I always thought this was one of the most heartbreaking cases they ever showed on Unsolved Mysteries. A well liked middle aged business man disappears one night but is later spotted in the area riding in the back seat of a car. That same day he is seen using a pay phone outside a convenience store. Witnesses say he appeared nervous and dishelved. His car is found but doesn't yield any clues. Several weeks later, he is seen going door to door trying to sell frozen fish. One of the homeowners he talked to said he seemed desperate and smelled of alcohol. Years earlier, AJ Breaux had beaten an alcohol problem and was (until his disappearance) very active in A.A. Meanwhile, his daughters are frantic to find him but police can't find a reason for his disappearance. They suspected some kind of foul play was involved. Was there ever an update on this case?

I remember that one too. That was strange, his poor family must be boggeled as to what REALLY happened. I have yet to see an update on that case. Where did it happen, do you remember??

I think it happened in a small town in Louisiana. Funny how some of these cases just stay with you over the years.

This case was solved and updated a number of years ago. AJ was found alive two years after his disappeared but with a loss of memory. His friends called into Unsolved Mysteries for him. What happend was AJ was mugged and suffered severe amnesia. He was eventually given help but he continued to suffer from amnesia.

He and his wife were reunited (parts of which were shown) but he did not remember her. As a result, the two both decided to get a divorce. But it seemed they were on good terms. Sorry for the description being a little vague but I last saw this update many years ago.

But I can definitely tell you that AJ was found alive, which is rare for these kind of cases. As said, he was reunited with his wife but he could not remember her and they later divorced.

Thanks, DP, but I remember the story you wrote about and it was not the AJ Breaux case. Breaux was divorced with grown daughters. After his mysterious disappearance he was spotted going door to door selling frozen fish. In the case you referred to, the man was recently married and he and his wife raised fish to sell to upscale restaurants.

Originally posted by DP
This case was solved and updated a number of years ago. AJ was found alive two years after his disappeared but with a loss of memory. His friends called into Unsolved Mysteries for him. What happend was AJ was mugged and suffered severe amnesia. He was eventually given help but he continued to suffer from amnesia.

He and his wife were reunited (parts of which were shown) but he did not remember her. As a result, the two both decided to get a divorce. But it seemed they were on good terms. Sorry for the description being a little vague but I last saw this update many years ago.

But I can definitely tell you that AJ was found alive, which is rare for these kind of cases. As said, he was reunited with his wife but he could not remember her and they later divorced.

I'm sorry to say that the update you described was from a different missing person case. The man you are thinking of was a Wisconsin man whose name (if I remember correctly) was Craig. He and his wife operated a farm.

A.J. Breaux (if that's his correct spelling) was a Louisiana man who was a recovering alcoholic at the time of his 1991 disappearance. The police received note claiming that he got drunk, shot himself, and had his body dumped in a river. The letter is thought to be a mean-spirited prank. In addition, a man believed to have been A.J. was seen in a local park being put into a car by three men.

There has been no update on that case. Therefore, my assumption is that A.J. remains unaccounted for. :(

Yes, Adam John Breaux aka A.J. is still missing. His family had him declared legally dead in 1998 so they could settle his estate. This was a strange and sad case. From the sounds of it during the segment A.J. had a serious drinking problem for many years but hadnt drank for 8 years before his disappearence and had in fact been quite active in helping other alcoholics and was known as a leader of a local organization for recovering alcoholics. Also from the sounds of it A.J. was a well known and well liked businessman in the town of Houma, Louisiana. What happened to him is not real clear. It isnt clear if he was kidnapped. It appears robbery wasnt a motive. I think the sightings of him were genuine of him being seen at the convienence store on the phone and also the sighting of him smelling of alcohol and going door to door selling frozen fish. It isnt clear if he was kidnapped or if he was hit in the head and cant remember who he is or if he had a relapse and started drinking again and was ashamed of this and decided not to go back to his family. It is so strange. Dont really know what to think of it.

A.J. Breaux's case was not solved; he was not found alive nor dead. I wish the post about him being found alive was true, but it's not. It's his birthday today; he would be 66. I think I would know if he was found. I'm his great niece.

A.J. Breaux's case was not solved; he was not found alive nor dead. I wish the post about him being found alive was true, but it's not. It's his birthday today; he would be 66. I think I would know if he was found. I'm his great niece.

I'm so glad to see someone from AJ Breaux's family is posting on here. I am sorry to hear he's never been found. I lived in Houma for a short time in the mid 90's so I've always remembered this segment very well. Can you tell us any other info that UM didn't share? Like for instance does the family have any theories on what happened to him? Do they think he was abducted or started drinking again and harmed himself? Were there any other credible sightings of him that UM didn't mention? UM made the sightings seem to be pretty credible in my opinion. Any more info you'd like to share with us about AJ and the segment would be appreciated. Of course all of us send our thoughts to your family and definitely hope he can be found!

Well something that I wonder about AJ is whether or not he could have been a victim of that serial killer that was arrested late last year? I believe that killer had killed many men in the Houma, Louisiana area. I certainly hope AJ was not one of them.

Thank you all very much for your support. My grandmother (his sister) thought that he was abducted and he did not make it. He would have at least tried to contact his children even if it was through the witness protection program. Also, I believe that he herd something somebody didn't want him to hear in the AA meatings he attended and abducted him or killed him. (This is just what my grandmother and I believe.) I don't know if any of the sightings are credible. I only herd about them online, my family has never talked about them. The serial killer from Houma was questioned about A.J., but he denied it. I do not think the serial killer was not involved because he admitted to 23 other murders. I think if he did it, the serial killer would have confessed to it.

After watching the case, two theories popped up in my head. The first one is that AJ could have been in debt to drug dealers. Besides alcohol, drugs could have been another problem for AJ. The other theory is that he committed suicide; his struggles in life could have finally overwhelmed him. I'm leaning towards the first theory.

After watching the case, two theories popped up in my head. The first one is that AJ could have been in debt to drug dealers. Besides alcohol, drugs could have been another problem for AJ. The other theory is that he committed suicide; his struggles in life could have finally overwhelmed him. I'm leaning towards the first theory.

While it is always a possibility that recovering alcoholics can relapse, and substitute for their drug of choice, one would have to look into the financial resources available to AJ. If he had started selling things or his bank account were drained, this would be a possibility. For all intents and purposes, this has not been shown to be the case. I cannot agree that this theory is a possibility.

Suicide is always a possibility. Even if there are no signs to indicate a change in behavior. It's just a sad reality that people commit suicide who you would never suspect of doing so. Parking his car in a public place and leaving it may indicate that he wanted to disappear, so that his family would not have to deal with finding a body.

However, neither of these theories explain his sightings after his disappearance, and I believe the sighting at the gas station to be credible. The guy knew AJ since he was a kid.

An idea just popped into my head that perhaps AJ was working on an intervention for someone. Helping someone get sober/detox. If you're staying up with someone to make sure they're safe, you would look tired, disheveled, as he did when he was sighted at the gas station. Perhaps they were taking this person to rehab when the other person saw him in the car with the men. Perhaps it was AJ himself trying to get clean again. But that doesn't explain why he disappeared.

While it is always a possibility that recovering alcoholics can relapse, and substitute for their drug of choice, one would have to look into the financial resources available to AJ. If he had started selling things or his bank account were drained, this would be a possibility. For all intents and purposes, this has not been shown to be the case. I cannot agree that this theory is a possibility.

Suicide is always a possibility. Even if there are no signs to indicate a change in behavior. It's just a sad reality that people commit suicide who you would never suspect of doing so. Parking his car in a public place and leaving it may indicate that he wanted to disappear, so that his family would not have to deal with finding a body.

However, neither of these theories explain his sightings after his disappearance, and I believe the sighting at the gas station to be credible. The guy knew AJ since he was a kid.

An idea just popped into my head that perhaps AJ was working on an intervention for someone. Helping someone get sober/detox. If you're staying up with someone to make sure they're safe, you would look tired, disheveled, as he did when he was sighted at the gas station. Perhaps they were taking this person to rehab when the other person saw him in the car with the men. Perhaps it was AJ himself trying to get clean again. But that doesn't explain why he disappeared.An intervention seems very unlikely. If he was trying to sober himself up, or help someone else, why wouldn't he tell his family? He seemed very up front about his alcohol problems. So, I doubt he would hide such a problem.

What we should really focus is the three men in car with AJ. I get the feeling that they were bad individuals. Why didn't AJ wave to his friend? Perhaps AJ was too afraid to wave back at his friend. It didn't sound like he was in a comfortable situation. Plus, they were the last people seen with AJ.

An intervention seems very unlikely. If he was trying to sober himself up, or help someone else, why wouldn't he tell his family? He seemed very up front about his alcohol problems. So, I doubt he would hide such a problem.

I think there would be some witnesses to to AJ's intervention attempts. Usually it's the family or loved ones that ask someone to intervene.

Need to think on this one a bit....be right back. ;) .

What we should really focus is the three men in car with AJ. I get the feeling that they were bad individuals. Why didn't AJ wave to his friend? Perhaps AJ was too afraid to wave back at his friend. It didn't sound like he was in a comfortable situation. Plus, they were the last people seen with AJ.

The way that scene was reenacted in the segment was very eerie. Especially when it was shown again later in slow motion - the neighbor waves and A.J. doesn't wave back, he just looks outside the window of the car with this look on his face as if he's saying, "Help me!" It just breaks my heart.

The way that scene was reenacted in the segment was very eerie. Especially when it was shown again later in slow motion - the neighbor waves and A.J. doesn't wave back, he just looks outside the window of the car with this look on his face as if he's saying, "Help me!" It just breaks my heart.




Very sad.

Let's not forget the man who had known A.J. since his childhood. He said, "Had I known he was missing, he would've been found then because I knew who he was."

Def. one of the best segments ever. I tend to think foul play must have been involved, only because of the sighting of him buying milk the night he disappeared. If he was on the bottle again, or planning on killing himself, I feel that he would not have done something so normal and unassuming. It appeared that he was picking up milk and heading home.

I think he was either abducted in the convenient store parking lot, or on his way home from the store, he was driving by the park (where his car was found) and saw someone that appeared to be in trouble (perhaps someone pretending to have car trouble), or someone getting mugged, etc.. and he stopped to help them, and was taken against his will. That would explain why his car still had his wallet in it, etc. I wonder if the milk was in his car when they found it?

Anyone know?

I think that AJ was both murdered and was back on the bottle.
His alcoholism may have attributed to his death.

1.My first thought on this case was that AJ was killed because of a gambling debt of some sort. Those men in the car were probably trying to get their money back. When it became obvious that AJ was not going to be able to pay, they made the decision to kill him.

2.I also wouldn't rule out AJ being involved in some scam. He may have been murdered by angry investors.

I think that AJ was both murdered and was back on the bottle.
His alcoholism may have attributed to his death.


From what the lady sitting on the porch said (AJ was trying to sell fish to her), he smelled like alcohol and was trembling. So that would back up the assumption that he was back on the bottle.

From what the lady sitting on the porch said (AJ was trying to sell fish to her), he smelled like alcohol and was trembling. So that would back up the assumption that he was back on the bottle.

Gosh, I really have to say I found her 'sighting' the LEAST credible. I'm not saying that no strange bum approached her, just not AJ.

I didn't believe the sighting was credible either. It doesn't make sense that AJ was still alive at that time, leaving behind his car and possessions, then is selling fish from a van.

You know it never ceases to amaze me the amount of rather wacky info UM would sometimes toss into their broadcasts. It wasn't often, but you would think only the hardest evidence would be submitted for broadcast; there would only be millions upon millions of people watching, after all. They did get better in later seasons though.

I think it's fairly obvious what happened to the man, he was abducted almost immediately after walking out of the convenience store and just did not make it out alive. This would be the only sensible explanation for me as he left everything behind including his wallet and extra cash that he could've used, and certainly buying a gallon of milk (and arguing about the cost) does not fit the profile of someone suicidal.

The first sighting was credible, that was by a life-long friend. The second matched the details of the first too identically to be a fake. And what most people fail to undestand is that when missing-persons cases like these receive more-than-usual attention you're always bound to have at least a few people pop up and claim they saw something. Wasn't it Wanda Jean Mays who died after falling off of a cliff, yet people 'sighted' her for years afterward when this absolutely couldn't be possible?

You know it never ceases to amaze me the amount of rather wacky info UM would sometimes toss into their broadcasts. It wasn't often, but you would think only the hardest evidence would be submitted for broadcast; there would only be millions upon millions of people watching, after all. They did get better in later seasons though.

I think it's fairly obvious what happened to the man, he was abducted almost immediately after walking out of the convenience store and just did not make it out alive. This would be the only sensible explanation for me as he left everything behind including his wallet and extra cash that he could've used, and certainly buying a gallon of milk (and arguing about the cost) does not fit the profile of someone suicidal.

The first sighting was credible, that was by a life-long friend. The second matched the details of the first too identically to be a fake. And what most people fail to undestand is that when missing-persons cases like these receive more-than-usual attention you're always bound to have at least a few people pop up and claim they saw something. Wasn't it Wanda Jean Mays who died after falling off of a cliff, yet people 'sighted' her for years afterward when this absolutely couldn't be possible?

Yeah that was the one.

You know it never ceases to amaze me the amount of rather wacky info UM would sometimes toss into their broadcasts. It wasn't often, but you would think only the hardest evidence would be submitted for broadcast; there would only be millions upon millions of people watching, after all. They did get better in later seasons though.

I think it's fairly obvious what happened to the man, he was abducted almost immediately after walking out of the convenience store and just did not make it out alive. This would be the only sensible explanation for me as he left everything behind including his wallet and extra cash that he could've used, and certainly buying a gallon of milk (and arguing about the cost) does not fit the profile of someone suicidal.

The first sighting was credible, that was by a life-long friend. The second matched the details of the first too identically to be a fake. And what most people fail to undestand is that when missing-persons cases like these receive more-than-usual attention you're always bound to have at least a few people pop up and claim they saw something. Wasn't it Wanda Jean Mays who died after falling off of a cliff, yet people 'sighted' her for years afterward when this absolutely couldn't be possible?

Yeah, I totally agree with you. I guess what I'm wondering though is why was he abducted. One would think that the police would have discovered some sort of shady business dealings, etc, were they actually going on, whereas it seems that his family is still totally baffled by what happened.

I think you're right though, that he probably had something going on that others didn't know about.. mastermind's idea about gambling a smart one... especially since he already had addiction issues, perhaps he was having trouble steering clear of gambling and it caught up with him.

This case has always saddened me, I cannot imagine my dad just dissapearing one day, never to be heard from again. AJ seemed like a really good guy, someone that had worked hard to rebuild his life after being in the hell of alcoholism.

I'm really on the fence as to what happened to him, though. If he had been abducted, why would he have just been hanging out at that pay phone where he was sighted? wouldn't he have tried to make a run for it or yell for help? especially when someone he knew walked right by him and greeted him. If that really was AJ who was sighted, and there was some foul play afoot, I have to think there was much more to the story than a random stranger abduction. As Mastermind suggested, perhaps AJ was in debt or in dealings with some not-so-upstanding characters. I'm not attempting to speak negatively of him or pass judgment on him at all, we're all human and we all make poor choices from time to time. Maybe he had simply gotten in over his head and it caught up to him.

The other suggestion was that AJ had fallen back on the bottle. Given his past, I don't think that can be discounted. Maybe something was going seriously wrong in his life (see above theory) and it provoked a slip in his sobriety. Case in point, my mom is a recovering alcoholic and recently took a major spill off the wagon after a death in the family. It does happen, and sometimes the alcoholic is so filled with guilt and shame that they don't want to face their family and friends, it is easier to run away. That said, I got the impression that AJ was a very loving father and I can't imagine that he has been voluntarily staying away for all these years, without so much as a letter or phone call to let someone know he is at least alive.

So, ultimately, I do think AJ met with foul play. What led up to it or why it happened is the real mystery. I hope his family finds some answers one day.

I'm really on the fence as to what happened to him, though. If he had been abducted, why would he have just been hanging out at that pay phone where he was sighted

Perhaps the abduters knew he would not go anywhere. AJ may have known they could find him and kill him at any time. Plus, AJ probably has to consider these guys could kill his family as wel if he escaped. It was most likely a "no-win" situation for AJ.

As I said before, I could easily see a scenario were AJ was jacked by some people he owed money to. These guys probably stripped his clothes and beat him up. They made an ultimatum to him--Get the money to us by a certain time or you die!.

Sadly I don;t think AJ got the money in time. :(

You know it never ceases to amaze me the amount of rather wacky info UM would sometimes toss into their broadcasts. ...Wasn't it Wanda Jean Mays who died after falling off of a cliff, yet people 'sighted' her for years afterward when this absolutely couldn't be possible?
Yeah, when it comes to flat-out-wrong eye witnesses, I always think about Kerry Lynn Nixon and Lisa Kimmel. That woman was sooooo sure she saw KLN at a picnic and - whoops - her supposed friend got amnesia when the police showed up to question her. What??? We don't even have to get into the whole New Kids on the Block thing (although it was nice of them to put out a public plea for her return).

There were so many people who called in claiming that they saw Lisa Kimmel's car. And this is a situation where you're not just looking for a face (like in the A.J. Breaux or KLN cases), you have very specific description of the car. Most of those people were flat out wrong or flat out lying. I realize that most people are trying to help, and maybe they wished they saw what they thought they saw...which led to them actually believing it. I just don't understand people sometimes!

Also, I'd just like to add that I really love it when UM profile cases in Louisiana because I find the accents fascinating!

I think it just shows the problem with most eyewitness reports. Close encounters by people who know the person well are one thing, but once it comes to strangers, it's a pretty dubious proposition, and that's leaving aside the scammers.

Here, I think the lady in Lockport had someone come to her door, but I would doubt it was AJ Breaux. Her ID as portrayed in the segment was pretty sketchy.

Personally, I think that SC lady in the Kari Lyn Nixon case was just lying.

Personally, I think that SC lady in the Kari Lyn Nixon case was just lying.

I'm surprised it wasn't picked up upon earlier that it was not true.

What person tells you their full name to a stranger?

When someone you meet on th says what is your name? You usually just give your first name.

I don't remember if police treated it as a serious lead. Wasn't the SC link made by some "psychic"? I wouldn't be surprised if the SC lady and psychic were working together.

Yeah, when it comes to flat-out-wrong eye witnesses, I always think about Kerry Lynn Nixon and Lisa Kimmel. That woman was sooooo sure she saw KLN at a picnic and - whoops - her supposed friend got amnesia when the police showed up to question her. What??? We don't even have to get into the whole New Kids on the Block thing (although it was nice of them to put out a public plea for her return).

There were so many people who called in claiming that they saw Lisa Kimmel's car. And this is a situation where you're not just looking for a face (like in the A.J. Breaux or KLN cases), you have very specific description of the car. Most of those people were flat out wrong or flat out lying. I realize that most people are trying to help, and maybe they wished they saw what they thought they saw...which led to them actually believing it. I just don't understand people sometimes!

Also, I'd just like to add that I really love it when UM profile cases in Louisiana because I find the accents fascinating!


Also, Gail Delano. The sighting by the truck driver seemed really reliable, but she had killed herself shortly after she left Maine.

And I totally agree about the Louisiana accents - I love the Mary Ann Perez and Audrey Moate episodes for that reason alone!!

Charli-Ann

I knew Mr. AJ from AA and he was a great man, i was a kid when he went missing. People that say he was involved in gambling and went back to drinking, obviously didn't know him at all. I know that my family would love for this case to be solved, but the truth of the matter is he probably will never be. I think of it like this Mr. AJ is in a better place and a better position to help people in heaven then what he did in an AA meeting. He did much good here on earth but I think that he has passed and is watching from above. My heart goes out now as much as it did many years ago to the family of Mr. AJ. God bless to all of the Breaux family.

I knew Mr. AJ from AA and he was a great man, i was a kid when he went missing. People that say he was involved in gambling and went back to drinking, obviously didn't know him at all. I know that my family would love for this case to be solved, but the truth of the matter is he probably will never be. I think of it like this Mr. AJ is in a better place and a better position to help people in heaven then what he did in an AA meeting. He did much good here on earth but I think that he has passed and is watching from above. My heart goes out now as much as it did many years ago to the family of Mr. AJ. God bless to all of the Breaux family.

I welcome you and sympathize with your loss.

But you were a kid back then and are hearing things second hand after a person has been gone missing. People tend to lionize those after they departed.

1. The reason we bring up gambling is that there has to be a reason for someone to want him dead. Short of a serial killer, the motive that makes sense is money. If I seem to remember AJ did love playing poker and I find it hard to believe he did not gamble. Do you have information to the contrary that AJ did not gamble?

2. If murder is not an option, that leaves suicide or accident. How can we not think that alcohol has something to do with it? He had no other reason to off himself?

