Lacombe, Louisiana, is a tiny town of less than 9,000 people in Tammany Parish in Lousiana. According to neighborhoodscout.com, Lacombe is safer than 75% of other United States towns. This is one of the highest percentages we have seen in quite a while. So, this area of Louisiana is pretty safe, making what happened in today’s episode so much crazier. That is why we are navigating advocacy in Louisiana this week.

Every other week, when I am doing my research, I start with a simple Google search, and that search is usually unsolved murders or missing people in such and such states. I scroll until one jumps out that I have never heard of and then do basic research to ensure there is enough information to make a whole podcast episode about it. I would love to do an episode on every single unsolved case that I come across because, let's face it, they could all use attention. This week, I stumbled upon the unsolved murder of Nanette Krentel and was initially shocked because I had never heard of it, and then, as I started digging in on this one, I kept being shocked by aspects of this case. I was sitting across from Whitney at a super small airport in Louisiana and had to hold it in from telling her about the details so she could hear it for the first time right now while recording it for all of you.

Nanette Krentel was born on July 26, 1967, right there in Louisiana, and this state is the only one she would ever call home. She was married for 22 years to Steven Krentel, a fire chief in the same parish they lived in St. Tammany. She had one stepson, Justin, four sisters, and one brother and was described as a kind person who loved children and animals. She had a Chihuahua named Harley and two cats. Nanette, her husband, and their pets lived on a dead-end road on 100 acres. This area was described as a fortress because of the high-tech security system, cameras everywhere, and the couple's arsenal of guns and ammunition. Nanette spent her time helping others, baking, and volunteering at various organizations.

The guns on the property weren't just for Steve to use; Nanette knew how to shoot. She practiced regularly and told her father, Dan Watson, “As long as I have my guns and the cameras and I'm at home, I'm safe.” Now, Nanette wasn't paranoid about her safety for no reason. This lady had more enemies and people who wanted to hurt her more than any other retired preschool teacher I have ever heard of. We will talk about those people in just a bit, but for now, let’s talk about the date of July 14th, 2017, just 12 days before Nanettee would turn the big 5-0. The day began just like any other. Nanette made her husband’s lunch and walked him out to his vehicle before leaving for work. Then, it is reported that Nanette drove to a McDonald's to get herself breakfast. Some people do not believe this was Nanette in the vehicle but someone pretending to be her. The surveillance footage obtained is not the best quality, and they can tell it was Nanette's red 2011 GLK Mercedes 350 SUV, but it is so grainy that they can't actually know that it is her inside the vehicle. Her cell phone also pings along the way, so this was either her with her phone running this quick errand or someone going to great lengths to make it look like Nanette. At 10:03 that morning, Nanette or who we assume was Nanette, called the local Kmart to refill a prescription. I couldn't find out if this were an automated system or if Nanette actually spoke to a person there at the pharmacy because this could possibly narrow it down if it was her or not. It was 2017, so most likely, there was an automated refill system versus having to speak with someone. The next time Nanette’s phone was used was at 1:30 that afternoon when a call was made from her phone. This was the last time her phone was used because, at 2:30 that afternoon, a kid riding their bike saw smoke coming from the Krentel’s home. They would ride home and call 911. This is when the investigation starts. Multiple fire stations would deploy their teams out to the house, including that of Steve Krentel. By the time the fire was extinguished, there was literally nothing left. Not even one wall was still standing.

There are quite a few photos of what was left on the internet, but basically, picture a concrete slab with debris all around. That is what this house looked like after the fire.

Steve was a fire chief, and I am sure his wife knew what to do if the house caught fire. So how did they find Nanette Krentel’s body in what used to be the master bedroom, lying face up and burned beyond recognition? Police would know right away that this fire was set intentionally and even though there were people that made threats against Nanette’s life, even going as far as saying they would rape her, then kill her, then set the house on fire, police assumed this was a suicide pretty quickly. It wouldn't be until a week later and right before her funeral that an article would be published stating that Nanette was actually shot in the right temple prior to the fire; there was no exit wound either. There was zero, not even a trace particle of soot in her lungs. This proves she died before the fire was set, and the medical examiner ruled it a homicide. Authorities were still unconvinced, though, and they disagreed with the medical examiner's ruling. Very little blood was found where the body was, which would indicate that Nanette was not murdered in that spot in the master bedroom because if she were killed there, even with the fire, there would be more traces of blood.

Remember I said they had cameras everywhere on that property well the day before they malfunctioned, and Steve meant to reset the system, but he said he got busy and pushed it off, which he regrets terribly. The area where all the surveillance equipment was housed inside the home was doused in accelerant. So, this person knew where the equipment was stored or happened to stumble upon it and decided to destroy it as a last-minute decision.

