Margie Eggerson Shorty was a beloved mother, grandmother, and sister who was deeply connected to her community in New Orleans, Louisiana. A 61-year-old Black woman, she was the widow of Earl J. Shorty and a devoted mother to her three children, Jesse Jones Muse, Tonyell A. Ford, and Trenell Smith. She was also a doting grandmother to Bryan Jones, Derrick Vernado, and Taylor Smith. Margie came from a large family and was a cherished sister to Kenneth, Darryl, Eugene, and Warren Edgarson, Christine Foster, and Joan Dominique. Her obituary noted her connections to several local churches, including Beulah Baptist Church and Next Generation of Original Morning Star Full Gospel Baptist Church, as well as employers like Southern Spectrum Research and Davita Dialysis, painting a picture of a woman with a wide and caring network of family, friends, and colleagues.
The peace of a summer afternoon was irrevocably broken on Sunday, August 13, 2017, in the city's Lower Ninth Ward. Concerned family members, unable to reach Margie, sent a male relative to her home in the 1300 block of Reynes Street to check on her. Shortly after 2 p.m., he gained entry into the house through a side window and made a devastating discovery. Margie was found lying unresponsive in the hallway. She had been the victim of a brutal attack and had suffered multiple puncture wounds to her body. Emergency services were called, but Margie was pronounced dead at the scene.
The New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) launched a homicide investigation into the violent death that had stunned the quiet neighborhood. Detectives from the Fifth District began canvassing for evidence and witnesses, trying to piece together the final hours of Margie's life. As the investigation unfolded, neighbors and family gathered near her home, shocked and grief-stricken by the sudden loss of a woman they knew and loved. The Orleans Parish Coroner's Office later officially confirmed Margie Shorty's identity and determined her cause of death was a result of the multiple wounds she had sustained.
In the months following the murder, the NOPD announced they had identified two persons of interest in the case. However, this development did not lead to any arrests, and no definitive suspect was ever named. To encourage tips from the public, Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans offered a reward of up to $5,000 for any information that could lead to an arrest and conviction in the case. Despite this incentive and the initial leads, the investigation eventually stalled.
Years have passed since Margie Shorty was tragically killed in her own home. Her funeral was held on August 23, 2017, at Beulah Baptist Church, where a large gathering of relatives, friends, and community members came to pay their final respects before she was laid to rest at Resthaven Cemetery. As of August 2023, six years after her death, her case remains cold and unsolved. The individuals responsible for her murder have never been brought to justice, leaving her family and community still searching for answers and closure.
The case of Margie Shorty is a painful reminder of a life cut short by violence. Her loved ones continue to wait for a break in the case that might finally explain what happened on that tragic day. The reward for information remains available, and authorities urge anyone with knowledge about the incident to come forward. The New Orleans Police Department Homicide Division can be reached at 504-658-5300, or tips can be submitted anonymously to Crimestoppers.