I realize this is ancient history and might have already been covered but was it ever mentioned if the police checked the phone records of the payphone outside the mini mart that AJ was using on the day his long time friend bumped into him? Would those records even be available at the time?

I ask this because this sighting happened after AJ disappeared so if the police got the number, they could trace it to an address and question the people who live there. Surely those people would know what happened to him or could shed light on what was going on with him at the time.

I welcome you and sympathize with your loss.

But you were a kid back then and are hearing things second hand after a person has been gone missing....

2. If murder is not an option, that leaves suicide or accident. How can we not think that alcohol has something to do with it? He had no other reason to off himself?
If bayouboy79 knew A.J. from AA, he probably wasn't that young, and since he knew him personally, I'd say he's a lot better judge of the situation than you are.

bayouboy79 never said that murder wasn't an option.

Also, "off himself?" Real nice, mastermind. Way to be sensitive.

AA is a great organization, and the fact that A.J. Breaux was so heavily involved in it speaks volumes about his character.

If bayouboy79 knew A.J. from AA, he probably wasn't that young, and since he knew him personally, I'd say he's a lot better judge of the situation than you are.

bayouboy79 never said that murder wasn't an option.

Also, "off himself?" Real nice, mastermind. Way to be sensitive

I apologize for any offense I may have incurred.

Def. one of the best segments ever. I tend to think foul play must have been involved, only because of the sighting of him buying milk the night he disappeared. If he was on the bottle again, or planning on killing himself, I feel that he would not have done something so normal and unassuming. It appeared that he was picking up milk and heading home.

I think he was either abducted in the convenient store parking lot, or on his way home from the store, he was driving by the park (where his car was found) and saw someone that appeared to be in trouble (perhaps someone pretending to have car trouble), or someone getting mugged, etc.. and he stopped to help them, and was taken against his will. That would explain why his car still had his wallet in it, etc. I wonder if the milk was in his car when they found it?

Anyone know?

The gallon of milk was not in the car when it was found. Where the gallon of milk went remains a mystery. I think about where it ended up all the time. I always end up feeling pretty stupid worrying about the missing milk when I should more concerned with what happend to uncle AJ, but i find the detail of the missing milk very fasinating.

This is such a sad case I've always been interested in. Nice to hear from AJ's relatives, and I really sympathize with you.

Although it's unlikely I personally hope he's still alive, he seemed like such a nice, small town guy. That's interesting the milk was never found in his car, as simple as it sounds it could tell us alot about what might've happened.

BTW what does everyone thing of the chick (Christie I think) who says she saw AJ about 3 weeks later trying to sell frozen food out of his van? It's been proven that alot of eyewitnesses can be mistaken. I'm guessing that wasn't him but just resembled him. I think it's possible, but am leaning towards no. Even if he did start drinking again (which I hope not) he would've eventually sobered up and had the chance to make a run for it. Plus, the kidnappers weren't with him then either and he somehow got access to that van.

That said I do think it was AJ that the two guys who knew him saw after he disappeared. It's what happened from there that nobody knows. :(

Of course what makes this the most tragic is that his life seemed to be going perfectly back in 1991 after he rebounded from his earlier DUI.

The gallon of milk was not in the car when it was found. Where the gallon of milk went remains a mystery. I think about where it ended up all the time. I always end up feeling pretty stupid worrying about the missing milk when I should more concerned with what happend to uncle AJ, but i find the detail of the missing milk very fasinating.

It's not such an insignificant detail, though, if you really think about it, because it allows you to go through possible scenarios. The milk wasn't in the car, and wasn't found at home. This can take it in several directions:

For example, He got into his car to go home with his milk, and then was accosted somewhere. They took his car and threw out the milk when they left it parked, perhaps because they had touched it. Perhaps he was holding the milk when accosted and it fell to the ground and spilled. They could have picked it up to avoid leaving a piece of evidence with his or their prints on it which would indicate where he was abducted. He may not even have driven his car to where it was found. Was his car cleaner than normal when found?

Always surprised me that this case was unsolved.

Although it's unlikely I personally hope he's still alive

Because of old age?

Or do you think it's unlikely he left on his own?

It's not such an insignificant detail, though, if you really think about it, because it allows you to go through possible scenarios. The milk wasn't in the car, and wasn't found at home. This can take it in several directions:

For example, He got into his car to go home with his milk, and then was accosted somewhere. They took his car and threw out the milk when they left it parked, perhaps because they had touched it. Perhaps he was holding the milk when accosted and it fell to the ground and spilled. They could have picked it up to avoid leaving a piece of evidence with his or their prints on it which would indicate where he was abducted. He may not even have driven his car to where it was found. Was his car cleaner than normal when found?

Yeah I agree with that. I wonder if he was kidnapped from the conveinence store parking lot or somewhere else along the way home. If the milk wasn't found, then maybe they threw it out for that very reason (even if he did drive into the park).

I just thought of this right now, but...how accurate do you think the park maintainence guy is, who claims he saw AJ being kidnapped by those same three men? Reason I bring that up is the reenactment shows that being in the daytime, and AJ was on his way home in the evening? Plus pulling into the park at night in the first place seems unlikely, so maybe it's a good chance he didn't drive himself there.

Because of old age?

Or do you think it's unlikely he left on his own?

I think they said he was 51 in 1991 so he'd only be around 70 now. That's getting elderly but not "old old" so he should definitely be alive in that respect. I just can't see him being on the run of his own violition, kidnapped and kept alive, or having amnesia all these years.

BTW what does everyone thing of the chick (Christie I think) who says she saw AJ about 3 weeks later trying to sell frozen food out of his van? It's been proven that alot of eyewitnesses can be mistaken. I'm guessing that wasn't him but just resembled him. I think it's possible, but am leaning towards no. Even if he did start drinking again (which I hope not) he would've eventually sobered up and had the chance to make a run for it. Plus, the kidnappers weren't with him then either and he somehow got access to that van.



The family does not believe the sighting of AJ seeing frozen fish was really him at least my mother, his niece, an I suspect foul play.

Because of old age?

Or do you think it's unlikely he left on his own?

He would have turned 69 this January. Although it is possible he may still be alive, it is very very unlikely he left on his own. If i'm not mistaken his first granddaughter was born right before his disapearance, and he was a very family oriented person. Like I posted earlier at least some of the family suspects foul play.

Was his car cleaner than normal when found?

If I remember correctly, the car was found cleaner than usual all that was found in his car was his wallet and his keys which were under his seat.

The family does not believe the sighting of AJ seeing frozen fish was really him at least my mother, his niece, an I suspect foul play.

Thanks for replying. Yeah, I agree she probably wanted to believe it was AJ (I know I'd feel the same way if I was in her place) just out of the goodness of her heart of wanting to help out, but it was probably just a guy that happened to look kinda similar.

If his car was found even cleaner than usual, that's a sign someone else was either driving it or was trying to get rid of evidence, which sadly points to foul play, imo. I bet it all comes back to the guys who seem to have kidnappened him a couple days later.

Have you ever seen the old segment from the early 90s? Just curious because I wondered if there was anything they might've left out. He seemed like one of the nicest guys in the world, which makes this case even sadder. I really feel for you guys (heck, it's sad to me just seeing it on tv, I can only imagine how it is to his family) - I hope he's found someday or at least you know what happened to him.

If his car was found even cleaner than usual, that's a sign someone else was either driving it or was trying to get rid of evidence, which sadly points to foul play, imo. I bet it all comes back to the guys who seem to have kidnappened him a couple days later.


It's possible it could be the other way around..AJ could be the assailant and someone else could have been the victim in he car.

Maybe we are looking at this case from the wrong angle. Maybe AJ committed a crime and is on the lam.

It's possible it could be the other way around..AJ could be the assailant and someone else could have been the victim in he car.

Maybe we are looking at this case from the wrong angle. Maybe AJ committed a crime and is on the lam.

Given what we know about AJ, I totally doubt that. The only crime he ever committed that we know of was the DUI when he was younger, and even that was something he seemed to be long done with by 1991 (like how he was helping other people in similar situations). What motive would he have had - and even if he did I'm sure he wouldn't have left his wallet and checkbook in the car.

I personally think both men who saw him in the red car were legit sightings, especially since they were his friends. The older one who was at his mailbox when they drove by was probably a longtime friend; and the younger guy Ken said he'd known AJ since he'd been a kid....so I figure they'd both recognize him easier.

The most heartbreaking thing would be if that WAS him and he could've had the chance to get rescued, and still ended up dying later. :(

It's possible it could be the other way around..AJ could be the assailant and someone else could have been the victim in he car.

Maybe we are looking at this case from the wrong angle. Maybe AJ committed a crime and is on the lam.

But what crime would that be? Is there another missing person? An unsolved murder? Money missing from his place of work? It would take a big crime to make a person want to disappear completely and never contact his family. Doesn't fit the profile of AJ IMO.

But what crime would that be?

1. May be just a simple crime of passion. AJ may have fell off the wagon and killed someone in rage.

2. Killing someone would be a good way to get out of debt. Perhaps AJ murdered someone he owed. AJ may have never even planned it.


It would take a big crime to make a person want to disappear completely and never contact his family.

I agree. Debt, fraud, shame and murder are all serious enough reasons to lame it.

Doesn't fit the profile of AJ IMO

Part of AJ's profile involves him being a recovering alcoholic. Inebriation doesn't lead to the best of contacts or the best of actions.

Given what we know about AJ, I totally doubt that. The only crime he ever committed that we know of was the DUI when he was younger, and even that was something he seemed to be long done with by 1991 (like how he was helping other people in similar situations).

1. Helping people in similar situations also leads him in contact with individuals who may have records and dubious activities.

2. It' what we don;t know about AJ that bothers me.


The most heartbreaking thing would be if that WAS him and he could've had the chance to get rescued, and still ended up dying later.

Maybe not. AJ may have been a prisoner on a long leash.

Is there another missing person?
That's an interesting question. Whether there is another missing person in the area.

If AJ was murdered, his murderer might be a "missing person" on the lam.

It's possible it could be the other way around..AJ could be the assailant and someone else could have been the victim in he car.

Maybe we are looking at this case from the wrong angle. Maybe AJ committed a crime and is on the lam.

I'm all for leaving no stone unturned, but this seems way out there, imo.

If the UM segment is accurate, which it appears to be since news articles tell the same facts, I don't feel the facts of his last movements indicate a guy on the run: The check and wallet in his car, the credible sightings of him seeming disheveled and watched/accompanied by two men, etc. If he had committed a crime, why would he remain in the small area for the next several days versus getting the hell out of there as fast as possible.

Mastermind, I thought your other idea was much more credible: that he had another life that his family didn't know of, such as gambling or perhaps even drugs, and that it caught up with him.

It would be so interesting to actually be able to find out what happened to him. I still wonder if his car was found on route to his house from the convenient store, or if he went somewhere intentionally before heading home.

I don't have AJ's segment handy right now, someone help me out with the text of that anonymous note that was sent about "self inflicted gunshot wound". I want to ponder that a bit. Thanks in advance.

I don't have AJ's segment handy right now, someone help me out with the text of that anonymous note that was sent about "self inflicted gunshot wound". I want to ponder that a bit. Thanks in advance.


AJ Breaux... he was drunk at the time... self-inflicted gunshot wound... stomach... drawstring cotton sack... put in by friend... rolled over steep grassy bayou bank... near dam.. {signed} Helene

AJ Breaux... he was drunk at the time... self-inflicted gunshot wound... stomach... drawstring cotton sack... put in by friend... rolled over steep grassy bayou bank... near dam.. {signed} Helene

Thank you. I wanted to mull it over to see if there was a way it could be interepreted as AJ doing the clean up of someone else, but it doesn't jive that way with me.

I'm all for leaving no stone unturned, but this seems way out there, imo.

If the UM segment is accurate, which it appears to be since news articles tell the same facts, I don't feel the facts of his last movements indicate a guy on the run: The check and wallet in his car, the credible sightings of him seeming disheveled and watched/accompanied by two men, etc. If he had committed a crime, why would he remain in the small area for the next several days versus getting the hell out of there as fast as possible.

Not everyone that goes on the lam does so immediately. There have been several cases were suspects have waited weeks after committing the crime to become fugitives.

1. AJ Breaux would have a lot to think about before lamming it. Least of which is whether to abandon his family. That had to be a difficult decision that would take some time and a lot of back and forth.

2. If your going to lam it, your going to need to be prepared. Especially since you might be leaving permanently. AJ may have been staying around to get cash, a car, a place to hide. He may have been looking to get the assistance of some of his buddies.

3. If AJ was drunk, it might not have realized what occurred until much later. He may only recently put two and two together and realized that he committed a crime.

4. AJ may not have been alone if he committed murder. There may have been other people that had something to say about it. Those people may been what preveneted AJ from departing right away.

5. AJ may have had to delay his departure because he had to do something very important----such as disposing of the body and cleaning up the crime scene.

but this seems way out there, imo

My theory stems from the concept that AJ went on the lame to avoid getting arrested.

Giving AJ's alcoholic past....it's not that big a stretch that AJ might have killed someone out of passion.

The only thing missing of course is that victim's body and a crime scene.

Perhaps AJ was drunk driving and killed a pedestrian.

Its grasping at straws time if we go into thinking AJ is now the murder instead of the victim. I haven't this in awhile, so if someone could answer the following questions I apperiacte.

1. Do we know that the police took that note seriously or not?

2. What is the time frame and distance between the clerk seeing him leave to the "abduction" and "phone booth" incidents?

3. What did AJ do for a living, hobbies and so on minus AA?

As for the family and friends who posted here, let me again apologize for the wild speculation with no real facts to back up the theories being thrown around. Please understand, people seem to spitball ideas even if they are off the wall. A lot of junior detectives in here with a game of the wilder the theory the more real it seems. I would appericate if the family and friends could answer the questions, thanks.

Its grasping at straws time if we go into thinking AJ is now the murder instead of the victim.

:yeahthat

Its grasping at straws time if we go into thinking AJ is now the murder instead of the victim. I haven't this in awhile, so if someone could answer the following questions I apperiacte.

1. Do we know that the police took that note seriously or not?


I believe so, if I recall correctly they searched the area near the dam which was close to where his car was found.

3. What did AJ do for a living, hobbies and so on minus AA?


RS said that he ran a local furniture store, I believe. Other than the group meetings, no mention of any other hobbies/activities was made.

Its grasping at straws time if we go into thinking AJ is now the murder instead of the victim. I haven't this in awhile, so if someone could answer the following questions I apperiacte.

There may be no murder period. As I said, AJ may have been on the lam.

I brought up murder because it seemed like a serious enough offense to up and leave your family like that. Course there are others such as gambling debts, shame, and robbery.

For the record, I am of the opinion that AJ Breaux was in part responsible for his own disappearance.

If AJ was killed, why was it necessary to hide his body?

I agree that most of the evidence points to him choosing to go back to drinking and leaving his family. The fact you thought he was a murder in this thing makes no sense in the evidence we have been given. I understand the idea to come up with theories, but please lets keep to the facts at hand. You might as well have said aliens took him at that point.

I also have to take issue with with your statement "If AJ was killed, why was it necessary to hide his body?" Ok, even though this was the 90s, they still had forensic science. A smart crimenial knows if there is no body, its damn near impossible to prosecute. The car was spot clean minus the wallet and checkbook. If the kidnappers were smart enough to either to clean the car to the point of being spotless or just not go near it, they are smart enough to keep the body away. I do the police should have finger printed the note as well as get phone records of the phone booth the witness last saw him at.

The fact you thought he was a murder in this thing makes no sense in the evidence we have been given.

What evidence?

I agree that most of the evidence points to him choosing to go back to drinking and leaving his family

The problem I have with AJ Breaux simply just going off the wagon and leaving is this:

If AJ Breaux was still living all these years and sobered up, eventually he would have come back home or even called his sponsor.

if AJ was laming it, there had to be a serious reason as to why he couldn;t come back.

"If AJ was killed, why was it necessary to hide his body?" Ok, even though this was the 90s, they still had forensic science. A smart crimenial knows if there is no body, its damn near impossible to prosecute

1. Why do you assume it was a "smart criminal"? HeCould easily have been a crime of passion or botched attempted robbery.

2. It is far more common for criminals to not dispose of the body. To simply leave it there. In many cases the disposal of the body is not even practical and possible. Not everyone has a "Satrialle's" at their disposal.

3. The people that tend dispose of bodies are
a. organized crime murders where the organization doesn;t want a body count attracting police into their other activities.
b. murders that happen in the suspects or victims own homes.
c. Where the killer has a direct connection to the victim.
d. The odd serial killer that needs to cover his tracks.

4. People tend to forget that more forensic evidence is created via the disposal of the bodies.

As evidenced by Scott Petereson case. You could make an argument that Scott Peterson might have fared better if he simply left Lacy in the bed and came up with a story about "robbers" killing her. His whole escapades in the removal of the body left as much evidence as the body itself!!!

In a case like this where there are no leads, there isn't really any idea that would be "grasping at straws". Brainstorming possible scenarios can help investigators (amateur and professional) come up with ideas and notice details that no one has before. No one is saying AJ killed anyone, but looking at different angles may help bring out new information or ideas.

There is brainstorming then there is pulling stuff out of your ass. Suggesting this person is a possible murder is ridiculous. Also, these wild speculation takes away from the real facts of the case. Its a giant waste of time and taking away from actually figuring out the case. It screams more of a cry of attention when these things come out.

The evidence in the case is the eye witness testimony, the car, the note, the victim's background and the phone booth where he made a car. As for your questions.

1. Why do you assume it was a "smart criminal"? HeCould easily have been a crime of passion or botched attempted robbery.

-Again, the facts of the case says other wise. Unless you are suggesting he was gay and the guys who took him where part of a gay orgy gone bad. Again, aliens would make more sense.

2. It is far more common for criminals to not dispose of the body. To simply leave it there. In many cases the disposal of the body is not even practical and possible. Not everyone has a "Satrialle's" at their disposal.

-We are not talking about other cases. We are talking about this praticular case where he was possibly abducted first not killed on the spot. The crimenals at this point have a choice they can dump the body off somewhere and take their chances the body, location and host of other things would lead to them or they can bury the body somewhere where no one can find it. A smart criminal with time on their hand will do the burial or even cremation since it makes it harder to find and convict the criminal.

3. The people that tend dispose of bodies are
a. organized crime murders where the organization doesn;t want a body count attracting police into their other activities.
b. murders that happen in the suspects or victims own homes.
c. Where the killer has a direct connection to the victim.
d. The odd serial killer that needs to cover his tracks.

-Is that a statement or a question? I choose c, but again I am saying that disposing the body in public is stupid and done mainly out of ego then anything else.

4. People tend to forget that more forensic evidence is created via the disposal of the bodies.

-Right, so disposing of the body in a public way is not a good idea, thanks for proving my point.

As for Scott Peterson, you are right, but we are not talking about this case. In this case, the criminals have something Scott didn't have, their face in the spotlight. They came in out of nowhere took AJ and left. Scott had to stand in the spotlight of media, family and friends where he knew they would question him. In this case, we don't even have a name to who was in the car with AJ. Like I said before, I think he probably went on a bender with some friends have a stressful incident and was to embarrassed to come back to his family. However, no one not seeing him after this long as well as the mulitple witnesses seeing him in the car with other people is rather disturbing. Since if those people have nothing to hide would have come forward by now. There is two realistic possiblities, he went off the wagon and the second is he was into something so secret or moved so fast he was adbucted and later murdered. I would love to know who he called at that phone booth and I'm a little shocked we know nothing about that or if they fingerprinted the note.

We were brainstorming ideas about why someone would want to disappear intentionally...

In this case, the criminals have something Scott didn't have, their face in the spotlight.

How do you know the murderer's face won;tbe in the spotlight.

For all we know the mayor of the town may have killed AJ Breaux.

1. Why do you assume it was a "smart criminal"? HeCould easily have been a crime of passion or botched attempted robbery.

-Again, the facts of the case says other wise. Unless you are suggesting he was gay and the guys who took him where part of a gay orgy gone bad. Again, aliens would make more sense.

There is no evidence that AJ Breaux was involved in homosexual activity or extra-terrestrial contact. Unless you have evidence to contary?

What facts are you referring to that suggest that this was a skilled crime?

AJ may have simply gotten killed in a drunken fight or killed someone in a drunken fight.

I'm actually more partial to AJ Breaux getting drunk in a near empty bar late at night and being involved in scuffle that led to someone's death.

A simple drunken skirmish that is quite common as a cause of death.

3. The people that tend dispose of bodies are
a. organized crime murders where the organization doesn;t want a body count attracting police into their other activities.
b. murders that happen in the suspects or victims own homes.
c. Where the killer has a direct connection to the victim.
d. The odd serial killer that needs to cover his tracks.

