Braving storm, detectives scour Baton Rouge for leads after icon's likely mysterious murder

BATON ROUGE – Police battled a second storm this weekend – the senseless killing of a well known civil leader and organizer.

Sunday evening, police told WBRZ they had questioned a series of people and were overwhelmed with offers from people to help chase leads and garner tips about how Sadie Roberts-Joseph, 75, was killed.

Her body was found in the trunk of a car on the dead-end Adams Ave. near N 20th Friday afternoon.

Police did not reveal it was the body of the influential woman until the next morning, Saturday, when shockwaves started rolling through Baton Rouge just as tropical storm then hurricane Barry started sliding onto Louisiana’s coast.

Roberts-Joseph helped found the Odell S. Williams Now & Then Museum of African-American History back in 2001 and has been its organizer ever since.

Despite the storm, police said detectives spent the weekend trying to hone-in on what happened but by Sunday night, had not revealed any leads in the case. Police said they canvassed the neighborhood for witnesses.

But, despite conducting interviews and bringing people in for questioning, police said they were not able to get enough information for an arrest of whoever it is that likely killed Roberts-Joseph.

Police said the community is "very vocal about wanting whoever responsible brought to justice."