Jeanette Cousins Watson

Watson, circa 2006

  • Missing Since 08/28/2006
  • Missing From Logansport, Louisiana
  • Classification Endangered Missing
  • Sex Female
  • Race White
  • Date of Birth 06/03/1929 (94)
  • Age 77 years old
  • Height and Weight 5'0 - 5'4, 150 - 165 pounds
  • Associated Vehicle(s) White Ford Explorer Sport Trac (accounted for)
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. White hair, blue/hazel eyes. Watson's name is spelled "Janet" by some agencies. Her hair is thinning and her ears are pierced. She wears eyeglasses and she has had knee replacement surgery.

Details of Disappearance

Watson left her home in Newton County, Texas on August 27, 2006 to visit friends in Tenaha, Texas, but never arrived there. She was last seen playing on slot machines at a truck stop in Logansport, Louisiana on August 28.

Watson's family stated she did not gamble and often spoke against gambling, but people at the truck stop stated she went there regularly. She won approximately $1,000 on the night of her disappearance. She has never been heard from again.

At 11:00 p.m. on August 28, hours after she was last seen, Watson's white Ford Explorer Sport Trac was found seventy-five yards off Highway 191 north in Zwolle, Louisiana, between Logansport and Newton County. It had been intentionally set on fire and was still burning when it was located. Everything inside her vehicle was destroyed by the blaze.

Watson's cellular phone was found under a bridge a few miles away, but there was no indication of her whereabouts.

The month after Watson went missing, authorities announced they were seeking a male person of interest in her case. The man, who has not been publicly identified, was at the truck stop on the night Watson disappeared.

Watson disappeared under unclear circumstances. Her disappearance is being investigated as a missing person rather than a crime.

Updated 4 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated May 2, 2016; distinguishing characteristics and details of disappearance updated.