A Serial Killer Stalks the Teens of Morgan City
In 1978, 5 teenagers near Morgan City, Louisiana went missing. Three would be found, murdered. Two, Bertha Gould and Mary Rodermund, are still missing.
We tell the full story on the podcast She Goes by Jane.
The mysterious disappearances of teenagers in Morgan City during the spring of 1978 still haunt the small Louisiana community today. As someone fascinated by true crime stories and the human elements behind them, I found this case deeply compelling and heartbreaking. Mary Rodermund, at just 16, left home to buy batteries and never returned. The chilling phone call from her kidnapper to her parents only deepened the fear, with Mary briefly speaking to them before vanishing forever. Similarly, the disappearance of 19-year-old Bridget Cantrell Sons while working and 17-year-old Gordon Canella, Jr., a friend and customer, who vanished from the same store added layers of complexity and horror to these cases. At a school fair, two younger girls, 14-year-old Bertha Gould and 15-year-old Judy Adams, were last seen getting into a man’s car. Witnesses never saw them alive again. What strikes me most about this case is how quickly the community realized something terrible was happening, yet it was already too late to prevent further tragedies. These stories reflect the vulnerability of teenagers in small towns during that era and highlight the persistent pain for families without closure, especially for Bertha and Mary who remain missing. Listening to the She Goes By Jane podcast revealed how investigative efforts combined with community stories help keep memories alive and may one day lead to answers. For anyone interested in criminal psychology and unsolved cases, the Morgan City disappearances emphasize how important it is to pay attention to early signs and support victims' families. It also made me reflect on how safety awareness and community vigilance are crucial in protecting young people today.