Man says he killed massage therapist after robbery attempt; sheriff ... - The Advocate

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Kayla Denham felt something wasn’t right from the moment she arrived at a client’s Denham Springs house early Monday morning where she had an appointment to give a massage.

Denham, who was a massage therapist, texted her boyfriend a little after 5 a.m., telling him she was at 30709 Dunn Road and that he should keep his cellphone on because she had a “bad feeling,” according to a Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office report.

Deputies found Denham's body later that evening in a barn on the property. She died from blunt-force injuries to the head associated with strangulation, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies quickly focused on Christopher Landry, 25, who lived at the Dunn Road home, as a suspect in Denham’s death, Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard said.

Landry, who Ard said was cooperating with detectives, told deputies that he had paid Denham $140 for a massage and a "sexual favor," according to the report. After that was completed, he went into a bathroom.

On his way, he told detectives he saw Denham grab his computer bag with his wallet, and a fight ensued, according to the report.

Landry picked up a black pipe and began to strike Denham in the head numerous times and then choked her with his hands, according to the report.

“Christopher grabbed the lifeless body of Kayla Denham and put her body in a plastic container and placed the container with the body in the shed,” the report says.

He covered the container with a tarp, moved Denham’s car into a wooded area behind the house, destroyed her cellphone and threw her purse in the woods near her car, the report says.

After several hours of not hearing from Denham, her boyfriend went to the Dunn Road address. He found her car parked on the gravel road in the wooded area about a quarter of a mile from the house, the report said, and he immediately called 911.

He told deputies about the text messages he had received earlier that morning from Denham.

When deputies arrived at the Dunn Road house, an occupant let them inside. When they noticed what appeared to be "blood smears" on the kitchen floor, the detectives left and returned with search warrants for not only the house, but all of the out-buildings, the report says.

Denham's body was found in a barn on the property.

The Livingston Parish sheriff said Friday the investigation was ongoing and questions were being raised about Landry's version of what happened.

"At this point in our investigation, I am going to tell you that based on the evidence we've collected up until now, the suspect's version of what happened is not fully supported by what we've uncovered," Sheriff Ard said. "Again, this is an ongoing investigation."

'This is still an active investigation," Ard said. "The victim can not speak for herself. We must rely on evidence to find the truth."

Landry has been booked with second-degree murder and obstruction of justice. He is being held in the Livingston Parish Detention Center on $250,000 bail.

Michelle Guglielmo Gilliam, Denham's cousin and spokeswoman for the family, released a statement on Friday, saying the family trusts in law enforcement and believes that the truth will prevail.

"Kayla was a beloved daughter, granddaughter, sister, cousin and friend," Gilliam said. "She had a wonderful and loving soul that brought light and joy to everyone around her. Her family and friends love her dearly and miss her terribly, and are focused on grieving our unspeakable loss and honoring her memory."

Denham lived in Geismar and graduated from Dutchtown High School in 2011, according to her obituary. She was a student at Delgado Community College, but previously attended Southeastern Louisiana University, where she was a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority, and LSU. Her funeral is Saturday.


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