Lonzy Haywood Minshew was a hard-working, forty-six year old father of eleven, employed as a welder at Hepinsal Steel Fabricators.¹ Often called 'Woody' by his friends, Haywood was a native of the tiny town of Dossville, Mississippi. He migrated to New Orleans, Louisiana in search of work that would pay good enough wages to support his large family.

Haywood had been working at Hepinsal for about two weeks. On Thursday, August 15, 1963—just a day before his murder—Haywood had changed to the evening shift. His new hours were 4:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. That Thursday, Haywood went home for dinner at 8:30 p.m. His wife, Bonnie, was a private duty nurse and was at work at the time, so one of his daughters served him his meal. Unbeknownst to his young daughter, it would be Haywood's last supper (Minshew).

Bonnie Wallace Minshew

The next day, Friday, August 16, 1963, Haywood and Bonnie had been drinking whiskey most of the day (WWest). It is likely that Haywood and Bonnie were arguing, since it was reported to investigators by family members that there was "dissention" between Haywood and Bonnie—so much so that he had "inquired in the last few weeks" of his eldest daughter if he might reside with her and her family (SR64, pg 11, par 4).

Friday, August 16, 1963 was payday for Haywood. Although he worked only a few blocks away and wasn't due at work until 4:30 p.m., Haywood "left the house to go to work (Minshew)" an hour early, at about 3:30 p.m. We are not sure where he went, because he didn't show up at Hepinstal until around 5:00 p.m., at which time he picked up his paycheck. Haywood did not report to work and the Hepinstal foreman observed Haywood in his vehicle at about 5:45 on the corner of Felicity and Magazine Street (SR64, pg 4, par 4).

According to a next-door neighbor of the family, who stopped by to chat with Bonnie just before 8:00 p.m. that Friday, Haywood was "suppose to have cashed a $100 paycheck" that afternoon. Bonnie had bought a steak for Haywood's meal and was expecting him home at around 8:30 p.m. to eat his supper and leave money with her to "pay a grocery bill that evening". According to this same neighbor, Bonnie was expecting another child (States Item 19Aug63, pg 11/Minshew).

Even though Haywood was known as "a man of steady habits who took good care of his family" (States Item 19Aug63, pg 11) and even though Bonnie told police, "he always came home and leave his money, he never carried a full pay day with him, never" (Minshew), the evening of August 16, 1963, Haywood was clearly behaving in a manner contrary to steady: That evening he decided to 1) not go to work, 2) cash his paycheck and go out drinking and 3) not go home for dinner.

Since the police report is woefully inadequate for the purpose of piecing together Haywood's last known movements, we can only surmise that he was last seen alive in the neighborhood bars that he frequented as late as 11:30 p.m. on Friday, August 16, 1963. However, sometime between midnight and 2 a.m. (Saturday, August 17, 1963) Haywood Minshew was brutally murdered. His severely beaten body was left lying face-down alongside a tree at the rear of Audubon Park, about 29-30 feet from River Drive (near shelter house No. 7). Haywood was discovered by a park grasscutter at about 6:15 a.m. Saturday morning. Police discovered drag marks leading from the road to the tree. It is believed that Haywood was murdered at another location and then dumped in Audubon Park.

On Sunday, August 18, 1963, at about 9:55 a.m., police recovered Haywood's vehicle in a private parking lot on the corner of Clio and Camp Streets, under an overpass (view photo of area) of the Greater New Orleans Bridge—less than one mile from his residence and just under five miles from where his body was discovered in Audubon Park. We are fairly certain Haywood's vehicle was in the parking lot by "midnight or just a little after" (SR64, pg 10, par 4).

Ripples in time
At the time of his murder, Haywood's eleven children ranged in age from nine months to twenty-five years. It goes without saying that all their lives were severely disrupted as a result of their father's murder. Those old enough to understand had to face unimaginable personal suffering and loss. Those too young to understand have, no doubt, been left with an undeniable void in their lives. Still, some had to pay an even higher price; Not only did they lose their father, but they lost their mother and siblings as well—having been given away soon after the murder.

The suffering caused by Haywood's death did not end with his children. It had profound affects on his brothers and sisters as well. And—as told to us by a family membe—Haywood's parents, Allen T. Minshew and Susie Mamie Wooten, "never got over his death and the way it happened."

We know there are people out there who know what happened that night to Lonzy Haywood Minshew. They know who killed him, they know how it was done, they know who was involved… they know what happened. It's time for them to come forward.

¹ Place of employment: At the time of his murder, Haywood may have been employed at Kemp-Stahl Company. While the police records indicate he was employed at Hepinsal (or Hepinstall) Steel Fabricators at 600 Market Street, his death certificate reports Kemp-Stahl Company.