UPDATE: Body of missing woman found in submerged car

Published 6:36 pm Monday, November 21, 2022

The body of Stephany Fong, 32, was recovered from a submerged vehicle Monday night, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso said.

Mancuso said while foul play is not suspected, his office is approaching the investigation as a homicide out of precaution.

Fong was reported missing on Saturday, and was last seen leaving the Sulphur bar Wagin Cajun at 5 a.m. that morning.

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Fong’s car, a white Toyota RAV4, was found submerged in Bayou d’Inde on Monday afternoon.

Mancuso said deputies began searching the waterways on Monday morning, as per protocol. After locating the car in Bayou d’Inde, deputies utilized all their resources — including their wrecker services and dive team — to recover the car.

The process took about two hours, Mancuso said.

The coroner’s office is in the process of determining the cause of death, he said.

According to Louisiana law, the law enforcement agency in the municipality where a crash occurred is required to be the investigating agency; therefore, the Sulphur Police Department will be handling the crash investigation. CPSO will continue their investigation regarding the missing person report along with evidence recovery.