A Louisiana man accused of killing a 72-year-old woman and driving around with her decomposing body in her vehicle for nearly a month has gone on trial in Calcasieu Parish. Prosecutors say 43-year-old Christopher Talton Cater murdered Sheila Ortega, concealed her body in her SUV, and used her personal information to open fraudulent loans.
Cater is charged with first-degree murder, identity theft, and unlawful disposal of human remains. His trial began this week, more than a year after Ortega’s family reported her missing in August 2023.
According to the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, Ortega was last heard from in July 2023. Family members reported her missing on August 20. That same day, deputies searched a residence connected to the investigation but found no sign of her. The next day, investigators located Ortega’s SUV in the parking lot of Prien Lake Mall in Lake Charles. Inside, they discovered her body in an advanced state of decomposition. Cater was arrested nearby.
Sheriff Tony Mancuso said Cater had already been on law enforcement’s radar. The night before Ortega’s body was found, a deputy had stopped Cater while he was driving her SUV. During the traffic stop, Cater allegedly claimed Ortega was staying with friends in Arkansas. The deputy released him, unaware Ortega’s remains were in the vehicle.
When investigators confronted Cater after finding the SUV, he reportedly admitted to killing Ortega about a month earlier. Authorities also allege he confessed to using her identity to take out loans after her death.
Prosecutors say Cater killed Ortega on July 21, 2023, and later searched Google for ways to dispose of a body and for information on the insanity defense. Searches allegedly included phrases such as “The best way to get rid of a body” and “Does the insanity plea work in a murder case.”
Defense attorneys conceded that Cater stole Ortega’s identity and disposed of her remains but argued he did not intend to kill her. They claimed he snapped during a confrontation after drinking with the victim, insisting he only meant to hurt her.
Jurors heard testimony from deputies involved in the case. One deputy said she waited outside Ortega’s SUV for a search warrant after smelling the strong odor of decomposition. Another testified that Cater remarked, “Y’all must be looking for me” when officers located him at a nearby bar.
Witnesses also recounted Cater’s attempts to conceal the crime. A coworker testified that Cater warned her to avoid the SUV, claiming it belonged to his sister and smelled because of dogs. A bartender told jurors that Cater twice used Ortega’s credit card at her bar, once arriving with an overpowering stench.
A medical professional testified that Ortega sustained severe injuries, including fractures to her spine, neck, and face, consistent with multiple impacts.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Cater could face life in prison. The trial is ongoing.
