Who Killed Cordy Simmons? New Details In The Unsolved Murder Of Texas Woman Who Was Set On Fire And Left On Side Of The Road
She was killed just one day before her 50th birthday.
kfdm.com Cordy Simmons was a 49-year-old woman from Beaumont Texas that was killed in 2016. She was suffocated — her mouth and face were covered with duct tape. She was set on fire. She was left on the side of the road. It was the day before her 50th birthday. The Cordy Simmons case is among a list of cold cases in Jefferson County, Texas that investigators are trying to solve. Cordy's friends and family want to know who killed her and why. They want justice for their loved one who died in such an horrific way. Who killed Cordy Simmons?
1. The Autopsy
When Cordy Simmons' body was found on the side of Old Sour Lake Road, she was unrecognizable. The murderer had literally burned her face off. The autopsy revealed she had been suffocated to death and then set on fire. She was found burning on the side of the road. Her face was so badly damaged that she could only be identified through photographs.
2. Her family wants justice
The family of Cordy Simmons wants justice for their sister, mother, aunt and grandmother. She was ripped from their lives suddenly and there are absolutely no clues as to who killed her or why she was killed. Their grief is not able to heal without knowing who did this and why. Cordy was part of a large, vibrant family. She had a son, Michael, five sisters: Odelia Jones, Alice Jackson, Diann Green, Jessie Mae Simmons and Geno Simmons, four brothers — Donald, Colbert, Andrew and Tyrone. She had one grandchild, nieces, nephews and friends. She is missed and someone is responsible for this family's pain.
3. When the body was found
A motorist driving down Old Sour Lake road that October day in 2016 called 911 to report what they initially thought was a mannequin on fire.
4. Why hasn't their been more news about this crime?
In writing this story, I was struck with how little information is out there about Cordy Simmons. All the articles about finding her body are a paragraph long. The videos interviewing her family are three minutes or less. Why? Is it because she was from Southeast Texas? If her body was found in Dallas or Houston — booming metropolitan areas with more police resources —would the question of who killed Cordy Simmons and why have been answered by now? If she was a caucasian woman —would this still be a cold case? According to NPR, one third of murders go unsolved each year. The national "clearance rate" — that is murders that are solved but don't necessarily end in a conviction or even an arrest — is 64.1%. Fifty years ago, it was more than 90%. This can be attributed in part to a growing distrust between the public and the police —especially in minority communities that leads people to not share what they know about a murder with the police. Is this what is happening in the investigation into the gruesome murder of Cordy Simmons?
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based freelance writer covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. She is deeply devoted to her chocolate Labrador and an avid long distance runner. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.