Nanette’s family, which included her father and sister, believed law enforcement did not do an adequate job at collection and preserving evidence. This is because after the property was released back to the family, they went out to take a look at the area, and they found another gun that wasn't collected, and they also found Nanette’s beloved pet's remains. This was the one dog and two cats. They believe all of this should have been collected and tested in case it provided some type of evidence that would assist the case. After authorities were notified of what the family found, they came back to the site and once again blocked it all off, conducted a better search, and collected more evidence, including that gun. This was just the start of the family and law enforcement not being on the same page about the investigation. Nanettes father would send law enforcement many emails that Nanette wrote him in the months leading up to her murder. This included one where she was voicing her concerns to her father about a man who was on her property. Remember, the couple lived on 100 acres, a house that wasn't really close to anyone else. There was no reason why a man would be on their property. The cameras on the property were able to capture an image of him. However, they could not identify him based on this image. She would also find cigarette butts on her property, giving her even more reason to be uneasy. It was as if someone was watching her or the house periodically. Of course, Steve Krentel was looked into, its very coincidental that Nanette is killed, and then the house is set on fire to destroy any evidence while Steve is a fire chief possibly. It turns out Steve was having a long-term affair, and Nanette knew about this relationship. She spoke to her family about leaving Steve.

Steve denies that Nanette was going to leave him, and he says she knew about the affair and wasn't exactly happy about it, but she sort of dealt with it. Her husband did cooperate with police, passed a polygraph test, and had an airtight alibi. He was on camera at the firehouse and went to lunch with the group of workers before returning to the firehouse and once again on camera. Steve would even hire two investigators, one for the fire and one for Nanette’s murder. He would also offer a reward of $5000 at one time for information leading to the person responsible for Nanette’s death. Steve was cleared as a suspect two months after his wife's murder; however, this couldn't keep him out of trouble for other things within his fire department. Once he went back to work, which was around the beginning of November, I believe an investigation into his affair with a subordinate as well as misconduct. That investigation did not go in his favor, and Steve would be demoted and suspended. He would then submit his paperwork to retire after 20 years of service.

I talked about Nanette having enemies. Well, besides her husband having an affair, the woman Steve had been seeing as possible people who wanted her gone. Steve’s brother Brian had a big beef with his brother and sister-in-law. This guy has a lengthy criminal history, and apparently, he wanted them to cover for him and provide him with a false alibi, but they wouldn't. Brian was very upset about this, and he ended up spending some time in jail. He blamed Steve and Nanette for this. So, he made terrible threats against the couple in various ways. He is the one that said he would rape Nanette, kill her, and then burn their house to the ground. This dude seems like the one police should be focusing on, if you ask me. Brian was living with his and Steve’s mother about 15 to 20 minutes away, had on an ankle monitor, and was seen on video surveillance at the time of the house fire. I believe it was Steve who set up those same types of cameras that were at his house, at his mother's house, and even at the fire department where he worked. Now, this ankle monitor that Brian had to where was supposed to have geofencing capabilities, and it would alert authorities if Brian came near Nanette’s and Steve's home; however, after the murder, Steve called the probation people and learned that feature was never actually activated. Like, what the actual heck?

So we have this woman who has people that have threatened to kill her, she feels like she is being followed, she has found cigarettes and a knife on her property, her husband is having a long-term affair, she is scared out of her mind so much so that she has a gun in every single room of the house, including her car and her purse and then then the camera malfunction. She is killed the very next day. This is insanity.

Then, towards the end of 2017, the family, and when I say the family, I mean Nanette’s dad and sister, not the husband, because they are not exactly working together on this. Steve is doing what he can, and then the family is doing what they can, but it hasn't come right out and said it. I don't think they get along. So her dad and sister start getting anonymous emails, and these emails talk about how crappy the local law enforcement is and give specific information about how they are not doing anything for Nanette’s case. These emails would be sent periodically and come over the course of two years. They would also advise on what questions to ask authorities, almost like pointing the family in a certain direction towards law enforcement. It would come out that a former St. Tammany Parish detective and Agent with the Office of Inspector General for HUD, Jerry Rogers, was the person sending these emails. Apparently, he had beef with the leadership for personal reasons, but anyways, this was an election year, and the sheriff could come out guns ablaze and actually have this guy arrested for sending these emails. He ended up getting off, but it's more drama to this already insane case that doesn't do anything to find out who actually killed this woman. We are not done with the drama, though. Steve would build some type of memorial for his wife on the property where their home was located. Well, one of Nanette’s sisters and her friend decided to go out to the property to see this memorial, and Steve found out he had cameras on the place. Maybe I don't even know if he still lived there. But the women said they did go through a locked gate and a security camera to get to the memorial and were there about ten minutes before they left. As they were leaving, Steve started chasing them in their vehicle, and this chase started. The sister is texting someone who works at the sheriff's office, letting them know what is happening, and eventually, Steve stops chasing them. However, he then filed a trespassing complaint, and the sister had an arrest warrant issued. I believe there is a $5000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for murdering Nanette Krentel. It is just crazy this much drama, this many people who obviously loved Nanette trying to find out what happened to her, so many suspects but still no closer to actually getting justice for this murdered woman.

If you know anything about the death of Nanette Krentel, please contact the City of New Orleans Crime Stoppers at (877) 903-STOP | (877) 903-7867.

Sources:

Louisiana : Nanette Krentel

Maine : Ashley Ouellette

Kentucky : Natasha Fugate Jones