-Is that a statement or a question? I choose c, but again I am saying that disposing the body in public is stupid and done mainly out of ego then anything else.

It was a statement listing the reasons why someone would hide a body.

I don;t get what you mean by "disposing the body in public"?

mulitple witnesses seeing him in the car with other people is rather disturbing.

All of which may be innacurate.

There is no evidence that AJ Breaux was involved in homosexual activity or extra-terrestrial contact. Unless you have evidence to contary?

What facts are you referring to that suggest that this was a skilled crime?

AJ may have simply gotten killed in a drunken fight or killed someone in a drunken fight.

I'm actually more partial to AJ Breaux getting drunk in a near empty bar late at night and being involved in scuffle that led to someone's death.

A simple drunken skirmish that is quite common as a cause of death.

-Then we would have found a body by now. It also doesn't mesh with the car with no prints being found in a forest. Was there a bar in the forest or nearby if so, did anyone see him at the bar? If there was a struggle at a public place like a bar or parking lot depending on the time, there could be an eyewitness or multiple witnesses. I am not saying the lack of eye witness make it less possible, but you are saying that we should ignore the eye witness who come forward. That is insane. Three of the four eye witness saw him with three people in a car. Granted, the car in question only matches two of the eye witness accounts and not the one with the forest groundsman. Doesn't mean they didn't change cars between the forest groundsman and the other two witnesses. That makes more sense then drunk fight gets out of hand with no physical evidence. Seems you are throwing out facts to prove your own theory.

I am not suggesting aliens or gay orge, I am saying how your theories might as well lead to aliens or gay mafia. As for Scott Peterson, he was going to be questioned about the crime regardless if he did it or not. The mayor of the town is not going to be questioned about a missing person unless he was last seen with the person, relative or so on. The eye witnesses could not identify the people in the car with him, so they are probably out of towners who won't have the spotlight on them then say the spouse of the murder victim. Disposing the body in public has some double meanings. The first meaning is the found in a spot that anyone would find them. The second meaning is the murder phones in the whereabouts of the victim. Granted, there was a note, but the fact nothing was found at the spot and we don't know if they finger printed the note which I would have done ASAP.

Again, I do agree the facts tend to conclud of this being a case of a guy deciding to say "Screw it" with his life and doing an extreme version of the Hangover with some drinking bodies. Yet, even after all its said done. Eventually, either a body, a suspect or even the victim would have poped up along the way. If he was a John Doe, shouldn't his finger prints be on file since he was a missing person when the cops did find him? The only other theory that is plausible is he was at the wrong place, at the wrong time at some point of time during that week. If he was abducted, I find it odd someone let him make a phone call and drive him around town. Unless, it was to give the impression he was off the wagon and throw the cops off the trail. Regardless, its an odd set of events and lets to more questions then answers. I think your way of getting the same conclusion is more arm chair police work which is very overrated and wrong more often then not.

There is no evidence that AJ Breaux was involved in homosexual activity or extra-terrestrial contact. Unless you have evidence to contary?

What facts are you referring to that suggest that this was a skilled crime?

AJ may have simply gotten killed in a drunken fight or killed someone in a drunken fight.

I'm actually more partial to AJ Breaux getting drunk in a near empty bar late at night and being involved in scuffle that led to someone's death.

A simple drunken skirmish that is quite common as a cause of death.

-Then we would have found a body by now. It also doesn't mesh with the car with no prints being found in a forest. Was there a bar in the forest or nearby if so, did anyone see him at the bar? If there was a struggle at a public place like a bar or parking lot depending on the time, there could be an eyewitness or multiple witnesses. I am not saying the lack of eye witness make it less possible, but you are saying that we should ignore the eye witness who come forward. That is insane. Three of the four eye witness saw him with three people in a car. Granted, the car in question only matches two of the eye witness accounts and not the one with the forest groundsman. Doesn't mean they didn't change cars between the forest groundsman and the other two witnesses. That makes more sense then drunk fight gets out of hand with no physical evidence. Seems you are throwing out facts to prove your own theory.

I am not suggesting aliens or gay orge, I am saying how your theories might as well lead to aliens or gay mafia. As for Scott Peterson, he was going to be questioned about the crime regardless if he did it or not. The mayor of the town is not going to be questioned about a missing person unless he was last seen with the person, relative or so on. The eye witnesses could not identify the people in the car with him, so they are probably out of towners who won't have the spotlight on them then say the spouse of the murder victim. Disposing the body in public has some double meanings. The first meaning is the found in a spot that anyone would find them. The second meaning is the murder phones in the whereabouts of the victim. Granted, there was a note, but the fact nothing was found at the spot and we don't know if they finger printed the note which I would have done ASAP.

Again, I do agree the facts tend to conclud of this being a case of a guy deciding to say "Screw it" with his life and doing an extreme version of the Hangover with some drinking bodies. Yet, even after all its said done. Eventually, either a body, a suspect or even the victim would have poped up along the way. If he was a John Doe, shouldn't his finger prints be on file since he was a missing person when the cops did find him? The only other theory that is plausible is he was at the wrong place, at the wrong time at some point of time during that week. If he was abducted, I find it odd someone let him make a phone call and drive him around town. Unless, it was to give the impression he was off the wagon and throw the cops off the trail. Regardless, its an odd set of events and lets to more questions then answers. I think your way of getting the same conclusion is more arm chair police work which is very overrated and wrong more often then not.

I think your way of getting the same conclusion is more arm chair police work which is very overrated and wrong more often then not.

:rolleyes:

I think your way of getting the same conclusion is more arm chair police work which is very overrated and wrong more often then not.

And your not doing armchair detective work?:confused:

What is your connection to this case?

You do realize, lotjix, that this is a missing person's case, not a homicide case.

In missing persons cases all possibilities need to be considered, until the body or the living individual is found.

In missing persons cases there is little if any evidence.

In missing persons cases you usually lack the crime scene which is of immense importance in any criminal case.

In a burglary, you have the house or place that was broken into.
In a murder


You don;t know if your subject is
1. A fugitive
2. A runaway
3. A murder victim
4. a living accident victim (amnesia)
5. A dead accident victim
6. abductee or kidnap victim ( or bothched abductee/kidnap victim)


Those are the unique problems in a missing persons case.

Unlike a murder case all possibilities must be considered in a missing persons case until you come across a body or identify a crime scene.

I actually worked in a police station for a few years. Arm chair dectective for me is more old hat considering I have actually been trained in procedure. Its more like free consulting for me and excerise of the mind. As for your numerous lists of what a missing person can be, lets stick to the facts of this case instead of jumping off into wild generalization which after reading a few your posts in threads you tend to do.

In this case, we are talking about not all missing persons which tend to be uniquely different, you have multiple eye witness saying he was in the car with people who appear to be from out of town. You have 2 out of the 3 people identifying the same car. You have a note and a phone call that the police can pull evidence from or didn't. There is no body that can be found if the victim is dead. All the eye witness testimony shows the victim to be confused, but only one says alchol is involved. The last eye witness to me is interesting, she did recongize him from the missing posters and then id him in the mug shot instead of the most recent picture. It would probably have been easier to id him the most recent picture since that is what they probably used for the poster instead of the mug shot. I think she is more credible then people give her credit for. The most rational conclusion is that he went off the wagon and left his life behind. However, I don't discount foul play could be involved, but driving him around town even in make shift clothing is asking for trouble. The problem I have are these wild theories you bring to the table that have nothing to do with the case, its all generalization which is not going to help anyone.

I actually worked in a police station for a few years. Arm chair dectective for me is more old hat considering I have actually been trained in procedure.

With all due, respect. There would be no way of verifying that as well as verifying any claims by me. Sadly this is the problem of internet anonymity.

This is not in regards to you, but to anyone that posts here. We've had people on this forum claim to be lots of things (myself included). In essence there is no way to verify anyones,

BTW, out of curiosity..what did you do at the police station. I assume you were not a cop, because you used the words "worked in a police station for a few years". You didn;t say " I used to be a cop".

You have 2 out of the 3 people identifying the same car.

The problem I have are these wild theories you bring to the table that have nothing to do with the case, its all generalization which is not going to help anyone.

1. Sure it does, if AJ Breaux killed someone he owed money too, it would explain a lot of details.

2. If your willing to buy that AJ Breaux's body was hidden, why could it not work that AJ Breaux hid a body and then went on the lam.

3. Your missing the biggest point of the theory. That if AJ Breaux was going to lam it indefinitely....the reason for the departure had to be serious enough

I take offense at the "wild theory" part.

The theory I have taken (barring any new evidence) is that AJ Breaux left on his own. Reasons of which are undetermined. Bu if I had to guess a reason, it would be that AJ felt he would either arrested or killed by someone if he didn;t leave.

For AJ to leave his familty because he thought he was arrested....the offense would have to be something great. Such as murder, fraud and grand larceny.

I don;t think what I suggest is far-fetched.

Originally posted by lotjx I actually worked in a police station for a few years.

Yeah, you coulda been the freakin' janitor for all we know

Not that there's anything wrong with that -janitorial duty is not an easy task

Hmm, personally, I have always found it suspicious that AJ's car was found where it was. I have kicked around the idea that possibly AJ went to help someone he was sponsoring or someone that called him through AA or another support group for alcoholics (I am not sure if AJ belonged to AA or another club but I know a nickname for AA is the 'easy does it club') and maybe he tried to intervene with someone that was drunk and angry and he got killed? I do think if AJ was murdered that robbery was not the motive. Someone in an alcoholic blackout could kill someone and not remember actually doing it.

It is also possible that AJ did fall off of the wagon and go on a bender and either because he did not want to stop drinking or was ashamed of falling off the wagon and did not want to face his family over it or whatever reason he felt the need to run away, that is possible too. While this is still officially a missing person's case, AJ's family had him declared legally dead back in the late 90's.

Also, I take issue with the poster ripping on us arm chair detectives. All of us here are basically arm chaired detectives. I like how you rip on us for that yet you are doing the exact same thing.

The problem with the idea of AJ himself becoming a fugitive and going on the run (other than it being out of his character)... is how do we explain the two acquaintance friends who saw him on the same day in the red car, looking like he was kidnapped?

Even if he did start drinking again, I think he would've turned up rather quickly (either coming to his senses and returning to his job and his kids and other friends). The scenario about him helping out someone from the AA club on his way home after leaving the store is possible though. Like they could've suddenly become violent.

The problem with the idea of AJ himself becoming a fugitive and going on the run (other than it being out of his character)... is how do we explain the two acquaintance friends who saw him on the same day in the red car, looking like he was kidnapped?

Even if he did start drinking again, I think he would've turned up rather quickly (either coming to his senses and returning to his job and his kids and other friends). The scenario about him helping out someone from the AA club on his way home after leaving the store is possible though. Like they could've suddenly become violent.

AJ leaving on his own has another problem...he left his car.

AJ leaving on his own has another problem...he left his car.

Yeah, that stands out more than anything.

Just wondered - what does anyone make of the golf course janitor guy who says he saw AJ (or someone who looked like him) being kidnapped?

What's interesting in the reenactment is that the car was a white Volvo (not the red one his two friends later saw him in/around), and that it was in the daytime. Yet AJ disappeared at night when he was on his way home from the conveinence store.

Yeah, that stands out more than anything.

Just wondered - what does anyone make of the golf course janitor guy who says he saw AJ (or someone who looked like him) being kidnapped?

What's interesting in the reenactment is that the car was a white Volvo (not the red one his two friends later saw him in/around), and that it was in the daytime. Yet AJ disappeared at night when he was on his way home from the conveinence store.

Here are my opinions of the witnesses recollections:

Maintenance person- I don't believe this is a positive ID...did he even know who AJ was? Witnesses who don't know the subject are very unreliable.

Woman who "AJ" attempted to sell fish to- see above, same reasons

Man who saw "AJ" in car- slightly more credible than the others. This person knew AJ personally, but saw him riding in a passing vehicle.

Man who saw "AJ" at phone booth- This would be a credible sighting to me...the guy knew AJ personally for many years, saw him in person, and said hello to him.

Here are my opinions of the witnesses recollections:

Maintenance person- I don't believe this is a positive ID...did he even know who AJ was? Witnesses who don't know the subject are very unreliable.

Woman who "AJ" attempted to sell fish to- see above, same reasons

Man who saw "AJ" in car- slightly more credible than the others. This person knew AJ personally, but saw him riding in a passing vehicle.

Man who saw "AJ" at phone booth- This would be a credible sighting to me...the guy knew AJ personally for many years, saw him in person, and said hello to him.

Yeah Kenneth Pelliegrin. The actor who played him looked nothing like him. His testimony was the most belivable but the witness who saw him driving by did see AJ in the same colour car and with the same amount of occupants.

Originally Posted by Apostapler
AJ leaving on his own has another problem...he left his car.

Not unusual for fugitives or runaways to find alternative transportation.

Remember that police can give your car license and description in the APB.

Perhaps the abduters knew he would not go anywhere. AJ may have known they could find him and kill him at any time. Plus, AJ probably has to consider these guys could kill his family as wel if he escaped. It was most likely a "no-win" situation for AJ.

As I said before, I could easily see a scenario were AJ was jacked by some people he owed money to. These guys probably stripped his clothes and beat him up. They made an ultimatum to him--Get the money to us by a certain time or you die!.

Sadly I don;t think AJ got the money in time. :(



So far, that's the only theory that makes sense to me. I've really been chewing on this one for long time. I just can't believe this guy disappeared into thin air. Also, I don't think the lady in blue who saw him selling fish is correct. I think she is mistaken.

Just finished viewing this segment and I have questions of my own:

1) Did anyone else happen to notice that Mr Breaux's financial status was not mentioned in the segment? They never say if he was having troubles with his business or with his personal finances. That could be a primary motivator if he disappeared on his own.

2) He was living with his daughter according to the segment. That would likely mean that he didn't have any female companionship. Is it possible that Mr. Breaux was/is gay? Could he have run into some unsavory companions during a tryst?

3) If, as shown in the segment he had changed clothes, where were his original clothes? Did they find any clothes in his abandoned car?

4) if he was abducted, as it is implied several times throughout the segment, what was the purpose of the abduction? Did he often carry large amounts of cash? Could somebody have wanted him to break into his business and get some cash for them? Did he even have any money of his own?

5) The quart of milk he shown purchasing; whatever happened to that? Was it in the car?

6) Why would his daughter have thought that he would be in the trunk of his car? Of all the statements in the segment, that struck me is the most odd as the was no reason to suspect that he was dead at that time. Was Mr. Breaux involved in some type of gambling or criminal activity?

7) Of the four eyewitness sightings, personally I only believed to: the woman in the store where Mr. Breaux bought the milk and the gentleman that recognized him on the pay phone. The other two sightings seemed kind of sketchy. Especially the frozen fish sighting (he only stopped at her home and offered her some fish?)

8) IMHO, the note was obviously a forgery. If Mr. Breaux had accidentally shot himself, why dump the body in the river? Why not simply leave it where the accident had occurred? or taken to a hospital?

Very strange case that probably won't be solved without a confession or Mr. Breaux's body being discovered.

I had only seen this case once years ago, but it was recently re-aired on Lifetime with Farina as the host. They left out the part of the eyewitness who claims to have seen Breaux being abducted, (shocker I know) which throws the case in a whole other direction. I was thinking the most likely possibility was that his demons overcame him that night, he stopped off for a drink, then that turned into 12 and he killed himself because he was ashamed of what he'd done. But if that eyewitness was reliable, he most certainly was abducted and murdered.

I've recently seen this case on the site that will not be mentioned after thinking I'd seen all the good episodes I was very intrigued by it, a few points i'd like to mention are,

If AJ thought he was being followed he might have turned into the park to see if the car passed him by and when it followed him in he might have dumped his wallet and keys under the seat thinking he was being robbed,

The fact that two people say they saw him in strange clothing/vehicle before they knew he was missing is believable seeing that he wasn't on their minds and wasn't in a familiar setting or clothing which would be more likely to cause false sightings.

Being an ex alcholic would have toughened him up and it's possible he made a decision to not phone anyone to get a ransom in the hope the kidnappers would give up.

It would have been a good idea for the kidnappers to use two different vehicles one to kidnap and then one to use afterwards which would explain why the janitor saw a different vehicle.

The "fish" witness confuses me she only knew him from the flyer but didn't recognise him when she saw the photo that was in the flyer!

I don't believe the theories about drugs, debt or orgies. What happened to the milk is a mystery if he chose to disappear then he took it with him but it's hard to imagine kidnappers would take it or let him bring it.

My last point is that on the site that will not be mentioned someone who claims to be related to Kenneth Pelligren (the payphone witness) says "hes the biggest liar that ive even known" whether I can believe someone who writes "even" instead of ever is up to debate.

My last point is that on the site that will not be mentioned someone who claims to be related to Kenneth Pelligren (the payphone witness) says "hes the biggest liar that ive even known" whether I can believe someone who writes "even" instead of ever is up to debate.

I don't see any reason the man would have to lie about seeing AJ. For an appearance on UM? Not likely. I've always wondered who AJ was talking to on the payphone when Pelligren saw him outside the store.

I don't see any reason the man would have to lie about seeing AJ. For an appearance on UM? Not likely. I've always wondered who AJ was talking to on the payphone when Pelligren saw him outside the store.

If he had been kidnapped the kidnappers could have told him to phone his family for a ransom, knowing it would look odd to see two men near one phone they let him do it on his own and he either phoned a random number or didn't call anyone at all in the hope that they would give up, but that doesn't answer why he didn't phone the police unless he thought that would endanger his life even more?

If he had been kidnapped the kidnappers could have told him to phone his family for a ransom, knowing it would look odd to see two men near one phone they let him do it on his own and he either phoned a random number or didn't call anyone at all in the hope that they would give up, but that doesn't answer why he didn't phone the police unless he thought that would endanger his life even more?

Was there ever a motive presented which would give anyone a reson to kidnap AJ and hold him for ransom?

Was there ever a motive presented which would give anyone a reson to kidnap AJ and hold him for ransom?

The segment does say say he worked in the same store for thirty years so maybe someone thought he owned it apart from that I don't think so.

This case was disturbing. I've seen it presented by RS and Farina but what's not presented is that if AJ is still alive even though he would be in his early 70s he may look older than he actually is. And it's possible he suffered or is suffering from amnesia. That would explain the lack of a body. And he may not even know he is missing.

This case was disturbing. I've seen it presented by RS and Farina but what's not presented is that if AJ is still alive even though he would be in his early 70s he may look older than he actually is. And it's possible he suffered or is suffering from amnesia. That would explain the lack of a body. And he may not even know he is missing.

I honestly doubt that AJ is still alive. We had two eyewitnesses who saw AJ the day after he disappeared in the company of three unknown men, which seems to indicate he was abducted. And I doubt the three men would simply have let AJ live after abducting him, out of fear that they were going to be identified by AJ later.

Sad and intriguing case. I just saw it for the first time earlier today.
Sorry, but I find the theory that he's a fugitive a bit preposterous. Like many here, I believe the 2 men who saw AJ in the red car are reliable. Fish lady? Not so much. I don't know what to make of the park maintenance guy who claims to have seen AJ. I can't remember -- does he claim to have seen him the day after AJ went missing? The cars were different. The note sent to police was obviously a sick prank. I believe AJ was kidnapped, but have no idea why. I think the theory that AJ had some debt or shady dealings is plausible, though. The missing jug of milk is very fascinating. Maybe his abductors just took it and drank it themselves? I'm not trying to be funny/sarcastic... just racking my brain for a possible explanation.

IIRC, AJ had been sober for several years before he disappeared. He also disappeared AFTER attending/moderating an AA meeting, so I highly doubt alcohol played a factor in his disappearance. And if he planned on leaving, I don't see why he would feel the need to buy a gallon of milk, park his car, lock his wallet and checkbook inside and they hightail it out of the area to start a new life. There's definitely foul play involved here, IMHO.

EDIT: Don't know if this has been posted or not, but AJ's family had him legally declared dead in 1998. There are several interesting articles about the case here:

http://projectjason.org/forums/index.php?topic=285.0

He sounds like such a nice guy in the article, it's such a shame noone knows why he disappeared if they did they could concentrate down one avenue and the case would have been solved years ago.

I just watched this segment for the first time tonight...I can't believe I hadn't caught this one before; it was so intriguing. Here are my thoughts:

1. For some odd reason that I can't explain, I kinda believe Fish Lady. Her story sounds bizarre, for sure, but she seemed sincere, and the "alcohol on his breath" might match up to AJ's situation at the time. Hmm.

2. I think the idea that maybe AJ was trying to help one of his fellow AA members that night is highly plausible. Maybe he stops by their house, the person tells him something is wrong, AJ tries to help, the person turns violent, then sobers up and ditches the body...

3. Maybe AJ was the victim of a completely random act of violence, a la Sammy Wheeler. Maybe his alcholism/AA stuff has nothing at all to do with what happened.

