Louisiana State Police Expands Probe Into Mysterious Hit-and-Run Death of Wisconsin Tourist After NBA YoungBoy Concert
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA — The Louisiana State Police are expanding their investigation into the mysterious death of 26-year-old Wisconsin tourist Edashia Caraway, whose body was found on the Interstate 10 Twin Span Bridge near Slidell after attending an NBA YoungBoy concert in downtown New Orleans.
Authorities say Caraway died from blunt force injuries consistent with being hit by one or more vehicles, but how she ended up 25 miles from her hotel without a car remains a mystery.
“It is virtually impossible to think she walked from her hotel to where she met her end,” said James Hartman, spokesperson for St. Tammany Parish Coroner Christopher Tape, who ruled her death a homicide.
Timeline: From Concert to Catastrophe
Caraway, who traveled from Appleton, Wisconsin, attended the NBA YoungBoy concert at the Smoothie King Center on October 20. Her family believes she returned to her hotel — the Hilton New Orleans Convention Center — around 11 p.m., as her concert wristband was found in the room.
However, just hours later at 2:19 a.m., Caraway’s mother received a crash alert notification on her phone. By that time, Louisiana State Police say Caraway had been struck by a Mazda CX-5 — and possibly another vehicle — on the I-10 Twin Span, a bridge that connects New Orleans to Slidell.
Troopers are now working with the Criminal Investigations Division to determine how she got there and whether anyone was with her.
Family Searching for Answers
Caraway’s uncle, Tawny Gray, told reporters the family is desperate for information, saying it makes no sense how she could have ended up so far away without transportation.
“She didn’t have a vehicle. She didn’t rent a vehicle. She was Ubering,” Gray said. “She should have come home. She went down for a concert and should have been able to go home.”
Gray said Caraway was a devoted mother and worked from home as an auditor, raising her 6-year-old son in Wisconsin. The family described her as funny, intelligent, and close-knit — FaceTiming her mother frequently during her trip.
“She was kind of a loner. It’s weird she would join someone if that was the case,” Gray said. “We just want to know what happened.”
Police and Family Appeal for Information
Authorities are urging anyone with information about Caraway’s final hours to contact Louisiana State Police Troop L at (985) 893-6250 or the St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office at (985) 781-1150. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at (504) 822-1111.
Caraway’s body was returned to her family over the weekend, and a GoFundMe has been launched to assist with funeral expenses as the investigation continues.
“Now that I have her back with us, trying to figure out what is going on is a priority,” Gray said.
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