrying $2,000 in cash when he disappeared. He has never been heard from again. His late model pink Cadillac was later found abandoned in Metairie, Louisiana, with puddles of blood in the trunk. Authorities believe Mulla and her boyfriend, Ronald Delton Dunnagan, murdered Kergan. They fled the area for Las Vegas, Nevada after his disappearance. When authorities searched Mulla and Dunnagan's apartment in the 2900 block of Byron Street, they found evidence of a violent struggle, including bloodstains. Entries in Mulla's diary indicated she was planning to murder Kergan. Mulla and and Dunnagan were arrested and charged with murder , and when questioned by police after her arrest, Mulla implicated Dunnagan in the the crime. However, both defendants were released three months after their arrest and the charges were dropped. Mulla refused to testify against Dunnagan, and Kergan's body could not be found even after one of the most extensive searches in Baton Rouge history. Prosecutors did not believe they had enough evidence to convict Mulla and Dunnagan of murder. The case was reopened more than twenty-five years later and, in December 2012, Mulla and Dunnagan were re-arrested for Kergan's murder. Authorities stated DNA typing was able to prove it was Kergan's blood inside the apartment, which gave them the proof they needed. Photos of the defendants are posted with this case summary. Dunnagan was living in Bossier City, Louisiana at the time of his second murder arrest; Mulla was in in New York City. He was charged with first-degree murder and she with second-degree murder; both of them were also charged with simple robbery and conspiracy. The grand jury didn't indict Dunnagan, however, and he was released. Mulla pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the spring of 2014 and agreed to cooperate in the case against Dunnagan, and with the additional evidence he was indicted. Mulla stated they poisoned Kergan's wine, and then Dunnagan smothered him. She testified against Dunnagan at his trial in 2015 and he was convicted of second-degree murder, which in Louisiana carries a sentence of life in prison. Kergan and his brother co-owned a chain of Sonic drive-in restaurants in southern Louisiana in 1984. He was married and has a son. Kergan was declared legally dead in 1986. He has never been located, but foul play is suspected in his case due to the circumstances involved. Other information and links : ncy Baton Rouge City Police Department 225-389-8617 225-389-3844 September 2021 updates and sources The Doe Network The Baton Rouge Advocate A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are not known. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2�5% of missing children in Europe. By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends. Several organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and imAge at the time of disappearance: s of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece. |