4. Then again, maybe the alcoholism IS involved. Maybe AJ fell off the wagon, had some sort of breakdown, and became vulnerable to shady characters he encountered during a bender, and things spiraled downward from there?

5. Like another poster said, I also thought it was weird that his daughter initially believed his body was in the trunk -- that almost seems to indicate AJ may have been involved with gamblers/criminals/etc., or perhaps counseled them at AA meetings.

Definitely one of UM's most underrated cases, in my opinion.

One of my all-time favorite cases. It's so intriguing. I honestly have no idea if he's dead or alive, possibly with amnesia. Perhaps he went on some alcohol-fueled bender, woke up not knowing who he was, and met up with seedy people?

One of my all-time favorite cases. It's so intriguing. I honestly have no idea if he's dead or alive, possibly with amnesia. Perhaps he went on some alcohol-fueled bender, woke up not knowing who he was, and met up with seedy people?

This is certainly possible. I also think it's possible that he went on a bender, got depressed because he relapsed and killed himself. Although the eyewitnesses who actually knew AJ personally swore that they saw them in the company of three men in a red car makes me think foul play was involved somehow.

What about that car AJ was seen riding in? Was that looked into?

This is certainly possible. I also think it's possible that he went on a bender, got depressed because he relapsed and killed himself. Although the eyewitnesses who actually knew AJ personally swore that they saw them in the company of three men in a red car makes me think foul play was involved somehow.

Exactly

A few weird things here:

1 - That park groundskeeper sees three men force one man into a car but doesn't report it to police for three days?

2 - The lady who think she spotted AJ selling fish recognized him and called the police. You would think a big red van in small town Louisiana would have been easy to spot for the cops right? Maybe the cops dropped the ball, or maybe she took her sweet time calling them or maybe she was way off.

3 - According to someone who posted a comment on Youtube he claims that one of the witnesses (Kenneth Mulligan, I believe) the man who says he saw AJ at a pay phone is lying. This poster says Kenneth is his uncle and is a compulsive liar and would do anything to get on TV. Now, I don't know this poster from Adam, but maybe he's telling the truth. I tend to believe the witness though, there was another witness who waved at AJ and he was in a red car with three other men. Just like the phone booth sighting. Both men seeing the same thing decreases the chances of them being wrong.

4 - AJ dealt with drunks trying not to fall off the wagon. Not to be rude, but some of these people wouldn't exactly be salt of the earth types. They are alcholics. If anyone knows an alcoholic they know they can (the key word being "can") be violent, selfish and run with the wrong crowd. They could do anything to get a drink. They could fall in with gamblers. Who knows. But either way it is safe to say AJ wasn't always dealing with genuine people, so that could have something to do with it.

5 - One other thing that bugs me. The fish lady saw him 4 weeks after his disappearance. If she is right, why in the world do his kidnappers let him go? I wonder about that sighting.

6 - I don't believe the amnesia thing. After 20 years someone, somewhere would have seen a middle aged (and now rather old) man wandering around. Or even if he got a job somewhere someone would recognize him. They'd try to learn about his past. His neighbours would know him, etc. There is no way he survives the streets for 20 years disorientated. Someone would spot him, which is why I believe he either ran away on his own, or he is no longer with us. Probably the latter. But for the life of me I can't figure out why.

Hi, I'm new here. Just re-watched this the other day and I unfortunately think the most likely scenario is whoever AJ Breaux was with or ran into that day killed him. He had either had a deal gone bad with some bad people or he saw/heard something he shouldn't have.

A few weird things here:

1 - That park groundskeeper sees three men force one man into a car but doesn't report it to police for three days?

They edit this out of the new revamped episode completely. I didn't even know this was a part of the story until I read it on here. Yes, it is very odd that if he truely saw three men abduct another that he would wait to report it for three whole days. Unless he figured one or all of them was/were drunk, or maybe thought since the guy wasn't screaming for help it wasn't anything worth reporting. Maybe after he heard about AJ's disappearance is when he came forward?

2 - The lady who think she spotted AJ selling fish recognized him and called the police. You would think a big red van in small town Louisiana would have been easy to spot for the cops right? Maybe the cops dropped the ball, or maybe she took her sweet time calling them or maybe she was way off.

I tend to think the fish lady is wrong. However, if she is right and did in fact see AJ, then I think the witnesses who claimed to have seen him in the company of three shady characters are all either lying or mistaken. If the fish lady did see AJ, then this means that he was never abducted (because why would his abductors suddenly let him free to sell fish?) and he possibly fell off the wagon and ran away to start a new life out of shame and embarassment.

3 - According to someone who posted a comment on Youtube he claims that one of the witnesses (Kenneth Mulligan, I believe) the man who says he saw AJ at a pay phone is lying. This poster says Kenneth is his uncle and is a compulsive liar and would do anything to get on TV. Now, I don't know this poster from Adam, but maybe he's telling the truth. I tend to believe the witness though, there was another witness who waved at AJ and he was in a red car with three other men. Just like the phone booth sighting. Both men seeing the same thing decreases the chances of them being wrong.

I agree. I think that because there was another witness who said that they saw AJ in a red car with three men that Kenneth Pelligran is telling the truth.

6 - I don't believe the amnesia thing. After 20 years someone, somewhere would have seen a middle aged (and now rather old) man wandering around. Or even if he got a job somewhere someone would recognize him. They'd try to learn about his past. His neighbours would know him, etc. There is no way he survives the streets for 20 years disorientated. Someone would spot him, which is why I believe he either ran away on his own, or he is no longer with us. Probably the latter. But for the life of me I can't figure out why.

I agree about AJ being most likely dead, and I can't think of any reason why either. Unless he owed someone a substantial debt, I can't think of any other motive as to why three men would abduct him and kill him. I also forgot about the handwritten note found that stated that AJ shot himself in the stomach and was drunk at the time. The note was written by a "friend" who then put his body in a sack and allegedly dumped it near a dam. If the note was authentic (the detective in the segment wrote it off as a prank), then you obviously have AJ's killer. Who would dump their friend's body and not come forward/seek out help if AJ truely did kill himself? Why risk getting in more trouble by hiding his body and not reporting the suicide? That makes no sense and adds even more eerieness to this weird, fascinating case.

I tend to believe that he had a relapse that was so horrible, he couldn't handle the consequences and committed suicide somewhere away from his normal surroundings (where he couldn't be found).

I don't think he committed suicide. He was seen by two completely different people at different times who both knew him well, and both of those people described him as being with the same group of people and in the same vehicle. They also described A.J.'s behavior as being the opposite of his typically outgoing, friendly demeanor.

Now, earlier in this thread someone mentioned that somebody claiming to be a relative of one of the eyewitnesses stated on a certain video hosting site that this individual allegedly did not have a reputation for telling the truth. Whether that's true or not is really none of my concern, but I suppose that does lead me to wonder if the other eyewitness's account was ever publicized anywhere very early on, such as within days or weeks of A.J.'s disappearance. If it was, I would then be given to wonder about when exactly the eyewitness mentioned on the video site began to testify about his seeing A.J.

Nonetheless, in all the articles I have ever read about A.J. Breaux, I've never read anything about financial problems, relationships with shady characters, or the like. That does tend to complicate the abduction theory somewhat. But I still have some gut feeling that those witnesses were telling the truth. I can't explain it fully, but I strongly feel he was in fact abducted.

I don't think he committed suicide. He was seen by two completely different people at different times who both knew him well, and both of those people described him as being with the same group of people and in the same vehicle. They also described A.J.'s behavior as being the opposite of his typically outgoing, friendly demeanor.

Now, earlier in this thread someone mentioned that somebody claiming to be a relative of one of the eyewitnesses stated on a certain video hosting site that this individual allegedly did not have a reputation for telling the truth. Whether that's true or not is really none of my concern, but I suppose that does lead me to wonder if the other eyewitness's account was ever publicized anywhere very early on, such as within days or weeks of A.J.'s disappearance. If it was, I would then be given to wonder about when exactly the eyewitness mentioned on the video site began to testify about his seeing A.J.

Nonetheless, in all the articles I have ever read about A.J. Breaux, I've never read anything about financial problems, relationships with shady characters, or the like. That does tend to complicate the abduction theory somewhat. But I still have some gut feeling that those witnesses were telling the truth. I can't explain it fully, but I strongly feel he was in fact abducted.

Eyewitnesses can be wrong as we've seen many times on UM. The fish lady story just doesn't sit well with me.

Now, earlier in this thread someone mentioned that somebody claiming to be a relative of one of the eyewitnesses stated on a certain video hosting site that this individual allegedly did not have a reputation for telling the truth. Whether that's true or not is really none of my concern, but I suppose that does lead me to wonder if the other eyewitness's account was ever publicized anywhere very early on, such as within days or weeks of A.J.'s disappearance. If it was, I would then be given to wonder about when exactly the eyewitness mentioned on the video site began to testify about his seeing A.J.

I take those comments with a grain of salt on the forbidden site. The UM segment says that after Kenneth Pelligran came forward with his story, another witness called the lead detective and told him that he also saw AJ in the company of three men in a red car. Both eyewitnesses gave significant details that make me think neither of them are making anything up. Pelligran says he saw him wearing flannel and baggy pants which was very uncharacteristic, and the other eyewitness says that when he waved to AJ, AJ did not wave back when he always had done so beforehand. Plus, his own daughter confirms that both witnesses knew AJ well in the segment.

"It makes me think that definitely somebody knows something. If both of these gentlemen who know him from a good while back, one a lot longer than the other, have seen him, we know that they know what he looks like, and they both saw him in the same color car with three men in it. I’m pretty much convinced that somebody, somewhere knows something."

Eyewitnesses can be wrong as we've seen many times on UM. The fish lady story just doesn't sit well with me.

Sure, and I too don't think the woman who says she saw A.J. selling frozen fish identified the man correctly. But the amount and kind of detail both witnesses described is too much for me to think they were mistaken, or outrightly did not see A.J. with those people in that vehicle and are making it up.

I take those comments with a grain of salt on the forbidden site. The UM segment says that after Kenneth Pelligran came forward with his story, another witness called the lead detective and told him that he also saw AJ in the company of three men in a red car. Both eyewitnesses gave significant details that make me think neither of them are making anything up.

Right. I just don't see how both those people could provide the kind of detail that they did and manage to have said details match perfectly.

Didn't AJ own a successful store? Could the motive for his disappearance (and likely murder) be someone who wanted the property?

Didn't AJ own a successful store? Could the motive for his disappearance (and likely murder) be someone who wanted the property?

He was a long-time (thirty years or so, I think) employee at Earl William's, a men's clothing store in downtown Houma (7873 Main St, if you want to Google Map it--it's still there). It's actually right next door to that drug store featured prominently at the very beginning of the segment. But he didn't own it, no.

He was a long-time (thirty years or so, I think) employee at Earl William's, a men's clothing store in downtown Houma (7873 Main St, if you want to Google Map it--it's still there). It's actually right next door to that drug store featured prominently at the very beginning of the segment. But he didn't own it, no.

Oh, well that shoots that theory down. I wonder if he was involved in the community (local politics, etc.) outside of his support group. Or even more possible, I wonder if a member in his support group was involved with organized crime and someone believed AJ knew too much.

Oh, well that shoots that theory down. I wonder if he was involved in the community (local politics, etc.) outside of his support group. Or even more possible, I wonder if a member in his support group was involved with organized crime and someone believed AJ knew too much.

From what I've gathered, he was a pretty well-known guy in Houma. The beginning of the segment shows him standing outside the store, waving to people he knew as they passed by, and I'm pretty certain I read an article once that attested that this was something he did a lot. I get the sense he was very friendly. I would say it's likely he was involved in other community groups as well. We know for sure he was very committed to his AA group.

I'm sure it was mentioned in the segment and perhaps some pages back, but when police searched A.J.'s car, they found his wallet, checkbook, and $165 or so he was safekeeping for AA. That bothers me a lot.

From what I've gathered, he was a pretty well-known guy in Houma. The beginning of the segment shows him standing outside the store, waving to people he knew as they passed by, and I'm pretty certain I read an article once that attested that this was something he did a lot. I get the sense he was very friendly. I would say it's likely he was involved in other community groups as well. We know for sure he was very committed to his AA group.

I'm sure it was mentioned in the segment and perhaps some pages back, but when police searched A.J.'s car, they found his wallet, checkbook, and $165 or so he was safekeeping for AA. That bothers me a lot.

What do you suppose was the motive for AJ's abduction and likely murder? I can't think of one off the top of my head other than some sort of organized crime wanting him out of the way for some unknown reason.

What do you suppose was the motive for AJ's abduction and likely murder? I can't think of one off the top of my head other than some sort of organized crime wanting him out of the way for some unknown reason.

Gosh, I don't know. I really don't. I strongly believe both those eyewitnesses are telling the truth, though. I really don't know why a party of unknown men would by all accounts be holding someone hostage who was so well-known and liked in the community.

The only sordid thing in his past was the drinking, and he'd been sober for nearly a decade at the time of his disappearance. I don't think SageSlowdive's theory about falling off the wagon is illogical at all, but by all accounts, he was strongly committed to sobriety and was a very involved member of that AA group. And again, those eyewitness accounts are way too similar.

I really don't know. I'm literally as much at a loss on it as I am about Aileen Conway.

Link (http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20140201/ARTICLES/140209983/1320?p=1&tc=pg#gsc.tab=0)

Mother Teresa once said, "God doesn't require us to succeed, he only requires that you try."

The quote was a favorite for Adam John Breaux who has been missing for more than 22 years.

One may think Breaux would be proud of his daughters, who have followed those words and never stopped looking for their beloved father even as the search has stretched past two decades.

On Saturday, nearly 100 of Breaux's family members and friends celebrated his life at Jim Bowie Park on Black Drive in Houma, where his car was found the night he became missing.

Breaux's oldest daughter, 48-year-old Melissa Tardo, said the event was also another opportunity to receive some closure.

"Twenty-two years have come and gone, but it still feels like the first year," she said. "We want the public to know, somebody somewhere has to know something, and they've got to come forward. Nobody should have to go through this, nobody."

Tardo said they chose the park because it's the last part of their father they have to hold on to.

"This is the most meaningful place to have it, because it's the last piece of him that we have," she said.

Breaux's three daughters, who organized the rememberance, have called their effort "Project Wish." The daughters, along with their families, wore gray shirts that showed their father's smiling face.

"We never got to have anything for him. We just want to honor him," said Breaux's daughter, Tania Guidry, 46.

Legally declared dead in 1998, Breaux turned 73 on Jan. 14. His daughters originally scheduled the celebration for the Saturday before his birthday, but weather forced them to reschedule. Looking toward the sky, Breaux's youngest daughter Monica Larpenter, 43, told the crowd she believed this was the right day to hold the event because of the perfect weather.

"Thank you God and thank you daddy. If he had anything to do with this ... thank you," Larpenter said.

Family and friends spoke highly of Breaux's character and shared stories of times he had gone out of his way to help them or someone they knew.

"He was a happy person, friendly, always willing to help. He was a joy to be around," Guidry said. "He was always helping other people. You could always count on him for anything."

Lois Arceneaux, Breaux's ex-wife and mother to his daughters, stood by offering support, something she has done for the past 22 years, Larpenter said.

Arceneaux and Breaux had been divorced 17 years when he became missing but remained close friends because of their daughters. His children meant everything to him, and he would never willingly leave them, she said.

"Maybe it's been on somebody's conscious for a long time and maybe they'll come out," she said.

Breaux's disappearance was broadcast to a national audience in 1992 on the show "Unsolved Mysteries." However, like the police's efforts, the episode was unable to bring closure.

Long considered an unsolved homicide by police detectives, the sisters haven't given up.

"We don't have any answers. We don't want people to think the case is closed or anything like that. We want to try and find out what happened. This will keep it fresh in people's mind and hopefully it'll trigue someone's memory," Guidry said.

Breaux, a salesman at the Earl Williams men's clothing store in downtown Houma, vanished Aug. 28, 1991, following an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting at the Easy Does It Club on Bernard Street, near the Southern Oaks Country Club.

At the time he was 50 years old and had been sober for eight years.

"He was a great person and very well known in the community," Guidry said.

His daughters are sure their father, who held down the same job for more than three decades and was heavily involved in the community and committed to his family, didn't just up and leave on his own.

"He came home, he worked in his yard, he ate supper ... If you're planning on leaving, why would you work in your garden?" Larpenter said.

She noted he was also in line to receive an award that weekend during a local AA convention.

During the ceremony, Breaux's daughters and grandchildren grabbed bags of balloons and released into the sky, the wind carrying them across Barrow Street toward La. 311. The family had written Breaux's name and the day he became missing on the balloons in hopes they'll reach someone who can help, Larpenter said.

"You don't know where they're going to go. Hopefully they'll turn up something. We just want the world to know that we haven't forgotten."

If you have any information concerning Breaux's whereabout, contact the Houma Police Department at 873-6371.

Thanks for that link. Unfortunately they didn't offer much more information that wasn't in the UM segment.

Thanks for posting the article, Zoneboy.

We all have our UM cases that we're especially drawn to. This one is definitely one of mine.

http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20140129/ARTICLES/140129404?p=1&tc=pg#gsc.tab=0

Another article written shortly before AJ's family held the memorial for him. It's interesting that their theory is that AJ, being invovled in AA, may have found out some secrets which ultimately led to his death.

http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20140129/ARTICLES/140129404?p=1&tc=pg#gsc.tab=0

Another article written shortly before AJ's family held the memorial for him. It's interesting that their theory is that AJ, being invovled in AA, may have found out some secrets which ultimately led to his death.

I was reading that yesterday and I agree with the daughters that it's probably the most logical possibility.

“Because of his involvement in an organization where people tell their secrets, we feel that he may have accidentally become privy to some personal or private information that he should not have known, either directly or indirectly, and that’s the reason for his disappearance,” Tardo said."

Wrong place, wrong time. I think that makes more sense than suddenly relapsing back to alcohol during those several hours.

The gallon of milk and his car keys were never found. Which is the strangest thing about this case. That pretty much disproves the theory that he went on a bender and killed himself or lost his memory, because why would he take the gallon of milk with him but not his check book or wallet?! Definitely think he was abducted shortly after buying the gallon of milk that night. But why would his abductors keep him alive for the next day and drive him around from place to place, potentially exposing their identities?

I noticed in that article, the story about the men forcing another man into a car in Jim Bowie Park is different than the one relayed on the UM segment. Here the car is red; in the segment, it was white. RS may have even included that in his narration. I'll have to watch it again.

From an article from about ten years ago posted here:

http://projectjason.org/forums/topic/154-assumed-deceased-adam-john-aj-breaux-la-8281991/

The women say they think their father, who would never hesitate to lend a hand to someone in need, made the mistake of helping the wrong person that night.

"I feel like he did not choose to disappear," Tardo said. "I think he went with someone he knew at least vaguely. Then he was set up."

"He could have barely known somebody and he would've gone with them," Guidry added.

Because so little is known about what happened, the possibility that Breaux chose to disappear cannot be completely eliminated. His daughters, however, say that Breaux was too close to his family to walk away without some type of goodbye.

"I can't imagine him wanting to disappear,' Tardo said. 'I truly believe he was so attached, especially to my daughter. He would've had a get-together to see her one last time."

An article from earlier this year: http://www.wwltv.com/news/lafourche-terrebonne/Daughters-cling-to-hope-for-father-missing-22-years-243347011.html

Sounds like they just still don't know.

"We don't have any answers. We don't want people to think the case is closed or anything like that. We want to try and find out what happened. This will keep it fresh in people's mind and hopefully it'll trigue someone's memory," [his daughter Tania] Guidry said.

Just caught this.

I didn't read the whole thread, so I apologize if someone already addressed this, but what do we know about A.J.'s business? The business he owned? Is it possible he could have been involved in something shady?

His disappearance seems like an abduction to me. I base this on the nature of his car being abandoned, the missing milk (which makes his disappearance seem all the more abrupt), and the eyewitness sightings of A.J. with a group of three unidentified men. Normally, I discount eyewitness sightings, but the witnesses in both instances knew A.J. personally, and one witness even spoke to him briefly. That being said, I don't believe the lady who said A.J. tried to sell her fish. I believe the story itself, but I don't think the man was A.J.

I sort of get an Angelo Desideri vibe about this one. My gut feeling is A.J. was involved in something shady that resulted in his abduction and probable murder. What he was involved in, I can't even begin to speculate. However, I am at a loss to explain why someone, let alone three men, would abduct a male of A.J.'s age, and he would seemingly never return.

That being said, I suppose it is possible that A.J. decided to abandon his life (go figure) and take off for parts unknown. That doesn't explain the eyewitness sightings though, and it didn't seem that he had much motive, and the disappearance is too abrupt as I noted earlier.

