Questions abound about body found in St. Rose

Authorities will have to wait for toxicology results to determine cause of death

St. Charles Parish authorities are still trying to piece together a mystery surrounding a dead body that was discovered on St. Rose Avenue.

The woman, 24-year-old Stephanie M. Frank of Metairie, appears to have been dumped near the overpass of Interstate 310 last week shortly after she died. An autopsy showed no evidence of trauma to the body, according to Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Capt. Pat Yoes, and it could be a month before toxicology results are available.

Until the Sheriff’s Office receives those results, the cause of death will remain unknown.

Frank was last seen leaving the café where she worked on July 28 at about 10 p.m. Her body was discovered on July 30 at 1:10 a.m. Based on the coroner’s report, St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne said he believes Frank died between four and 24 hours before her body was found.

Yoes said that there was no evidence at the scene of the body’s discovery to suggest that Frank died there.

“She was on an isolated road without a vehicle,” Yoes said. “It’s unlikely that she would have ended up there on her own.”

Frank was wearing a blue jean mini skirt with a black belt and a white and pink striped top. She also had a tattoo on her inner left forearm that read “Women love 2 hate me, Men love 2 love me.”

Anyone with information about the woman is asked to contact Det. Joseph Dewhirst at 985-783-1135 or 985-783-6807.