Louisiana Pirate Festival pageant crown, items stolen in Baton Rouge

Michael Scheidt
·2 min read

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — The queen of the 2023-24 Louisiana Pirate Festival is searching for pageant items she says were stolen from the trunk of her car at a Baton Rouge apartment complex.

McKinley Cobb said a crown, crown box, pin and banner worth over $5,000 were taken on Monday, April 1.

“The crown, banner and box were given to me from the Buccaneers of Lake Charles, an
entity of the pirate festival, upon crowning to be used throughout my reign,” Cobb said.

The Louisiana Pirate Festival Pageant posted pictures of the items reportedly taken last month. Cobb said the Baton Rouge Police Department has been investigating the theft. According to the social media post, the items were taken from the LSU area near East State Street and the Lakeview Apartment area.

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She said that at the last LAFF convention, she “was honored to have placed Top 10 at the pageant and receive the coveted Top 10 pin, which was on my banner at the time of the incident.”

The Louisiana Pirate Festival, established in 1957, celebrates the history of Jean Lafitte and his influence on Lake Charles’ founding. Cobb said the festival is typically held in the first two weeks of May.

She said the loss of the crown “is so much more than a shiny thing, it is a symbol of our history, culture and the efforts of many that have come before me.”

She said that several people have offered to help with replacing some of the items that were stolen. Cobb said plans are “in the works to get the crown and the other items remade.”

The festival board announced that the Louisiana Pirate Festival was postponed in early March. Cobb said the board is planning a September event to continue its membership with LAFF.

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