Just caught this.

I didn't read the whole thread, so I apologize if someone already addressed this, but what do we know about A.J.'s business? The business he owned? Is it possible he could have been involved in something shady?

A.J. didn't own a business; he was a salesman at Earl Williams Clothing in downtown Houma, where I think he'd worked since high school.

His disappearance seems like an abduction to me. I base this on the nature of his car being abandoned, the missing milk (which makes his disappearance seem all the more abrupt), and the eyewitness sightings of A.J. with a group of three unidentified men. Normally, I discount eyewitness sightings, but the witnesses in both instances knew A.J. personally, and one witness even spoke to him briefly. That being said, I don't believe the lady who said A.J. tried to sell her fish. I believe the story itself, but I don't think the man was A.J.

+1

I sort of get an Angelo Desideri vibe about this one. My gut feeling is A.J. was involved in something shady that resulted in his abduction and probable murder. What he was involved in, I can't even begin to speculate. However, I am at a loss to explain why someone, let alone three men, would abduct a male of A.J.'s age, and he would seemingly never return.

That being said, I suppose it is possible that A.J. decided to abandon his life (go figure) and take off for parts unknown. That doesn't explain the eyewitness sightings though, and it didn't seem that he had much motive, and the disappearance is too abrupt as I noted earlier.

I want to say A.J.'s daughters have speculated before that their father may have encountered an unsavory character in AA. Why someone like that would feel the need to abduct A.J. is beyond me, however.

A.J. didn't own a business; he was a salesman at Earl Williams Clothing in downtown Houma, where I think he'd worked since high school.

Ahhh, thanks for the correction. I misheard that detail in the segment.

I want to say A.J.'s daughters have speculated before that their father may have encountered an unsavory character in AA. Why someone like that would feel the need to abduct A.J. is beyond me, however.

I read the thread after posting. One thing bothers me about this trajectory. I've been to AA. The meetings are open to the public and anyone can come in and listen or actively participate in discussion. Such openness is key to getting people to join the group and discuss their problems freely without being judged. That all being said, if something damning was disclosed at an AA meeting, A.J. wouldn't be the only one to hear it.

The only other possibility I can see is if A.J. was counseling someone privately and the disclosure came from that. Otherwise, it is hard to imagine something so damaging being disclosed in the group discussion setting that is standard practice for AA.

Something else that bothered me from the segment was the daughter's insistence that the police check the trunk for A.J.'s body immediately upon discovery of the car. Another poster earlier in the thread mentioned this too. That little detail just struck me as odd. I mean, if a loved one disappeared and their car was found, absent of obvious evidence of a violent altercation, would you immediately assume they were dead in the trunk?

My gut feeling still is that A.J. was involved in something he perhaps shouldn't have been and got in over his head. His disappearance just doesn't "fit" or make sense otherwise. I also think it's difficult to accept because A.J. seemed to be such a "nice guy." He probably was, but in a situation like this, we have to consider all options.

Ahhh, thanks for the correction. I misheard that detail in the segment.



I read the thread after posting. One thing bothers me about this trajectory. I've been to AA. The meetings are open to the public and anyone can come in and listen or actively participate in discussion. Such openness is key to getting people to join the group and discuss their problems freely without being judged. That all being said, if something damning was disclosed at an AA meeting, A.J. wouldn't be the only one to hear it.

The only other possibility I can see is if A.J. was counseling someone privately and the disclosure came from that. Otherwise, it is hard to imagine something so damaging being disclosed in the group discussion setting that is standard practice for AA.

Something else that bothered me from the segment was the daughter's insistence that the police check the trunk for A.J.'s body immediately upon discovery of the car. Another poster earlier in the thread mentioned this too. That little detail just struck me as odd. I mean, if a loved one disappeared and their car was found, absent of obvious evidence of a violent altercation, would you immediately assume they were dead in the trunk?

My gut feeling still is that A.J. was involved in something he perhaps shouldn't have been and got in over his head. His disappearance just doesn't "fit" or make sense otherwise. I also think it's difficult to accept because A.J. seemed to be such a "nice guy." He probably was, but in a situation like this, we have to consider all options.
I agree totally. Tragically if his disappearance has nothing to do with his past we may never know. And it wouldn't be the first case where what we thought may have happened was completely wrong.

FWIW, AA has been getting criticized as of late for their having ex-cons attend meetings with the "general public". Didn't the segment state that AJ was a high up at the AA meetings? Definitely could see him counseling someone on the "side" who said too much, and they needed to get AJ out of the picture.

The weirdest part of the story is why would these abductors drive around town highlighting the fact that they had abducted AJ? It doesn't make sense.

FWIW, AA has been getting criticized as of late for their having ex-cons attend meetings with the "general public". Didn't the segment state that AJ was a high up at the AA meetings? Definitely could see him counseling someone on the "side" who said too much, and they needed to get AJ out of the picture.

The weirdest part of the story is why would these abductors drive around town highlighting the fact that they had abducted AJ? It doesn't make sense.

Yes, but he was only seen with these guys twice (possibly three times if you can't the park sighting). They could have been on their way out of town.

The phone call bugs me. Assuming it really was A.J., who was he calling? To my knowledge, no one mentioned receiving a phone call from A.J. following his disappearance.

Yes, but he was only seen with these guys twice (possibly three times if you can't the park sighting). They could have been on their way out of town.

The phone call bugs me. Assuming it really was A.J., who was he calling? To my knowledge, no one mentioned receiving a phone call from A.J. following his disappearance.

If he was calling the person responsible for his abduction, that would be why they didn't come forward.

I'm just amazed that they took him out around public places and put him on display for the townsfolk to see him. What if a police officer stopped by and AJ screamed for help?

I never believed that sighting of AJ making a phone call with those strange men. I read somewhere on here that the person who supposedly witnessed this was a notorious liar (I think his nephew said that on here.) Either the witness was mistaken about the identity, about the time (before he went missing), or hes just a liar. I just don't think that ever happened.

I never believed that sighting of AJ making a phone call with those strange men. I read somewhere on here that the person who supposedly witnessed this was a notorious liar (I think his nephew said that on here.) Either the witness was mistaken about the identity, about the time (before he went missing), or hes just a liar. I just don't think that ever happened.

I just can't get by the fact that two other people claimed to have seen AJ in a similar looking car with 3 unknown men to write off the phone call sighting.

So I've been trying to flesh this one out a bit and here is what I came up with:

1) Witnesses: The sightings of AJ Breaux both placing a phone call while being watched by three men in a red sedan and later being seen with those three men in a red sedan to me are credible. The fact that we have two witnesses corroborating each others account of seeing Breaux in the company of three men in a red sedan to me speaks of one of two things

a) either AJ Breaux has a double
b) the man they saw in the company of those men and that vehicle was AJ Breaux

I tend to believe the latter as it's something that to me is far more plausible than AJ Breaux having a double convincing enough to fool two of his friends. The only question remains is whether or not the witnesses saw AJ Breaux on the date in question and that obviously is open to all types of speculation.

2) The phone call: If we assume that it was AJ Breaux sighted making that phone call, the obvious questions becomes whom he was talking to while being watched by the men in the red car and what was the nature of the conversation. To me, it's fairly obvious that the person whom AJ Breaux was speaking to on the phone was somehow involved in his disappearance and likely his death. If AJ Breaux was abducted it seems highly unlikely that his captors would allow him to make contact with anyone "on the outside" who might've been able to help restore him. Also if Breaux did make contact via telephone with someone not involved in his abduction, why haven't they come forward and identified themselves and the nature of their conversation with Breaux? The reason is that the person whom Breaux was seen speaking to on the phone by the witness is somehow involved in the abduction/disappearance/death of AJ Breaux.

3) Motive: For me the motive behind the abduction of AJ Breaux somehow revolves around money. Either AJ Breaux owed someone a significant amount of money himself and was abducted and eventually killed as a result or he somehow got himself in the middle between a debtor and a loan shark. Others have made mention that AJ Breaux may have encountered some unsavory characters through his work with AA. I take a slightly different spin on this and my feeling is AJ Breaux being known as a man who would go out of his way to help those in need, may have been trying to help someone who had a gambling problem and might have himself gotten a little too close to the flame (think Micki Jo West).

The reason I feel that money has to be a mitigating factor in the Breaux case is the fact that Breaux's abductors allowed him to live for a period of time after the abduction. Breaux was likely abducted on his way home from the convenience store, had his car abandoned likely that night at the park but was himself allowed to live to see at least the following day. My guess is AJ Breaux's abductors wanted to use him for some purpose prior to doing away with him and again it probably had to do with money. Either they wanted to get the money that AJ Breaux owed them or wanted to use AJ Breaux as a means of obtaining the money owed them. It's possible that the phone call Breaux was seen making was a means of AJ Breaux trying to obtain money from a source only he knew about. Another possibility is perhaps Breaux was being used as bait in order to lure whomever he was calling on the phone out into the open?

Whatever the scenario was, I believe that it didn't pan out the way the abductors planned and so they either decided (or it was their plan all along) to just do away with AJ Breaux.

I also believe the sightings of A.J. with the men in the red car are credible, but one curious detail I've always wondered about is how he was seen wearing a lumberjack-style flannel shirt, baggy pants and running shoes which didn't seem to belong to him. The witness said it was uncharacteristic for A.J. to be dressed like that in public and I believe A.J. was wearing a tie, dress shirt and slacks when he was last seen buying the milk at the convenience store. If he was abducted, the only reason I see for the kidnappers to give him new clothing is he somehow got blood on his regular clothes. Like the bottle of milk, I wonder whatever became of A.J.'s tie, dress shirt and slacks.

I don't know, I always find it unnerving in cases like this (Keith Warren and Debbie Wolfe are two other examples) where the victim is found or last seen wearing clothing that doesn't belong to them.

Me thinks UM left a ton of information out of the segment on this one.

For anyone who follows this case and is on Facebook, here's the page operated by AJ's daughters:

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=315934701898434&refsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2FA-J-Breaux-Project-W-I-S-H-What-If-Something-Happened%2F315934701898434

I really wish this case could get picked up by another mainstream show such as Dateline or Disappeared. Apparently there was a lot of information left out of the segment that could be covered on another program where a full hour is devoted to the case.

I don't think this was another case of a crime family getting involved with a single businessman. Many UM fans bring up the mafia excuse, yet the mafia usually want evidence left behind that they killed someone for a good or valid reason. The fish lady's story seemed fishy. What irks me is UM witnesses who say they are 100% certain they saw a victim, but end up mistaken.

AJ was seen gtg kidnapped by 3 men and I think this occurred. For what IDK - maybe someone told him at AA or at the store he worked at that they knew of someone who was involved in bank or wire money fraud. And the regretted telling him and offed him with the other parties involved.

sorry that's too much to read.

This case was solved and updated a number of years ago. AJ was found alive two years after his disappeared but with a loss of memory. His friends called into Unsolved Mysteries for him. What happend was AJ was mugged and suffered severe amnesia. He was eventually given help but he continued to suffer from amnesia.

He and his wife were reunited (parts of which were shown) but he did not remember her. As a result, the two both decided to get a divorce. But it seemed they were on good terms. Sorry for the description being a little vague but I last saw this update many years ago.

But I can definitely tell you that AJ was found alive, which is rare for these kind of cases. As said, he was reunited with his wife but he could not remember her and they later divorced.
Well how come AJ's info on UM wiki and the website says he is still missing?

Well how come AJ's info on UM wiki and the website says he is still missing?
I believe the case DP is referring to is Craig Williamson, not AJ Breaux.

I tend to bite on what the most reasonable explanation might be. IMO, sobriety is such an extremely delicate thing and regardless of years "on the wagon" or an individual's drive, dedication and determination to remain sober, it's a tightrope and is fragile even with the best supports.

From this, it can be devastating to have a slip-up. I fear that a relapse could have initiated a serious crisis for Mr. Breaux and aren't too confident in the outcome.

This case would be great to profile on Disappeared when it returns this year.

Having just watched the case twice, I think Occam's Razor applies. As anyone who is or has lived with an alcoholic knows, being sober a year or 10 years or 30 years means nothing: at any moment the person can relapse. Good intentions aren't enough. Alcoholism is a disease.

To me Breaux fell off the wagon. As I know from experience, people on benders leave wallets and keys and other belongings all the time. Whether the milk disappeared is a red herring, in my judgment. The idea that a mafioso or unsavory character at an AA meeting would kidnap or extort an employee at a haberdashery in a small Louisiana town is way too far fetched. "Maybe he heard something he shouldn't have" -- well, this men or these men would've had to bump off an awful lot of AA members in Louisiana. I don't disbelieve the witnesses: they probably believe they saw him. I just see no motive for a kidnapping or murder. In fact, the fish lady strikes me as the most credible! People experiencing delirium tremens get delusional.

What's more likely -- that an alcoholic walks out of his life or that criminals kidnap him?

Believe me, I understand Breaux's daughters hanging on to their fiction. Denial is painful. But unless the police or family know details we don't we must choose the simplest outcome -- so often the case with Unsolved Mysteries episodes.

As someone who is riddled with both alcoholism (I'm sober now) and severe depression, anxiety, and panic disorder, I just want to add that there is a very high co-morbidity with addiction and mental illness.

There are a lot of possibilities with this one, but because of my own experiences, I just feel like A.J. fell off the wagon, and was terribly depressed over his "failure." When you're a recovering alcoholic and mentally ill, there is a ton of pressure to show that you've "cleaned up your life." A lot of people (most, I'd wager) seem to think that it's just a matter of growing up, pulling yourself up by the bootstraps, and deciding to live right. That is not at all how it is. It's disease, it's addiction, it's terrible, and it's not always totally within your control.

Along those lines, I've tried to kill myself, and I acted very normally before. I cleaned up and did chores first so that I'd leave less trouble behind.

I feel so sad about this case; A.J. seemed like such a sweet man, and I am so sorry for his family.

As someone who is riddled with both alcoholism (I'm sober now) and severe depression, anxiety, and panic disorder, I just want to add that there is a very high co-morbidity with addiction and mental illness.

There are a lot of possibilities with this one, but because of my own experiences, I just feel like A.J. fell off the wagon, and was terribly depressed over his "failure." When you're a recovering alcoholic and mentally ill, there is a ton of pressure to show that you've "cleaned up your life." A lot of people (most, I'd wager) seem to think that it's just a matter of growing up, pulling yourself up by the bootstraps, and deciding to live right. That is not at all how it is. It's disease, it's addiction, it's terrible, and it's not always totally within your control.

Along those lines, I've tried to kill myself, and I acted very normally before. I cleaned up and did chores first so that I'd leave less trouble behind.

I feel so sad about this case; A.J. seemed like such a sweet man, and I am so sorry for his family.
I'm sorry to hear that and glad things are better for you. I do think this is a possibility. The two witnesses that saw AJ for me are key...as well as
people who frequented the easy does it club. He could have been drinking with some people he knew. But I also wonder about the end of the segment when a witness claims to have seen someone getting abducted in the area that AJs car was found. It just seems odd to me that he would completely disappear on his own accord and never be seen again. I think it's very possible he could have relapsed but sense foul play was the factor in his disappearance/death.

I'm sorry to hear that and glad things are better for you. I do think this is a possibility. The two witnesses that saw AJ for me are key...as well as
people who frequented the easy does it club. He could have been drinking with some people he knew. But I also wonder about the end of the segment when a witness claims to have seen someone getting abducted in the area that AJs car was found. It just seems odd to me that he would completely disappear on his own accord and never be seen again. I think it's very possible he could have relapsed but sense foul play was the factor in his disappearance/death.

Thank you for your kind words. That means a lot. :)

I do think you are absolutely right in pointing out your possibilities. Those scenarios could've happened just as easily. There are a few ways something could've happened to him. I just wanted to throw in my own experience, because a lot of people say things like "he was acting normally" or such, when in reality, we are often very good at hiding our feelings and troubles. Sadly, I don't think we'll ever have a true answer, as it happened so long ago, and I just wish his family could have closure.

As someone who is riddled with both alcoholism (I'm sober now) and severe depression, anxiety, and panic disorder, I just want to add that there is a very high co-morbidity with addiction and mental illness.

There are a lot of possibilities with this one, but because of my own experiences, I just feel like A.J. fell off the wagon, and was terribly depressed over his "failure." When you're a recovering alcoholic and mentally ill, there is a ton of pressure to show that you've "cleaned up your life." A lot of people (most, I'd wager) seem to think that it's just a matter of growing up, pulling yourself up by the bootstraps, and deciding to live right. That is not at all how it is. It's disease, it's addiction, it's terrible, and it's not always totally within your control.

Along those lines, I've tried to kill myself, and I acted very normally before. I cleaned up and did chores first so that I'd leave less trouble behind.

I feel so sad about this case; A.J. seemed like such a sweet man, and I am so sorry for his family.

Thanks for sharing, CJ. I wouldnt be blessed with what I have today if I hadnt sobered up myself. I haven't had a drink in 6 years. I know I won't have a drink today, but I won't know about tomorrow until tomorrow. That is if there is a tomorrow for me. There are no guarantees in this life. But now when I do wake up each morning, I tell myself that no matter what happens today, I will not pick up a drink. Many, many people with more time than myself have gone back out there and things unravel unbelievably quick. It's my belief that is what happened to AJ

Sadly, I don't think we'll ever have a true answer, as it happened so long ago, and I just wish his family could have closure.
Absolutely and watching the segment you can tell that his daughters had a genuine loving relationship with him. I believed their testimony and always wanted them to find closure.

Thanks for sharing, CJ. I wouldnt be blessed with what I have today if I hadnt sobered up myself. I haven't had a drink in 6 years. I know I won't have a drink today, but I won't know about tomorrow until tomorrow. That is if there is a tomorrow for me. There are no guarantees in this life. But now when I do wake up each morning, I tell myself that no matter what happens today, I will not pick up a drink. Many, many people with more time than myself have gone back out there and things unravel unbelievably quick. It's my belief that is what happened to AJ

Thank you, LakeForest! Congratulations, and I'm very happy for you. You hit the nail on the head. We're doing fine now, but tomorrow is never promised. Sometimes life hands you lemons, and things go downward. I tend to agree with you that this is what occurred to A.J. It's a terribly sad story, as he and his family seemed so kind. My best to you.

Absolutely and watching the segment you can tell that his daughters had a genuine loving relationship with him. I believed their testimony and always wanted them to find closure.

Same here. He and his family deserve it. This is one that has always stuck with me, probably because I found A.J. so relatable. I'd love to find out that his family knows what happened, and was able to properly put the gentleman to rest.

LakeForestPI and Crimejunky, thanks for sharing your stories. Congratulations on staying sober and taking it a day at a time. You both have a lot to be proud of.

LakeForestPI and Crimejunky, thanks for sharing your stories. Congratulations on staying sober and taking it a day at a time. You both have a lot to be proud of.

Thank you, Meg!

Congratulations, you guys. That is an awesome achievement. :)

As for AJ, I don't think he necessarily fell off the wagon, but it is a good theory. That would surely depress him, especially due to his support group involvement.

But like others in the thread, I believe foul play is a strong possibility, too. I usually don't put too much stock in eyewitness testimony, but two men who knew AJ well identified him with the mysterious red car (two separate witnesses, I might add, who described the car the same exact way). As for his car being found near the support group, I wonder if he went back to grab something after being spotted at the convenience store, and that's when he was cornered. What the motive would have been if this theory is correct, I've no idea, nor can I think of why they would let him be seen in public. Perhaps they were characters from his past who wanted something out of him, but you'd think someone would know something.

I find this case particularly heartbreaking. You can see how painful his disappearance was for his family after a couple of years, but now it's been almost 26 years.

LakeForestPI and Crimejunky, thanks for sharing your stories. Congratulations on staying sober and taking it a day at a time. You both have a lot to be proud of.

Dang, guys. That really is impressive...

LakeForestPI and Crimejunky, thanks for sharing your stories. Congratulations on staying sober and taking it a day at a time. You both have a lot to be proud of.

Thanks Meg. Yes, Im a much more quiet and reserved guy today than when I was drinking. Altough maybe it doesnt come across that way on this forum sometimes!

Thanks, y'all, for your kindness. It means a lot, especially when you need encouragement, but don't get it often. Y'all are good people.

Whatever happened, I sure hope Mr. A.J. has peace now. He deserved no more heartache. I hope a resolution comes for his family, too.

Thanks, y'all, for your kindness. It means a lot, especially when you need encouragement, but don't get it often. Y'all are good people.

Whatever happened, I sure hope Mr. A.J. has peace now. He deserved no more heartache. I hope a resolution comes for his family, too.
Awwww, I've been off the boards for a bit and came back to all of this sharing and kindness and love. You guys are the best.

ETA: I meant to say I found A.J. and his family very sweet and hope like you all do, that they have some peace about this.

