The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for information surrounding the circumstances of the death of a Destrehan woman who may be connected to the F.B.I. investigation into cases handled by former St. Charles Parish District Attorney Harry Morel.
The Herald-Guide reported earlier this week 27-year-old Danelle Keim was found dead in her home on Stanton Hall Drive in Destrehan early Saturday morning.
The Sheriff’s Office has currently listed the death as ‘unclassified’ and said in a press release that the cause of death was unknown.
Keim’s death came less than a day after a NOLA.com/Times-Picayune report revealed the F.B.I. investigation into former cases handled by Morel were connected to allegations of his granting leniency to those charged with crimes in exchange for sexual favors.
Sources with information on the case said part of the allegations were focused on a 2009 burglary case involving Errol Falcon Jr., who was convicted in 2011 and sentenced to 24 years in jail after being found with more than $100,000 in stolen goods in his residence. According to those sources the FBI was investigating whether Falcon asked his girlfriend to perform sexual acts with Morel in exchange for leniency.
A report released today by NOLA.com/Times-Picayune revealed that Keim was Falcon’s girlfriend at the time when he was facing burglary charges.
District Attorney Joel Chaisson said his office had not been contacted by the Sheriff’s Office concerning an investigation into Keim’s death.
“I don’t want to comment and speculate on what the Sheriff or anybody else may be be doing in connection with this,” Chaisson. “No one has contacted my office in regards to any kind of investigation or something that would amount to charges that we would have to look at.”
Around 1,200 records related to cases handled by Morel’s office in his last three and a half years as District Attorney were handed over to FBI agents last month under the order of a subpoena.
The Sheriff’s Office has asked anyone who has any information regarding Keim’s death to contact them at (985) 783-6807 or (985) 783-1135 or contact CrimeStoppers at (877) 903-STOP. Citizens do not have to give their name nor testify and could receive up to $2,500.
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