Suspect charged after murdered woman found under wharf in French Quarter of New Orleans

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A Montana man has been arrested in connection with a murder that took place in the historic and popular French Quarter neighborhood of New Orleans.

Police found Patricia Fitzgerald’s body under a wharf near the Louisiana city’s most famous location last month, according to 4WWL.

Courtney Cantrell, 35, was taken into custody in Poplar, Montana, on September 16 where he had allegedly been hiding, nearly 2,000 miles away from the scene of the crime.

Cantrell is currently being held by the Fort Peck Tribal Police, according to officials.

Police had previously identified the man as a potential person of interest in the case. It’s thought that he was the last person seen with Fitzgerald, who suffered head injuries and a bite mark on her abdomen.

Fitzgerald, 44, was found strangled to death under the Governor Nicholls Street Wharf in the French Quarter on August 19.

Officials will hold an extradition hearing to determine if the man should be brought back to Louisiana to face charges.

There have been 33 murders in 2024 so far, according to data released in April. Still, the city is currently seeing a 40 percent decrease in murder rates.

However, seven people have been killed in the city’s French Quarter this year, meaning that in that area murder rates are rising, hitting a 17-year high.

Out of the seven murders, police perceive at least four victims to be innocent, a spokesperson told NOLA.com.

The neighborhood is under heavy surveillance, raising questions about how criminals are able to get away with crimes there.