Awwww, I've been off the boards for a bit and came back to all of this sharing and kindness and love. You guys are the best.

ETA: I meant to say I found A.J. and his family very sweet and hope like you all do, that they have some peace about this.
It is good to see some positive posts.

I didn't read the entire thread so I apologize if this is repeated info. I had to look AJ up after rewatching his story on amazon; missing persons cases really get to me.

I did a general search and found 6 or so posts - on another site someone mentioned that it was odd that unsolved mysteries didn't mention that he was gay. I have no idea if this info is true but it does open up tantalizing motives especially in a case where there seems to be no motive.

In another post, someone mentioned that the gas tank was almost empty which was odd because he had been in the same gas station earlier that day to buy gas.

I didn't know if I could post links to those sites - if anyone is interested in reading the posts please let me know and I'll hunt down the sites.

Btw - the milk being missing really strikes me as strange too. I read somewhere that they checked as his house and it wasn't there either.

Congrats LakeForestPI and Crimejunky on your accomplishments!!! That's great.

I didn't read the entire thread so I apologize if this is repeated info. I had to look AJ up after rematching his story on amazon; missing persons cases really get to me.

I did a general search and found 6 or so posts - on another site someone mentioned that it was odd that unsolved mysteries didn't mention that he was gay. I have no idea if this info is true but it does open up tantalizing motives especially in a case where there seems to be no motive. they checked as his house and it wasn't there either.

Gay? Where did you read that?

http://unsolved.com/gallery/aj-breaux/

Scroll down to the comments. I always read the comments.

Tyler
DECEMBER 6, 2016 AT 9:29 AM
Why doesn’t anyone ever talk about his rumored sexuality. I am sober and in Houma. I have been talked to by one of his old friends about how AJ dealt with the changes in his life and getting sober in a place like Houma as a gay man. It’s such a sad story.

This article talks about the low fuel and milk not being at his house:

http://www.houmatoday.com/news/20040829/daughters-hope-that-aj-breaux-who-has-been-missing-for-13-years-will-be-found

Gay? Where did you read that?

I've read a handful of things that alluded to this as well, including a post from an immediate family member on a social media site.

http://unsolved.com/gallery/aj-breaux/

This article talks about the low fuel and milk not being at his house:

http://www.houmatoday.com/news/20040829/daughters-hope-that-aj-breaux-who-has-been-missing-for-13-years-will-be-found

That's interesting. He got $10.00 of gas the day before ($10.00 worth of gas in 1991 would fill your tank much more than today) yet less than 24 hours later when his car is found, it's almost on empty.

The milk he bought not being at the house is not surprising as it was reported he never made it home.

I wonder if this could have been a situation like that of Gretchen Burford. Maybe while AJ was inside the convenient store buying the milk, someone snuck in the backseat of his car and waited. Once AJ got back in his car, the man could have used a weapon and ordered him to drive somewhere for whatever reason, probably something to do with money. The stress of being in captivity (maybe by the men in the red car) and whatever else could have been why he looked so disheveled when his friend saw him at the payphone.

The speed of which everything happened, it couldn't have been more than 12 hours from the time he was last seen buying the milk to when his car was found, leads me to believe he came across the wrong person.

I've read a handful of things that alluded to this as well, including a post from an immediate family member on a social media site.

Is Houma a homophobic place to live in? What do d the family members say?

No idea - that was the only mention I saw of it. But I would imagine that with the time period that it wasn't an easy situation.

Does anyone know anymore?

There is only one thread I have found in years of researching this particular case, in which one person suggested it as a possibility. However, that person always has crackpot theories that hold no weight and I do not believe that AJ was gay. Just my .02 cents.

Just watched this one again - incredibly sad. Read through this entire thread too. I tend to agree w/DarkDante's assertions as well (refer to the post back on page 10).

Someone else brought up Gretchen Burford - I think what happened to her also happened to AJ (someone snuck into his car while he was occupied elsewhere), though I'm not going to say for certain whether it was random or not. As has been mentioned in other threads/with other cases, UM likes to spin stuff up and sensationalize things to varying degrees.

I do think money was the prime motivator. A lot of people have brought up the AA angle and suggested a conspiracy, that he overheard or came across. I'll stay open to that and add in my own theory - someone in AA saw him as a potential robbery target and put the word out to the individuals he was later seen in the car with.

There's no concrete evidence or anything to support that, a potential debtor situation or anything else which is kind of frustrating - really at this point, you could argue for anything I'd say.

Cayleigh Elise's YouTube channel featured this case and she mentions the possible gay angle through the following quote...

"Also, I thought it important to mention something that, according to AJ's daughters, handicapped the police's initial investigation and it's something that hasn't been discussed often concerning AJ. Not only had he battled alcohol but some claimed he was also homosexual...something that in 1991, he likely didn't feel comfortable sharing with the world or even with family, as his daughters say they were unaware of his orientation until after he disappeared. Whether or not this was a contributing factor in his disappearance can be discussed only in speculation."

It sounds like she had some contact with AJ's daughters before she posted this video. It would be interesting to know how the daughters came across this information. I figure it had to be something more convincing than idol gossip that usually surrounds a person when they go missing. If it was enough for them to believe this hurt the early stages of the police investigation, it had to be something bigger than rumors.

Robin Werder's podcast the trail went cold features this case.

Cayleigh Elise's YouTube channel featured this case and she mentions the possible gay angle through the following quote...

"Also, I thought it important to mention something that, according to AJ's daughters, handicapped the police's initial investigation and it's something that hasn't been discussed often concerning AJ. Not only had he battled alcohol but some claimed he was also homosexual...something that in 1991, he likely didn't feel comfortable sharing with the world or even with family, as his daughters say they were unaware of his orientation until after he disappeared. Whether or not this was a contributing factor in his disappearance can be discussed only in speculation."

It sounds like she had some contact with AJ's daughters before she posted this video. It would be interesting to know how the daughters came across this information. I figure it had to be something more convincing than idol gossip that usually surrounds a person when they go missing. If it was enough for them to believe this hurt the early stages of the police investigation, it had to be something bigger than rumors.

I have really enjoyed the content I've seen on her channel. She profiled Anthonette Cayedito as well.

Yes, I just released the podcast episode today. FYI, here's an article from 2017 where A.J.'s daughters finally reveal that he was gay and confirm it was a closely guarded secret which very few people knew. I read elsewhere that his daughters didn't even find out until after he went missing...
https://www.dailycomet.com/news/20170827/daughters-seek-answers-26-years-after-fathers-disappearance

I'm not sure if A.J.'s sexuality played a role in his disappearance, but I think it might provide some insight into why he developed a drinking problem and his marriage ended in divorce. It couldn't have been easy living as a gay man in the South during the 1970s and 80s and having to keep it a secret, especially since he worked his whole life as a clothing salesman and feared that men wouldn't want to be fitted by him if they knew he was gay.

A. J. never struck me as gay. Now that I read this, maybe he voluntarily disappeared to avoid "shaming" his family?

Yeah I obviously I didn't read all the messages on this board and had no idea either. Definitely adds a new dimension to the case.

I wonder how his three daughters even found out this information, especially if they didn't find out until after he disappeared. I guess their mother (AJ's ex-wife) could have mentioned it. I don't see how else they could have known.

I understand that it would have been a horrible struggle living as a gay man in the south but running away at age 50 to avoid the shame seems....extreme. Especially when it would involve leaving the best things in his life other than his sobriety, his daughters. And why choose that time to run away? Why not leave years earlier when he was an alcoholic and his life was more hectic? And yes, working in a clothing store could have added to the stress of being outed but his business was successful for 30 years and he was beloved by the local residents. It's not like this guy had any known enemies. It's seems everywhere he went, people were happy to see him.

My gut tells me this was probably nothing more than a wrong place, wrong time situation. Maybe an abduction or botched robbery attempt sometime after he bought the milk at the convenience store. He may have even survived but lost his memory. The gay angle might be nothing more than a red herring, like when people tried to tie Matthew Chase's murder to his homosexuality when in reality, it was nothing more than murder after being robbed. Wrong place, wrong time.

I’d like to think that alcohol and personal life had nothing to do with his disappearance. It’s difficult to say, but for me i try to look at the facts as much as possible and try to stay away from stereotypes about the town. I think it is more likely that AJ’s history and growth as a person gave him the desire to help others. His willingness to help others may have put him in a position to be taken advantage of. The fact that he was involved with AA means he could have been around people who had severe mental health issues and people who had propensity to commit violence. .

I always go back to the subtle statement at the end of the segment when RS says a witness saw a man get abducted but the details were sketchy. Then I always wonder about the credible eye witness accounts from the people that actually knew him personally. The fact that he did not wave back at one of them stands out.

Yes, I just released the podcast episode today. FYI, here's an article from 2017 where A.J.'s daughters finally reveal that he was gay and confirm it was a closely guarded secret which very few people knew. I read elsewhere that his daughters didn't even find out until after he went missing...


Pardon my ignorace but how can someone who is gay have (biological) children and more than one at that? Without getting too graphic, I as a heterosexual cannot possibly imagine ever 'getting up' for anyone who wasn't an adult female, let alone 'staying up'. Wouldn't you need to have some attraction to do the deed? Having said that, I also can't fathom how anyone could be addicted to alcohol as it is almost impossible for be to drink more than light beer without feeling sick.

Pardon my ignorace but how can someone who is gay have (biological) children and more than one at that? Without getting too graphic, I as a heterosexual cannot possibly imagine ever 'getting up' for anyone who wasn't an adult female, let alone 'staying up'.

I'm surprised this concept is so foreign to you as it's been going on since the beginning of time. Many gay men, especially ones who grew up during AJ's generation are able to repress their true selves (or be in such deep denial) to the point that they do marry wives and have families for a variety of reasons, mostly not wanting to be rejected by their family and society. The majority of the time, they cannot repress those feelings forever and the consequences can often be brutal, like depression and suicide. Sadly, this still happens even today although it's not as common as 40 years ago.

Yes, I just released the podcast episode today. FYI, here's an article from 2017 where A.J.'s daughters finally reveal that he was gay and confirm it was a closely guarded secret which very few people knew. I read elsewhere that his daughters didn't even find out until after he went missing...
https://www.dailycomet.com/news/20170827/daughters-seek-answers-26-years-after-fathers-disappearance

I'm not sure if A.J.'s sexuality played a role in his disappearance, but I think it might provide some insight into why he developed a drinking problem and his marriage ended in divorce. It couldn't have been easy living as a gay man in the South during the 1970s and 80s and having to keep it a secret, especially since he worked his whole life as a clothing salesman and feared that men wouldn't want to be fitted by him if they knew he was gay.

I must say this was one of the few times where I disagreed with your commentary. Sightings aside, elements leading up to the disappearance and at the scene of his car, in combination with knowing AJ Breaux's personal story, make me suspect that the most direct and logical explanation for this story is that Breaux had found a partner, but someone reasonably far outside of town (good idea if you are trying to hide homosexuality in a small town), and got into an argument with that person that either resulted in his murder, or perhaps his suicide.

Explains the "missing" miles, explains the seeming lack of any clear financial motive, explains the missing milk (he bought it to bring to his destination, and as to why he would buy it before making a journey of 90-120 miles to see a partner, this was 91, late at night to begin with, in a rural area - perhaps he knew the store he was at would be open at 10PM, but by the time he got to where he was going, all stores would be closed).

Does not explain the in-town sightings, but I am inclined to believe people got their dates wrong, or there was simply someone who looked remarkably like AJ that they mistook for him (would explain the annoyed reaction, in one case).

I must say this was one of the few times where I disagreed with your commentary. Sightings aside, elements leading up to the disappearance and at the scene of his car, in combination with knowing AJ Breaux's personal story, make me suspect that the most direct and logical explanation for this story is that Breaux had found a partner, but someone reasonably far outside of town (good idea if you are trying to hide homosexuality in a small town), and got into an argument with that person that either resulted in his murder, or perhaps his suicide.

Explains the "missing" miles, explains the seeming lack of any clear financial motive, explains the missing milk (he bought it to bring to his destination, and as to why he would buy it before making a journey of 90-120 miles to see a partner, this was 91, late at night to begin with, in a rural area - perhaps he knew the store he was at would be open at 10PM, but by the time he got to where he was going, all stores would be closed).

Does not explain the in-town sightings, but I am inclined to believe people got their dates wrong, or there was simply someone who looked remarkably like AJ that they mistook for him (would explain the annoyed reaction, in one case).

You could definitely be on to something here... Perhaps he hooked up with someone who was discovered or got scared of being outed and blamed AJ for it (think Senator Larry Craig in the Minneapolis airport bathroom). If AJ had a relationship in the South with someone who got scared of being ruined by this, they could have blamed him and attacked/murdered him along with others. I don't see this as being that far fetched.

I agree with RobinW that whatever happened was probably sudden, as he left the money behind and I can't see him living for a long time without more concrete proof. I also agree that the sightings are either not him and/or the dates were mixed up. I swore I've seen friends of mine before out shopping, only to find out I was mistaken.

I also agree with RobinW that the milk is a big clue. Why would it be missing? That's why I think mozartpc27's idea is solid. It would explain a lot about the milk and the miles on the car.

I'm surprised this concept is so foreign to you as it's been going on since the beginning of time. Many gay men, especially ones who grew up during AJ's generation are able to repress their true selves (or be in such deep denial) to the point that they do marry wives and have families for a variety of reasons, mostly not wanting to be rejected by their family and society. The majority of the time, they cannot repress those feelings forever and the consequences can often be brutal, like depression and suicide. Sadly, this still happens even today although it's not as common as 40 years ago.

DING-DING-DING! This is a great post, dynoguy.

I can't imagine the mental torture of living a lie like that. And it is waaaay more common than many people think, especially before the year 2000.


Pardon my ignorace but how can someone who is gay have (biological) children and more than one at that? Without getting too graphic, I as a heterosexual cannot possibly imagine ever 'getting up' for anyone who wasn't an adult female, let alone 'staying up'.

I think desperate people do desperate things. I can't tell you for sure, but I would guess you use your imagination and picture what you want in your mind so the physical part can happen. It happens all the time in prison and I don't think most of the men who have sex in prison are truly homosexuals. It also wouldn't shock me if many of these men like AJ were reported to have an abnormal lack of sex drive and/or ED issues. Excuses like that would help with the cover-up. There are also plenty of women who later came out as lesbians, but for obvious reasons that would be much easier to fake in a marriage.

Sightings aside, elements leading up to the disappearance and at the scene of his car, in combination with knowing AJ Breaux's personal story, make me suspect that the most direct and logical explanation for this story is that Breaux had found a partner, but someone reasonably far outside of town (good idea if you are trying to hide homosexuality in a small town), and got into an argument with that person that either resulted in his murder, or perhaps his suicide.

Hmm. You can't rule anything out because we just don't know. But your theory would explain the gas tank issue.

AJ got $10.00 worth of gas the day before his disappearance. At 1991 gas prices, that would have significantly filled your tank. But when his car was found the following day, the gas tank was almost empty. That car was driven a great distance after he was last seen.

Damn, this thread makes me really sad. I get the impression he was a really decent guy. I really hope the family gets the answers they deserve.

I haven't listened to Robin's episode yet, but I've never realized just how close AJ's car was dumped to where he was last seen alive. If it wasn't AJ driving the car, that tells me whoever dumped it picked that specific location for a reason. I wonder if it was because it was close to the building where they had their AA meetings. Which makes me wonder if it was somehow connected to that, and the gay angle was just a red herring in the case.

A devastating quote from that 2017 story:

We firmly believe that’s why our dad isn’t here today,” Tardo added. “Not only was he an AA member and a homosexual, but he worked in a men’s clothing store. For 30 years he could not say he was homosexual because men in the community had to go be fitted by him. He had no other trade, so that was his way of life.”

I haven't listened to Robin's episode yet, but I've never realized just how close AJ's car was dumped to where he was last seen alive. If it wasn't AJ driving the car, that tells me whoever dumped it picked that specific location for a reason. I wonder if it was because it was close to the building where they had their AA meetings. Which makes me wonder if it was somehow connected to that, and the gay angle was just a red herring in the case.

The AA angle is troubling for me because there's no clear motive.

The more I think about it, the more I think about how similar this is to the case of Don Smith (https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Donald_Smith) (where people theorized he was used for money until his killer disposed of him).

The AA angle is troubling for me because there's no clear motive.

I could see a few possibilities:

-AJ gets a call from someone in need (who could be on probation for an alcohol related offense), AJ goes to help this person and sees that this person has fallen off the wagon. AJ tells this person he has to notify the probation officer, and this person murders AJ in a fit of rage.

-AJ learned something that he shouldn't have and was killed to silence him.

-AJ was taken advantage of by someone who he tried to help and was killed for his efforts. Robbery could have been the intended motive for this, but because AJ was leery about this person, when he hid his wallet and checkbook, his killer never found it when searching.

I think the AA connection is more plausible due to where his car was dumped. Unless there was more than 1 person involved, someone would have had to have had a ride away from the area. Someone who's car was already at the Easy Does It Club (directly across the street from where AJ's car was found) would fit this. I also think the note should have been taken more seriously. I think if it was written by his killer, it's a half-hearted attempt at confessing without taking 100% of the blame. So they invent the fact that AJ was the one who fell off the wagon and that his death was this weird assisted suicide, when in reality it could have been the total opposite.

Explains the "missing" miles, explains the seeming lack of any clear financial motive, explains the missing milk (he bought it to bring to his destination, and as to why he would buy it before making a journey of 90-120 miles to see a partner, this was 91, late at night to begin with, in a rural area - perhaps he knew the store he was at would be open at 10PM, but by the time he got to where he was going, all stores would be closed).

The milk is the main reason why I suspected A.J. was headed straight home and had no intention of going anywhere else that night. Milk is an item that will go bad within an hour or two if you don't refrigerate it, so it just seems weird that he would purchase it in Houma if he was planning to drive a long distance to see someone (did he really to buy milk THAT badly if he was going to meet a secret lover?).

But since A.J. lived with one of his daughters at the time and apparently went to the Easy Does It Club virtually every night, it would be interesting to hear if he had a tendency to stay out really late or it was his normal routine to come home sometime after 10:00 PM. If it's the latter, then this lends credence to the idea that something unexpected happened to him after he left the convenience store.

-AJ gets a call from someone in need (who could be on probation for an alcohol related offense), AJ goes to help this person and sees that this person has fallen off the wagon. AJ tells this person he has to notify the probation officer, and this person murders AJ in a fit of rage.

With no cell phones in 1991 and him not being home yet, the only way he could have received a call for that scenario would be before leaving the Easy Does It Club...which, I'm just assuming had a phone. But the fact that he stopped at the convenience store for milk sort of nullifies that. Helping a friend or someone in need would be done FIRST over buying milk.

Your other two scenarios sound far more likely, IMO.

His car being found where it was may have been intentional to give the impression that he was abducted right after leaving the club. But someone drove that car a great distance to eat up the gas that AJ had just bought that day. And I don't see him driving to the convenience store, buying the milk and THEN driving back to the park.

With no cell phones in 1991 and him not being home yet, the only way he could have received a call for that scenario would be before leaving the Easy Does It Club...which, I'm just assuming had a phone. But the fact that he stopped at the convenience store for milk sort of nullifies that. Helping a friend or someone in need would be done FIRST over buying milk.

Your other two scenarios sound far more likely, IMO.

His car being found where it was may have been intentional to give the impression that he was abducted right after leaving the club. But someone drove that car a great distance to eat up the gas that AJ had just bought that day. And I don't see him driving to the convenience store, buying the milk and THEN driving back to the park.

The segment says AJ was last seen at the club at around 8:15. A half hour later is when he was seen at the convenience store. It's possible he was followed after meeting with this person and killed. It's also possible that AJ went to help someone who had fallen off of the wagon and was coaxed into joining them. I'm not sure what AJ's drink of choice was when he was drinking, but milk is often used in white russians.

Hi all, long time listener first time caller. I would just like to take this opportunity to say how much I enjoy reading these threads and seeing such varying opinions. That being said I would like to state my own theory on AJ.

Others have mentioned him falling off the wagon, in my theory this is case. Although I think that he may have been sneaking a cheeky drink here and there believing that his addiction was under control.

Perhaps some people at the AA meeting clicked on to this and staged an intervention, that would explain the suppose ‘kidnapping’. AJ wasn’t shouting or fighting for his life as he knew the people in the car. If AJ had been kidnapped and his life was in danger I’m sure he would of attempted to signal his friends who saw him, mouth help or something.

Maybe the people agreed that AJ could not be trusted to go home on his own so agreed to take him out of town to their own place to keep an eye on him. He was giving the chance to call a rehab centre, his AA bosses or his family to tell them what was going on but through shame he faked the call.

