Items Found in Zachary Search as Families Await Answers About Two Missing Women
Investigators are examining items recovered from a Zachary property in the search for Madison Allen and Stephanie Hevia. Authorities have not identified the items or said whether they are connected to either woman.
Excerpt: Investigators are examining items recovered from a Zachary property in the search for Madison Allen and Stephanie Hevia. Authorities have not identified the items or said whether they are connected to either woman.
ZACHARY, La. — After days of searching a property on Ash Street, Zachary police say investigators found several items they are examining in connection with the disappearances of Madison Allen and Stephanie Hevia. The announcement Tuesday, Sept. 22, leaves a central question unanswered: What, if anything, can those items tell investigators about where the women are? Police have not described what was found or said the items have been linked to either case.
The update follows an earlier statement from Zachary police that no evidence had been found at the property. The search began Sept. 14 and was part of a broader investigation extending into West Feliciana Parish.
Allen is believed to have disappeared in late November 2023. Her last contact with family indicated she was living in Zachary. Hevia disappeared in March 2025; investigators say her last known location was a property on Morris Road in West Feliciana Parish. Both women remain missing.
Investigators have identified Thomas Morris, 43, an acquaintance of both women, as the prime suspect in their disappearances. He has not been charged in either missing-person case. Morris remains jailed on charges stemming from a separate alleged kidnapping, including second-degree kidnapping and false imprisonment.
Authorities also searched about 15 acres around the Morris Road property. No human remains were found during that eight-day search, but investigators collected items they believe may be associated with the disappearances. Officials have not publicly established what the items recovered at either property mean for the cases.
The West Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office and Capital Region Crime Stoppers announced a reward Sept. 23 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in the women’s disappearances. The reward increased from $5,000 to $10,000 for qualifying information received within 48 hours of the announcement. Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 225-344-STOP (7867).
