The upcoming episode of Dateline: Unforgettable will focus on the horrific details of the cold-blooded murder of Denise Leuthold by her husband, Nathan Leuthold on Valentine’s Day. The upcoming release will shed light on the 2013 case and the tragic death of the mother of three.
A still of Nathan Leuthold (Image via Twitter)
Episode 27 of Dateline: Unforgettable will be titled Deadly Valentine and its synopsis as per Oxygen, reads:
“Nathan and Denise Leuthold build their family on faith, but suddenly one of them dies and the other is under suspicion; it’s a story that stays with Andrea Canning, both because of what happened and when it happened: Valentine’s Day.”
Set to premiere on August 9, 2023, at 8:00 pm ET on Oxygen, Dateline: Unforgettable will feature the case that was fairly easy to crack open. The victim left a note behind inside her personal notebook, leaving clues that pointed to her husband, Nathan Leuthold. He was sentenced to 80 years in prison and is presently serving his time at the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Nathan Leuthold reportedly had an affair with Aina, a student he was sponsoring
Denise Leuthold’s death dates back to February 14, 2013, when she was brutally shot in her home in Peoria, Illinois. Both Nathan and Denise were active members of the Lamarche Baptist Church in Mapleton after their marriage in 1995. The couple served as missionaries for their church and were sent to Lithuania, where they met six-year-old Aina and her family.
They sponsored the child, who reportedly had a difficult time adjusting to college in the United States. She was then asked to leave Christian College in Pensacola, Florida in 2011, owing to rumors of an affair with her sponsor, Nathan.
A still of Denise Leuthold from her Obituary (Image via Dignity Memorial)
On the morning of February 14, 2013, Nathan Leuthold surprised his wife with a gift and went to a car wash and a coffee shop when he received a call from their youngest child, Janelle’s daycare. Nathan picked up the child and headed to his in-laws’ house to find their garage door open with Denise’s car missing and a busted window pane, which indicated a burglary. However, the police found that the kitchen was unusually ransacked, while the valuables were not touched.
Officials discovered Denise’s lifeless body at 3 pm as she lay face down just inside the front door. She was reportedly shot in the back left side of her head from a distance, as per Peoria Journal Star.
Aina Dobilaite at the trial (Image via Peoria Journal Star)
The only hard evidence authorities found was a black hoodie, the statement of Nathan’s missing Glock 40., Denise’s wallet, and her day planner. An unaddressed note from the planner revealed cracks in the couple’s marriage and Nathan’s affair with Aina.
A neighbor confirmed Nathan’s identity as she witnessed him walking down the streets in the black sweatshirt at noon after having parked Denise’s car at a park nearby – both the car and the keys were reportedly recovered from Robinson Park. This came after the suspect claimed that he left the house at about 11:15 am and returned at 3 pm to find the door open.
However, statements from several witnesses and other evidence landed him behind bars.
The Leutholds with their children Seth, Julia, and Janelle (Image via Leuthold archives)
Aina and Nathan spent a lot of time at the Five Senses Spa, traveled to Europe together, and allegedly rented an apartment in Chicago. He wanted to start afresh with Aina and spoke to her in Lithuanian – a language Denise was not adept in. On the morning of the murder, Nathan hid inside his closet and shot Denise in the head when she was alone.
Following a six-day trial, several recovered emails and web history, and statements from 40 witnesses, the jury reportedly took two hours and finally declared Nathan Leuthold guilty of first-degree murder. He has made two separate attempts to appeal the charges against him, once after his sentence and once in 2016, but to no avail.
Nathan Leuthold continues to serve his sentence at the Illinois Department of Corrections and his crimes will be explored in the upcoming episode of Dateline: Unforgettable.
Edited by Adelle Fernandes
Categories: Trending
Source: newstars.edu.vn