Once the friends got him to a safe place to detox, something took a turn for the worse. Withdrawals or a fight broke out. Unfortunately AJ expired and the three friends covered it up. I believe the three friends has good intentions and really wanted to help AJ but things got out of their control and they made a pact to stay quiet.

Anyway that is my theory and I’m sure someone is going to poke a million holes in it. Let me know what you think and I look forward to posting more.

Many thanks.

Hi all, long time listener first time caller. I would just like to take this opportunity to say how much I enjoy reading these threads and seeing such varying opinions. That being said I would like to state my own theory on AJ.

Others have mentioned him falling off the wagon, in my theory this is case. Although I think that he may have been sneaking a cheeky drink here and there believing that his addiction was under control.

Perhaps some people at the AA meeting clicked on to this and staged an intervention, that would explain the suppose ‘kidnapping’. AJ wasn’t shouting or fighting for his life as he knew the people in the car. If AJ had been kidnapped and his life was in danger I’m sure he would of attempted to signal his friends who saw him, mouth help or something.

Maybe the people agreed that AJ could not be trusted to go home on his own so agreed to take him out of town to their own place to keep an eye on him. He was giving the chance to call a rehab centre, his AA bosses or his family to tell them what was going on but through shame he faked the call.

Once the friends got him to a safe place to detox, something took a turn for the worse. Withdrawals or a fight broke out. Unfortunately AJ expired and the three friends covered it up. I believe the three friends has good intentions and really wanted to help AJ but things got out of their control and they made a pact to stay quiet.

Anyway that is my theory and I’m sure someone is going to poke a million holes in it. Let me know what you think and I look forward to posting more.

Many thanks.

Welcome to the board. :wave:

The problem with your theory is that AJ was seen about 15 minutes after leaving the Easy Does It Club at a convenience store purchasing milk, and the clerk said he was acting normal as was by himself. She was the last known, confirmed person to see him alive. I also don't think people with good intentions would abduct someone and not notify that person's friends and family as to what was going on.

Welcome to the board. :wave:

The problem with your theory is that AJ was seen about 15 minutes after leaving the Easy Does It Club at a convenience store purchasing milk, and the clerk said he was acting normal as was by himself. She was the last known, confirmed person to see him alive. I also don't think people with good intentions would abduct someone and not notify that person's friends and family as to what was going on.

While I agree with you that MrsD's theory in and of itself has some problems.. There's.. Logic to some of it.. Change a few things around on it and perhaps I can buy into it.

As I've mentioned before with my own experiences.. Missing persons cases are often afterthoughts for the police and they just don't get enough attention or actual detective work. Hell, forget detective work, just basic investigation sometimes doesn't happen.

So.. While there's pieces of MrsD's theory that don't work.. The overall general idea isn't necessarily out of the question.

The last sighting of him was buying milk after the meeting.. But when was it noticed that he was missing? I have assumed, and perhaps incorrectly, that he never made it home.. Did he live with his daughters or someone? Is it established that he didn't make it home that evening?

The last sighting of him was buying milk after the meeting.. But when was it noticed that he was missing? I have assumed, and perhaps incorrectly, that he never made it home.. Did he live with his daughters or someone? Is it established that he didn't make it home that evening?

He lived with one of his three daughters. And since the last sighting of him was when he was buying milk at the store, I think it's safe to assume he never made it home. All three daughters were frantic with worry the next day.

My main problem with MrsD's theory is that if these friends wanted to stage an intervention to the point that it basically involved kidnapping him, there would be no reason to leave the daughters in the dark. Any kind of logical intervention would involve the family members. They're the ones who had the longest history of living with AJ's addiction and were the most affected by it's drawbacks and improvement. To force an intervention FIRST and leave them completely out of the loop would be incredibly cruel.

This would also mean that the daughter AJ was living with would have had no idea he had even relapsed. I think that's asking a lot.

Once the friends got him to a safe place to detox, something took a turn for the worse. Withdrawals or a fight broke out. Unfortunately AJ expired and the three friends covered it up. I believe the three friends has good intentions and really wanted to help AJ but things got out of their control and they made a pact to stay quiet.

With friends like that, who needs enemies?

He lived with one of his three daughters. And since the last sighting of him was when he was buying milk at the store, I think it's safe to assume he never made it home. All three daughters were frantic with worry the next day.

My main problem with MrsD's theory is that if these friends wanted to stage an intervention to the point that it basically involved kidnapping him, there would be no reason to leave the daughters in the dark. Any kind of logical intervention would involve the family members. They're the ones who had the longest history of living with AJ's addiction and were the most affected by it's drawbacks and improvement. To force an intervention FIRST and leave them completely out of the loop would be incredibly cruel.

This would also mean that the daughter AJ was living with would have had no idea he had even relapsed. I think that's asking a lot.

Now, the 'friends' part, yeah.. I disagree with.. I don't see that as possible. As I said, you have to change some things around about that theory, and that's one of them. That being said.. The case I was involved with.. Read through this post on it.. https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=380109

In that case, the husband dropped her off at a mental health clinic.. Where she died. For 25 years, noone could find her.. When the husband was interviewed by the cops, he never mentioned the fact that he dropped her off at that clinic/hospital.. So.. It does take a certain level of bat-**** crazy or complete asshattery to do something like that, but it does happen. Do I think it could have happened here with THREE people? No. One person can keep a secret. More than that cannot.

But.. Let's say he buys the milk.. Meets someone, and.. Falls off the wagon. He gets taken by this 'friend', perhaps at his request, to a detox center.. Where he passes. Friend really isn't a friend, just someone he met and started drinking with.. Paperwork is screwed up.. He gives his name as AJ Breaux and people at the center record it as AJ Brough

He's an unclaimed body and buried in the paupers cemetery.

Of course, you say "Can't happen".. Well.. See the above post.. That's about EXACTLY what happened there. You'd likely also have to assume that the sighting of him with 3 other people in a car was in error. Which.. Happens FAR more often than sightings being accurate, IMO.

Now.. I'm not advocating MrsD's theory. I'm not saying it's likely. I am saying that.. With a few tweaks to it.. There's enough there to at least think about. A long shot, but.. Plausible.

Of course, you say "Can't happen".. Well.. See the above post.. That's about EXACTLY what happened there. You'd likely also have to assume that the sighting of him with 3 other people in a car was in error. Which.. Happens FAR more often than sightings being accurate, IMO.

Now.. I'm not advocating MrsD's theory. I'm not saying it's likely. I am saying that.. With a few tweaks to it.. There's enough there to at least think about. A long shot, but.. Plausible.

The case linked wasn't solved because no one really seemed to be looking that hard to find her. And it wasn't just a misspelled name, it was also the SSN being fudged. And if by chance he did die somewhere shortly after his disappearance, and there was no foul play involved, I would think that in Louisiana they'd be more inclined to spell his name the correct way with the "aux" due to the cajun backgrounds of many residents of LA.

The disappearance of A.J. Breaux is an especially sad case because of the family he left behind (three daughters). Also, he was obviously well-liked by many in the town he lived in, was a fixture in the community/ran a well-known business (clothing store), etc.

Even if Breaux had an relapse back into alcoholism & didn't want to show his face around town/his family anymore, I don't think things would have played out the way they did here. And, I do believe he would have gotten into contact with his family at some point - but he never did.

I.e., the last time Breaux was seen by anyone (prior to his car being found abandoned near that park) was the store clerk that saw him buying milk one night while on the way home. So, what happened between the store & his car being found soon after?!

Maybe he was being black-mailed for some reason, or else was kidnapped/accosted by those who wanted to extort money from him.

Re: the several "sightings" of him after he supposedly vanished:

I do believe these two sightings: Outside of the gas station/convenience store nervously talking on a pay phone while 2-3 guys waited for him in a car, and the other sighting of him being seen driving in a car with several others (by the older guy getting his mail). These two who saw Breaux had known him for a long time, and so I don't believe that they were mistaken when they said they recognized him.

However, I don't put a lot of credence in the woman sitting outside on her porch - that lived in a community that was a distance away from Houma, LA (where AJ was located). She said that a disheveled, dirty guy drove up to her & tried to sell her frozen fish in a bag, and that it was Breaux. Though I believe this did happen, I don't think this was AJ Breaux. She didn't know him & did seem somewhat unsure when looking at his photographs. Maybe the fish salesman resembled Breaux, but I don't think it was him. Sounds like another red herring to me - pun not intended.

Re: the hand-written note about Breaux dying while on a drinking binge & his body thrown in a lake, I think this was a prank/hoax (as was mentioned in the segment).

I doubt he's still alive at this point.

Just a sad case all the way around. I believe that the sightings in Houma were credible and AJ was in some sort of danger, hence the reason he was being uncharacteristically cold towards the man who greeted him. However, the woman on her front porch was mistaken. The man who tried to sell her some frozen fish was NOT AJ. For starters, what would he have been doing so far from Houma?

I have to say this segment is one of those rare cases where I think UM let us down.
Basically they setup the entire story of this guy like he was an upstanding businessman with the only fault being that he was a recovering alcoholic, conveniently failing to mention anything about his hidden sex life. I finish watching the episode and think its a real puzzler until I give it the Google and then this all unfolds. Suffice to say, I don't think UM really portrayed this one well.

I find the idea that all these witnesses were wrong unlikely, at least two of them had known the man for years. Those two are almost certainly correct. The first one, by a park maintenance man, is also likely correct as it fits with both the location of his discovered vehicle and the fact that 3 other men were involved. The only mismatch in those accounts is the vehicle, but it is very plausible that the perpetrators changed vehicles. The fourth witness regarding the man selling fish is however likely a red herring (yes there is a pun there). She seemed to think the man matched the photo of him when he was off the wagon, ie. more ragged. But any guy selling frozen fish out of a van is likely to be ragged, and my guess is no lineup was used for her identification, which would have been desirable since she did not know him.

So, evidence points to him being abducted by 3 men, and held for some length of time for whatever reason. Robbery does not appear to be a motive based on the contents of his car. Thus some other motive was at play. I would theorize that motive was likely connected to his sexual activities in some manner. Extortion is one possibility. He did run a men's clothing business, presumably he was measuring men in his store, perhaps something happened there that crossed the wrong person. Or perhaps he was involved with someone he should not have been involved with. In any case, I suspect this was an organized job, not a random act or a lone perpetrator. UM having avoided the subject its a bit difficult to say what was going on but something tells me we have a half version of events.

What is hard to understand is why he was held for any length of time, in particular what the phone call was about. The index card mailed to LE could have been a prank, or might have been intended to throw them off the track for a while. They say prank, but that is more to make them not look like fools I suspect.

I have to say this segment is one of those rare cases where I think UM let us down.
Basically they setup the entire story of this guy like he was an upstanding businessman with the only fault being that he was a recovering alcoholic, conveniently failing to mention anything about his hidden sex life. I finish watching the episode and think its a real puzzler until I give it the Google and then this all unfolds. Suffice to say, I don't think UM really portrayed this one well.

His sexuality was not known to any of his daughters until recent years. At the time of the filming of the segment, none of them knew. So it does NOT seem UM was conveniently trying to cover anything up. They went with what info they had at that time.

This quote (https://www.houmatoday.com/story/news/2017/08/27/daughters-seek-answers-26-years-after-fathers-disappearance/19144641007/)still chills me:

“We firmly believe that’s why our dad isn’t here today,” Tardo added. “Not only was he an AA member and a homosexual, but he worked in a men’s clothing store. For 30 years he could not say he was homosexual because men in the community had to go be fitted by him. He had no other trade, so that was his way of life.”

This quote (https://www.houmatoday.com/story/news/2017/08/27/daughters-seek-answers-26-years-after-fathers-disappearance/19144641007/)still chills me:

“We firmly believe that’s why our dad isn’t here today,” Tardo added. “Not only was he an AA member and a homosexual, but he worked in a men’s clothing store. For 30 years he could not say he was homosexual because men in the community had to go be fitted by him. He had no other trade, so that was his way of life.”

Extremely sad.

His sexuality was not known to any of his daughters until recent years. At the time of the filming of the segment, none of them knew. So it does NOT seem UM was conveniently trying to cover anything up. They went with what info they had at that time.

Interesting. That certainly rehabilitates UM in my eyes. It also reinforces my theory, even his close family did not know what all he was involved in, so there are plenty of possibilities that would never have been explored.

The wallet and the checkbook being tucked neatly under the front seat of his car has always bothered me. As well as the handwritten note sent in to the police station.

The wallet and the checkbook being tucked neatly under the front seat of his car has always bothered me. As well as the handwritten note sent in to the police station.

I can’t prove anything but my gut has always felt this was money related. I don’t know whether AJ owned the clothing store or he just worked there. But it was a successful business that he was a part of for decades and I can see shady people thinking he had tons of money and wanted to get their hands on it.

I don’t think it’s ever been stated whether money was missing from his account, but if his abductors took him and then found out he didn’t have as much money as they originally expected, they’d still have to kill him and dispose of his body so they couldn’t be identified.

The wallet and the checkbook being tucked neatly under the front seat of his car has always bothered me. As well as the handwritten note sent in to the police station.

This part always made me think that he was in his car and saw his abductors coming toward him and knew he was in danger and left his stuff under the seat on purpose.

I don’t think it’s ever been stated whether money was missing from his account, but if his abductors took him and then found out he didn’t have as much money as they originally expected, they’d still have to kill him and dispose of his body so they couldn’t be identified.

I wonder if someone found out about his sexuality and then threatened to extort him without knowing that he wasn't as financially well off as they had assumed.

I wonder if someone found out about his sexuality and then threatened to extort him without knowing that he wasn't as financially well off as they had assumed.

That's a really interesting theory!

What stops me from accepting the extortion theory: it's obvious Breaux had no money, and even extortionists have an idea about a victim's assets.

After reading a number of the posts and rewatching the segment again, I feel AJ was killed during a liaison with another man. The most important clues to me are his homosexuality and the checkbook/wallet. I think the red herrings are the eyewitness sightings (Lil Miss & Carrie Lynn Nixon) and the note to the police (Hallelujah Bloody Jesus).

AJ was a closeted man in the Deep South. He likely had to resort to anonymous hookups with unknown men at public cruising spots late at night (pre-internet method of hooking up). Not knowing who he was meeting, it's reasonable that he would hide his checkbook and wallet under his seat.

The segment says he left the Easy Does It Club at 8:30 and was seen by someone who knew him at 9pm at the convenience store, when he bought the milk. He could have bought the milk with the intention of meeting someone for a quick hookup, and then driving home where he lived with his daughter.

We don't know where AJ went after he left the convenience store. He may have gone to a cruising spot, like a park, or arranged to meet someone specifically at another location. Whoever he met could have taken advantage of his vulnerability and victimized him and then dumped his body where it wouldn't be found. His car was found 2 days later across from the Easy Does It Club. According to posters here, the car had used a lot of gas. The killer could have used the car and then dropped it back in Houma late at night. The milk in the car would have been disposed of by the killer.

I feel like this theory accounts for the important clues and underlying contexts of AJ's life. I don't put much stock in anonymous notes (police called it a "mean spirited prank") or eyewitness sightings.

After reading a number of the posts and rewatching the segment again, I feel AJ was killed during a liaison with another man. The most important clues to me are his homosexuality and the checkbook/wallet. I think the red herrings are the eyewitness sightings (Lil Miss & Carrie Lynn Nixon) and the note to the police (Hallelujah Bloody Jesus).

AJ was a closeted man in the Deep South. He likely had to resort to anonymous hookups with unknown men at public cruising spots late at night (pre-internet method of hooking up). Not knowing who he was meeting, it's reasonable that he would hide his checkbook and wallet under his seat.

The segment says he left the Easy Does It Club at 8:30 and was seen by someone who knew him at 9pm at the convenience store, when he bought the milk. He could have bought the milk with the intention of meeting someone for a quick hookup, and then driving home where he lived with his daughter.

We don't know where AJ went after he left the convenience store. He may have gone to a cruising spot, like a park, or arranged to meet someone specifically at another location. Whoever he met could have taken advantage of his vulnerability and victimized him and then dumped his body where it wouldn't be found. His car was found 2 days later across from the Easy Does It Club. According to posters here, the car had used a lot of gas. The killer could have used the car and then dropped it back in Houma late at night. The milk in the car would have been disposed of by the killer.

I feel like this theory accounts for the important clues and underlying contexts of AJ's life. I don't put much stock in anonymous notes (police called it a "mean spirited prank") or eyewitness sightings.


Lots of possibilities when that comes into play. Gay in the south at the time.. Not necessarily a good thing. Coming on to the wrong person..

After reading a number of the posts and rewatching the segment again, I feel AJ was killed during a liaison with another man. The most important clues to me are his homosexuality and the checkbook/wallet. I think the red herrings are the eyewitness sightings (Lil Miss & Carrie Lynn Nixon) and the note to the police (Hallelujah Bloody Jesus).

AJ was a closeted man in the Deep South. He likely had to resort to anonymous hookups with unknown men at public cruising spots late at night (pre-internet method of hooking up). Not knowing who he was meeting, it's reasonable that he would hide his checkbook and wallet under his seat.

The segment says he left the Easy Does It Club at 8:30 and was seen by someone who knew him at 9pm at the convenience store, when he bought the milk. He could have bought the milk with the intention of meeting someone for a quick hookup, and then driving home where he lived with his daughter.

We don't know where AJ went after he left the convenience store. He may have gone to a cruising spot, like a park, or arranged to meet someone specifically at another location. Whoever he met could have taken advantage of his vulnerability and victimized him and then dumped his body where it wouldn't be found. His car was found 2 days later across from the Easy Does It Club. According to posters here, the car had used a lot of gas. The killer could have used the car and then dropped it back in Houma late at night. The milk in the car would have been disposed of by the killer.

I feel like this theory accounts for the important clues and underlying contexts of AJ's life. I don't put much stock in anonymous notes (police called it a "mean spirited prank") or eyewitness sightings.

I agree with the eye witness situation not being reliable and there are many instances from UM to choose from where it failed miserably. I always think of the bird road rapist segment. but there are situations when eye witness accounts are reliable so you really never know 100%

the lady that thought she saw him in her neighborhood selling fish is more comparable to the LMK and KLN eyewitness accounts. for me there is more credibility in the fact that a couple of the eye witness accounts were people that knew him well from his hometown, so mistaken identity is off the table for me. of corse it's possible their timelines could be off, or they could have lied. I do think they are the most credible tips in this case.

since the credible eyewitness accounts seem to point to him not committing suicide or disappearing on his own, I always had the feeling and still do, that he was trying to help someone and simply crossed paths with a questionable character who took advantage of him in some form or another. given that circumstance there are a number of things that could of happened and we just don't know.

for me there is more credibility in the fact that a couple of the eye witness accounts were people that knew him well from his hometown, so mistaken identity is off the table for me. of course it's possible their timelines could be off...

With the people that knew AJ, I do think their timelines were off. (Reminds me of Tom Roche in the motorcycle shop) Even the lady selling the milk could be off. Ultimately I don't think the eyewitness stories lead us to the answer.

And yes, I would agree that there are a lot of different theories that could work for this case. We are missing some important clues.

With the people that knew AJ, I do think their timelines were off. (Reminds me of Tom Roche in the motorcycle shop) Even the lady selling the milk could be off. Ultimately I don't think the eyewitness stories lead us to the answer.

And yes, I would agree that there are a lot of different theories that could work for this case. We are missing some important clues.

Other members from the Easy Does It Club would have confirmed when AJ left and the receipt at the convenience store (which could easily be checked) would have had a time stamp to prove what time he bought the milk. So we have no reason to believe those times are off.

The Kenneth Pelligram sighting nags at me. This is a man who knew AJ his whole life. He’s a reliable witness. What reason do we have to believe that his sighting was off?

The Kenneth Pelligram sighting nags at me. This is a man who knew AJ his whole life. He’s a reliable witness. What reason do we have to believe that his sighting was off?


Agreed. I found his account to be incredibly compelling, mainly because it wasn't just a random person stumbling into someone who looks like A.J., but someone who was familiar with them. I guess there's a possibility that they could be mistaken, but I think it's far less likely than the woman who was "100% sure" she had met Kari Lyn Nixon...

Kenneth could simply have been mistaken about the day. A period of two days elapsed between the night he disappeared and when his car was found. If Kenneth was asked about it several days after that, he may have gotten the days off.

I have no issues with the witnesses at the Easy Does It Club or convenience store. It's more the ones who claim to have seen him after he disappeared. I have a hard time coming up with a rationale that ties all of those sightings together that makes sense. To me the most reasonable explanation is that he disappeared and was killed the night he left the Easy Does It Club.

I think it’s something simple as a clandestine hook up gone wrong. The killer got lucky that AJ has never been found.

Robbery was not the motive. The wallet and checkbook were left behind as well as the funds collected from his AA meeting. I had forgot about that detail about the brown bag containing roughly $150 was left behind in his car as well. If someone was trying to extort him over his sexuality, why not take this money? This case is extremely complex due to the eyewitnesses who claim to have seen AJ after his disappearance...because almost all of them have varying degrees of details.

-Kenneth Pellegrin says he saw AJ outside of Houma looking disheveled and dressed in oversized clothes two days after he was last seen. He also said that AJ was talking on a payphone and that he noticed a red car parked out front with 3 men inside.

-Unnamed acquaintance of AJ says he saw AJ in a small red car with 3 men 8 miles outside of Houma. No date was specified.

-The "suicide" note was received 2 weeks after AJ's disappearance which says he shot himself in the stomach while drunk.

-The "fish lady" who claims to have seen AJ alive attempting to sell her fish out of a van 30 miles northeast of Houma.

-A golf course worker claims to have seen 3 men forcing a 4th into a white car "a few days" after AJ's disappearance.

IMO, the fish lady was mistaken and saw someone other than AJ. The golf course worker was probably making up what he had seen, because why would AJ disappear and not tell anyone for a "few days" and then reappear only to be abducted by unknown men? The unnamed acquaintance in the segment could be mistaken as to who he saw in the red car. Kenneth Pellegrin, IMO, is the most credible of the actual eyewitnesses. He knew AJ. But he still could have gotten the date wrong. And Kenneth never saw AJ inside this red car. The mysterious 3 men in the red car make no logical sense in any scenario. They abduct AJ shortly after leaving the convenience store, make him change into oversized clothes, drive him around in and out of town, have him be seen to the public making a phone call on a payphone, to ultimately kill him and dispose of his body in a way that has never been found...why exactly? He was not well off, so extortion or robbery would be pointless. If he made a pass at some bigot...why would this person then have mafia-like connections to have others become involved to help in disposing of AJ?

I still go back to the note, and I do not think it was just a "prank". I think the note is legit, but the writer is saying that it was a self inflicted wound to absolve themselves from blame. AJ was seen leaving the club at 10:00 on the night of his disappearance. AJ lived a short distance away from the club in Houma, but he surfaced at the convenience store roughly a half an hour after he was last seen leaving the club. Where he was prior to this is the crucial part of this case. If he was with someone else, drinking, the trip to the convenience store could be to purchase more milk to continue having drinks. Eventually the person/s he was with drunkenly shoot AJ and dispose of his body just like the note says. And even if this was not an accidental shooting and something more sinister like a deliberate premeditated homicide, there are problems with those theories as well. Because if you believe that AJ died shortly after he disappeared, you would have to discount all of the eyewitnesses who claim to have seen him alive.

With the history of UM, there are so many examples of (multiple) witnesses who swore they saw someone alive who were later proven to be dead (confirmation bias). I generally don't take eyewitness recollection as a basis to build a theory around.

It seems like the basis for a lot of theories is that AJ fell off the wagon. But he had been sober for 8 years. It would seem a remarkable coincidence that he died the same night he supposedly fell off the wagon, and his body was never found. I think his sobriety is over empathized, perhaps because UM focused on it. A major part of who AJ was, his sexuality, was left out of the segment entirely, so I don't think enough attention is given to this a possible theory for his disappearance/death. We all know of many serial killers who targeted gay men for their vulnerability, or it could have just been a random encounter that someone thought they could get away with it.

The most likely answer to his disappearance is that he relapsed and ended up killing himself. Relapse rates are extremely high (usually around 50% or higher). Even after 8 year he could have easily relapsed. Given that he dedicated his life to helping other alcoholics and had a good reputation in a small town he couldn't have just come back, even if he did want to start over after relapsing. Although I doubt it, it's also possible he left for a new life somewhere.

If the eye witness testimonies are to be believed, and I think pretty much all of them are bunk, it's possible he relapsed with some other guys and was trying to get out of the situation somehow. Abduction and foul play seem like completely random assumptions. The most credible sounding claim was of the woman who said he tried to sell her fish. After his life fell apart, it's possible AJ made some desperate attempts to get back from where he had fallen in a confused and drunken state.

If he actually was sexually into men, and I've heard many different claims here, he could have always ended up in some bad crowds or shady areas because of this too. A lot of segments on the show had various lovers ending up dead in some offbeat location. I doubt this had much to do with it since his car and personal items were found in untampered with condition.

I've been shocked at additional information and updates to cases before. Anything could have happened. From everything I've read there's just not any substantial evidence that there's anything extreme behind this one.

The most likely answer to his disappearance is that he relapsed and ended up killing himself. Relapse rates are extremely high (usually around 50% or higher). Even after 8 year he could have easily relapsed. Given that he dedicated his life to helping other alcoholics and had a good reputation in a small town he couldn't have just come back, even if he did want to start over after relapsing. Although I doubt it, it's also possible he left for a new life somewhere.

If the eye witness testimonies are to be believed, and I think pretty much all of them are bunk, it's possible he relapsed with some other guys and was trying to get out of the situation somehow. Abduction and foul play seem like completely random assumptions. The most credible sounding claim was of the woman who said he tried to sell her fish. After his life fell apart, it's possible AJ made some desperate attempts to get back from where he had fallen in a confused and drunken state.

If he actually was sexually into men, and I've heard many different claims here, he could have always ended up in some bad crowds or shady areas because of this too. A lot of segments on the show had various lovers ending up dead in some offbeat location. I doubt this had much to do with it since his car and personal items were found in untampered with condition.

I've been shocked at additional information and updates to cases before. Anything could have happened. From everything I've read there's just not any substantial evidence that there's anything extreme behind this one.
My main argument against your post is that the witness accounts from the segment were people that actually knew him. The lady that gave the account of the fish sell did not know him, so for me that is not a credible witness.

Yes he could have relapsed, but there are a lot of unanswered questions.

The most likely answer to his disappearance is that he relapsed and ended up killing himself.

If he actually was sexually into men

If he relapsed and killed himself, how did his car get back to Houma?

It's not a question of "if" he was actually gay. He certainly was.

thats right, one of his daughters said he was gay in a newspaper article or tv interview. Perhaps more than 1 child of his verified this but i know of one daughter who said it.

thats right, one of his daughters said he was gay in a newspaper article or tv interview. Perhaps more than 1 child of his verified this but i know of one daughter who said it.

It's as good a theory as any. I mean, we've got 'eyewitness' accounts of him.. In a car.. Which.. Reliability there is.. Usually poor. I get the argument that DallasTexan is making.. You're more apt to believe someone who knew him when they said they saw him.. But.. The sheer number of times that eyewitnesses are wrong..

About everything is still on the table for this. I forget the part of LA that he was from.. Houma.. Ok.. As I recall, that's big time bayou country, right? Basically, lots and lots of places where if a body was dumped in water.. You probably don't worry about it floating back up, because critters will devour it before that can happen?

I'd say that's probably the best bet as to where he is now. How and why he got there..

It's as good a theory as any. I mean, we've got 'eyewitness' accounts of him.. In a car.. Which.. Reliability there is.. Usually poor. I get the argument that DallasTexan is making.. You're more apt to believe someone who knew him when they said they saw him.. But.. The sheer number of times that eyewitnesses are wrong..

About everything is still on the table for this. I forget the part of LA that he was from.. Houma.. Ok.. As I recall, that's big time bayou country, right? Basically, lots and lots of places where if a body was dumped in water.. You probably don't worry about it floating back up, because critters will devour it before that can happen?

I'd say that's probably the best bet as to where he is now. How and why he got there..
there's always the chance that the eyewitnesses are wrong, even the ones that knew him. I find it unlikely, but not impossible, that they could have lied or wanted to be involved to try and help the investigation. they seemed to be vivid accounts, especially the gas station witness.

there's always the chance that the eyewitnesses are wrong, even the ones that knew him. I find it unlikely, but not impossible, that they could have lied or wanted to be involved to try and help the investigation. they seemed to be vivid accounts, especially the gas station witness.

I don't know what to make of the first two witnesses, honestly. It's creepy as ****. The second sighting, near the mailbox, does remind me of the sincerety of Angelo DeSedari's neighbor Lou.

I do think the fish lady was mistaken. Not sure where, if he was too drunk to seek help or volunarily contact anybody he knew, he'd manage to get a van to drive around, with gas in the tank, and fish to be selling - and nobody, in any way, corroborating it (that we know of) - no missing van, no DWI, no missing frozen foods.

To be honest, I wish we could know what AJ's drink of choice was when he was drinking. That gallon of milk he bought at the convenience store could be a huge clue that was overlooked.

there's always the chance that the eyewitnesses are wrong, even the ones that knew him. I find it unlikely, but not impossible, that they could have lied or wanted to be involved to try and help the investigation. they seemed to be vivid accounts, especially the gas station witness.

I doubt they lied. Being mistaken about exactly WHEN they saw him? Fully possible.

To be honest, I wish we could know what AJ's drink of choice was when he was drinking. That gallon of milk he bought at the convenience store could be a huge clue that was overlooked.

The Dude Abides.

The Dude Abides.

Far out, man.

Far out, man.

Mixing characters up a bit here.. But.. Maybe we need to start looking in some Folgers cans?

A lot is being made of the alcohol because of his history. But the only "evidence" of his falling off the wagon is based off of that anonymous note and the eyewitness statements, which we all know are not very accurate due to confirmation bias. But I get it, that's what the police had to work with.

Consider though that AJ had been sober 8 years. He just attended a meeting at the Easy Does It Club. A clerk saw him buy milk, but not alcohol. No one saw him drunk and there is nothing presented that suggested he was at risk of relapsing.

The theory that AJ chose that night to get drunk and then died just doesn't make sense to me.

A lot is being made of the alcohol because of his history. But the only "evidence" of his falling off the wagon is based off of that anonymous note and the eyewitness statements, which we all know are not very accurate due to confirmation bias. But I get it, that's what the police had to work with.

Consider though that AJ had been sober 8 years. He just attended a meeting at the Easy Does It Club. A clerk saw him buy milk, but not alcohol. No one saw him drunk and there is nothing presented that suggested he was at risk of relapsing.

The theory that AJ chose that night to get drunk and then died just doesn't make sense to me.

While I don't discount the fact that alcoholics can relapse suddenly.. I tend to agree with you.

If it were JUST as simple as drinking.. Few people who go drinking wind up in places where they're never found.

While I will allow that alcohol may have played a part.. I can't see it being a main cause of death. The wiggle on that would be if he started drinking and did something that caused someone to kill him. Do you blame alcohol at that point? Legitimately, I'd say.. yeah, it has to share the blame a bit, but.. It wouldn't be the main reason for his death.. That'd be the person who killed him.

That's the other thing: someone starts drinking after 8 years, they usually don't wind up dead, unless they were driving. There's no evidence AJ was driving drunk.

That's the other thing: someone starts drinking after 8 years, they usually don't wind up dead, unless they were driving. There's no evidence AJ was driving drunk.


I might argue that a bit. Someone who RESUMES drinking after a long layoff.. Tolerances have dropped significantly.

That guy who could blow a .25 and still be vertical when he was drinking regular.. Same amount might kill him after 8 years sober.

but.. I return to the fact that if he just died from drinking too much.. Where is he? Unless he got tore up and stumbled off into the bayou and a gator got him. Which.. Look.. It's possible. I wouldn't necessarily put that in my top thoughts of what happened.. but, the slim possibility exists.

Consider though that AJ had been sober 8 years. He just attended a meeting at the Easy Does It Club. A clerk saw him buy milk, but not alcohol. No one saw him drunk and there is nothing presented that suggested he was at risk of relapsing.

The theory that AJ chose that night to get drunk and then died just doesn't make sense to me.

I agree mostly on the basis that everything happened so quickly.

Eight years sober. He's in good spirits at the meeting. He's in good spirts at the store when he buys milk (not alcohol), he never makes it home (which is very close by), and his daughters discover his car less than 24 hours later in the park across the street from the Easy Does It Club.

What could have happened in such a short amount of time that would have forced him to even contemplate having a drink, fall off the wagon and somehow end up dead? It's asking a lot for me to buy this scenario.

My gut still tells me this was more of a mugging/robbery type situation that got quickly out of hand and he was abducted. Probably almost immediately after he left the convenience store.

That's the other thing: someone starts drinking after 8 years, they usually don't wind up dead, unless they were driving. There's no evidence AJ was driving drunk.

Having personal experience with substance abuse, and knowing many friends and family members who have struggled with alcohol, this is not exactly true. It really depends on the extent of their drinking problem before they were sober.

Relapsing may not kill the person immediately, but after that many years sobriety, I have known tons of people who have passed away within a year of falling off the wagon, whether it be alcohol or other drugs. I've lost people to overdoses, suicide, health related issues regarding alcohol, etc.

The most recent article (https://www.houmatimes.com/news/hpd-reminds-community-of-the-disappearance-of-a-j-breaux-in-august-1991/) I could find about AJ had a very interesting line in it:

The Houma Police Department strongly believes, after 32 years there is someone within our community who holds the key to what happened to Mr. Breaux.

That's the first time I've seen the police say there is someone in Houma who knows what happened to AJ. I could be reading too much into that sentence, but I wonder if they have a person of interest.

The most recent article (https://www.houmatimes.com/news/hpd-reminds-community-of-the-disappearance-of-a-j-breaux-in-august-1991/) I could find about AJ had a very interesting line in it:



That's the first time I've seen the police say there is someone in Houma who knows what happened to AJ. I could be reading too much into that sentence, but I wonder if they have a person of interest.

I.. Read it differently. I just think it was put out to remind people of the case and maybe they get a new lead because they got nothing as it is.

If they had someone they suspected.. I think they might have given a bit of information.. Perhaps even as far as naming a person of interest. They would have said, not specifically, but along the lines of "Anyone who has any knowledge of..." and something specific.. Like events at a specific location, maybe.

I think the family probably followed up with the sheriff/police and.. The police put out that statement to show "Hey, we're stuck.. This isn't going anywhere without us getting some more info"


Not denying that your theory is possible.. And.. Perhaps I'm just saying that I'm far more cynical than you are..

I take it for what it is. the investigators think that someone local knows what happened to him. not sure that it means that they have a suspect. all we had to go by in his disappearance were eye witness accounts that were somewhat credible according to his daughters.

there have been a lot of theories thrown around regarding AJ's disappearance. I've always had a feeling that someone from the easy does it club was involved.

I've always had a feeling that someone from the easy does it club was involved.

If you believe the two eyewitness sightings of AJ being driven around by 3 unidentified men, and I do, then it's almost impossible to come up with a plausible motive as to who was responsible for his disappearance and why. Outside of owing someone money (of which there is no evidence), I can't think of anything that would involve multiple men abducting him that night, keeping him alive, and then killing him at a later date.

I've always thought the Easy Does It Club was a red herring and that whoever dumped his car dumped it there to make it look like it was a clue.

If you believe the two eyewitness sightings of AJ being driven around by 3 unidentified men, and I do, then it's almost impossible to come up with a plausible motive as to who was responsible for his disappearance and why. Outside of owing someone money (of which there is no evidence), I can't think of anything that would involve multiple men abducting him that night, keeping him alive, and then killing him at a later date.

I've always thought the Easy Does It Club was a red herring and that whoever dumped his car dumped it there to make it look like it was a clue.

there are a lot of red herrings in the UM segment and the club very well could be one. I do trust the eye witness account in this segment and it seems like the best lead, but also not 100% sure.

If we dismiss the idea that AJ disappeared on his own accord, my reasoning for suspecting the easy does it club: AJ could have come across someone that he didn't know well, like a family/friend of a friend. sometimes people that run in those circles are not always the type of people that can be trusted. Unfortunately there are people out there who are manipulators and prey on good people like AJ. Perhaps AJ was forced against his will or tried to back out of a dangerous situation that escalated and it led to his disappearance. That's just a theory of mine and it is possible that these were the people that the eyewitnesses saw.

If we dismiss the idea that AJ disappeared on his own accord, my reasoning for suspecting the easy does it club: AJ could have come across someone that he didn't know well, like a family/friend of a friend. sometimes people that run in those circles are not always the type of people that can be trusted. Unfortunately there are people out there who are manipulators and prey on good people like AJ. Perhaps AJ was forced against his will or tried to back out of a dangerous situation that escalated and it led to his disappearance. That's just a theory of mine and it is possible that these were the people that the eyewitnesses saw.

The problem that I have with this theory is that if he did find out too much about someone within the club, why did this person or persons parade him around town in a disheveled state? Why force him to make phone calls and to whom? I just can't come up with a reasonable motive as to why someone from the club (and others) would go through all of this trouble if it was simply AJ finding out too much from the wrong person.

The problem that I have with this theory is that if he did find out too much about someone within the club, why did this person or persons parade him around town in a disheveled state? Why force him to make phone calls and to whom? I just can't come up with a reasonable motive as to why someone from the club (and others) would go through all of this trouble if it was simply AJ finding out too much from the wrong person.

true, especially if we take the eye witness accounts at face value and the timelines were correct. my thoughts are that someone that AJ didn't know well could have been the one that AJ got into trouble with. maybe it was something that AJ thought was innocuous at first and was trying to help out a friend of a friend. and then it escalated into perhaps a scam or perhaps just behavior that AJ did not want to be associated with. AJ then has a fight or flight moment and it leads to his murder.

AJ's disappearance is one of the most mysterious and AJ's case has had so many theories of what could have happened.

The milk is the main reason why I suspected A.J. was headed straight home and had no intention of going anywhere else that night. Milk is an item that will go bad within an hour or two if you don't refrigerate it, so it just seems weird that he would purchase it in Houma if he was planning to drive a long distance to see someone (did he really to buy milk THAT badly if he was going to meet a secret lover?).

But since A.J. lived with one of his daughters at the time and apparently went to the Easy Does It Club virtually every night, it would be interesting to hear if he had a tendency to stay out really late or it was his normal routine to come home sometime after 10:00 PM. If it's the latter, then this lends credence to the idea that something unexpected happened to him after he left the convenience store.

Something that popped in my head was maybe he was heading home, but passed the Easy Does It Club on his way. Perhaps he saw a light on, or maybe he realized he forgot something. He stops there and maybe catches someone doing something they shouldn't, and he gets killed for it.

Something that popped in my head was maybe he was heading home, but passed the Easy Does It Club on his way. Perhaps he saw a light on, or maybe he realized he forgot something. He stops there and maybe catches someone doing something they shouldn't, and he gets killed for it.

Just as good a theory as any other one brought up here.

We don't know.. We have NOTHING to go off of, really.. A few POSSIBLE sightings, which may or may not be accurate.. Some historical knowledge so far as his alcoholism.. And.. That's about it.

With this one.. The problem is.. You have no evidence to eliminate ANYTHING. This particular case, you can't even discount "Abducted by aliens".. Ok.. Exaggerating just a touch there, but.. You get the poiint?

It wasn't him, It's 2026 and he still hasn't been found. His daughters finally got a judge to declare him dead.

A local news station did a twenty minute segment about AJ back in January (HTV 10 - it's on the "AJ Breaux - Project W I S H What If Something Happened" Facebook page), and the detective interviewed says that they are investigating this case as a homicide, and says this interesting quote:

We know that the person that did this, the persons responsible for this, they know information that they can come out and tell us. We understand that sometimes things happen and sometimes things get carried away and if that's the situation that they got carried away and just went too far, I mean here's the time to tell your story.

They also interview AJ's daughters, and they actually have persons of interest in the case. They know who they are. There isn't enough evidence to convict them. They believe there were three of them involved. All three of the persons of interest knew AJ's daughters and two of them went to the same high school with them. One of them is deceased. It's starting to sound like a Tara Calico type of situation, where they know who is responsible but lack the evidence to charge them. But the daughters definitely know who they believe is responsible for AJ's disappearance.

Reading between the lines from what law enforcment and the daughters have said, I think three guys set up AJ in some sort of mock hookup (the park where AJ's car was located was an area for gay men to "cruise") and eventually murdered him.

A local news station did a twenty minute segment about AJ back in January (HTV 10 - it's on the "AJ Breaux - Project W I S H What If Something Happened" Facebook page), and the detective interviewed says that they are investigating this case as a homicide, and says this interesting quote:



They also interview AJ's daughters, and they actually have persons of interest in the case. They know who they are. There isn't enough evidence to convict them. They believe there were three of them involved. All three of the persons of interest knew AJ's daughters and two of them went to the same high school with them. One of them is deceased. It's starting to sound like a Tara Calico type of situation, where they know who is responsible but lack the evidence to charge them. But the daughters definitely know who they believe is responsible for AJ's disappearance.

Reading between the lines from what law enforcment and the daughters have said, I think three guys set up AJ in some sort of mock hookup (the park where AJ's car was located was an area for gay men to "cruise") and eventually murdered him.

Law Enforcement was certain they had their guy with Richard Jewell as well.

This could go either way.. They could be right.. They could be on the right track.. Or.. They could just be totally wrong.