For a day that ended so tragically, it started with roses. >> i can tell you she's dead. finish. >> if you come down during the day people are riding their bikes. Deadly Valentine. Missionaries Nathan and Denise Leuthold, along with their three young children were back home in Peoria, Illinois after years of overseas work in Lithuania. Nathan will murder his wife on Valentine's Day! >> was that? On the personal front, Nathan has been married to Tanya Lee since 2018. >> it's not typical as far as a burglary that results in a murder. she never shared that with her best friend. >> by the time we got here, officers were starting to rope everything off. i'll get jenelle from daycare and let you know. >> but what really upset nathan was how the state depicted his relationship with aina, someone he had known since she was a little girl, someone he had, mentored. Her coat was only half on and a bullet was found tangled in her hair, as were keys. November 24, 2017 8:00 PM 43 mins. The missed 911 call led to him suing the Charlotte County Sheriffs Office for negligence, a lawsuit which he won. seth, 12, julia, ten and jenelle, were for. >> he denied it. But on Valentine's Day, 2013, husband . it's simple. >> glock specifically, which is the gun he owned. to help them save. one pill, once-daily. >> nathan realized it had to have been denise. it didn't look like a typical sponsor relationship. welcome back to the world. >> pulled in our driver with the headlights on. It took the jury about 90 minutes to convict Nathan Leuthold for the murder of his wife Denise. Denises vehicle was missing, and soon located at a park down the street from the residence at Robinson Park. something like that. >> david smith was a fellow inmate of nathan's at the county. >> if your daughter elector -- >> she was a friend of our daughters. plans for the long term, and plans for a long weekend. >> nathan said that he had been at the gun range. >> i would love to think that you're a god-fearing man and you would never do that, but -- >> but you have a preconceived idea in your head. >> and what they found floored them. >> while he find the crime scene odd for a burglary, it was nathan's behavior that disturbed the officer even more. his lawyer, hugh toner, said that would have been nearly impossible. Very few details are being released. so while their possessions, try to save up money. that's how it started. I quit, I will not please you anymore. there. He staged the break-in . how to use music for the lord. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, such as eye pain or vision changes, or a parasitic infection. no matter who asked her, aina insisted her relationship with nathan was platonic. Nathan and Denise Leuthold built their family on faith, but in a flash, one of them is dead and the other is under suspicion. >> i was surprised when he was the first one that she dated and they ended up getting married. Podcaster Rss Dela Dela podden. A bi-fold door was off its hinges near where police found 39-year-old Denise Leuthold. in this second car, we're going to drive to starbucks. ; David Hendricks was sentenced to four consecutive . Spela. i can get you a new one tomorrow. >> parked his car in robinson park, somewhere close to 12:15, 12:20, walked up to the house, went into the house, the burglary was probably already staged. he also wanted to say that the police never looked past him to catch the real intruder in what was a real burglary. you're safe now. >> everything stopped. The Lithuanian woman rejected having an intimate involvement with Nathan Leuthold, a Christian Baptist preacher who met her when she was six years old. He was arrested on March 6, 2013 around 8.15 a.m. On September 2014, a jury found Nathan Leuthold guilty, he was sentenced to an 80-year term in the Illinois Department of Corrections for first degree murder in violation of section 9-1 of the Criminal Code of 1961 (720 ILCS 5/9-1(a)(1) (West 2012)). o dateline. >> aina had no driver's license at the time. Diane Parrish, who lives about a block from the Leutholds home, told jurors she remembered him because she thought it odd a person would be walking on the road at that time. >> when denise went off to college in minnesota, nathan, a year younger, soon followed. >> translator: yes. >> and they started at the very beginning. now they had to explain why he did it. and we knew they would be together. >> bathtub. that's what nathan is, and i would suggest to you respectfully, that's what i'd ask the verdict that you return. aina responded, interesting, followed by a smiley face. so, she really was jealous, even though she said that she wasn't. you're not even in this one. i love you. she was supporting him. And I refuse to leave my children just because you have decided to do this to me. Read More: Where are Denise Lees Sons Now? hiding in that cubical to kill her the moment she walked through the door. that's the way i've used the word over and over again throughout the years. I really dont think there is anything I have done or not done to deserve this. it was a really her calling. let's get it together. while he was at this places, chase bank, starbucks, the day spa, a car wash, there was a problem. ahh, that's a low price. >> how did you tell the children, that their mother had been killed? i pray there is enough time to do everything. Doug Newton says, Were just glad that things have come to a conclusion and that we can continue to have a part in the training and loving of our grandchildren.. For dinner, we had Lithuanian food. were you and nathan ever lovers? The Valentine's Day Murder of Denise Leuthold Episode Summary. Ive tried to hate you because I thought it would make it easier. Was Matthew Podolaks Death a Result of His Depression? Watch in HD Subscribe if you're new! -it is. denise was dead. oh man let's get you to this moment. she loved her job, and really loved her handsome young boss. >> yes. it didn't make sense. Together they built their family on faith, but in a flash, one of them was dead and the other was under suspicion. Denises body was found two days later, close to where Michael had been arrested. we'll see over all the time? Fellow missionary: No doubts Nathan Leuthold is guilty of Murder by Journal Star. at that point, i began to put things together that someone had broken into the home. thank you. and just wants to do the lords work. investigators say it appeared to match one that a strange neighborhood was wearing in the neighborhood that day. And she wasn't just any girl. i just kept looking at my daughter. There were signs that someone was held captive over there. >> this was an incomplete investigation. >> one neighbor says with two small kids at home, she's feeling panicked and even a little paranoid. thank you. if it wasn't for her, people wouldn't be able to do his work. >> very erie. >> similar situation, but this time into the neighbor's driveway. the children will be robbed of just one parent, not of both. >> denise -- deadly valentine 3--'s had no idea what happened. >> the computer expert explained that his browser was set to delete anything he looked up, but as we found out, just because you delete something doesn't mean it's gone. >> everything stopped. there's interest you accrue, and interests you pursue. >> it was hard to believe now's your moment to get vaccinated. >> another suspicious finding, a black hooded sweatshirt on the floor of nathan and denise's bedroom. >> i observed a vehicle parked within its headlights on for some extended period of time, five, ten minutes at least, which i considered to be somewhat unusual. >> he owned and she was shot with. they didn't know if they are being targeted for anything. the car leaves. they have a child taken from them. >> were you and nathan ever lovers? it was not other than aina. >> it was officially titled. >> ladies and gentlemen. Today's case is super intere. i wanted to get a good look at him, and i was worried that he saw us pulling out of our driveway, and if he knew we were gone, that he'd rob us. so we can be together. May the Lord give extra grace to them. based on court testimony, the murder occurred at around 12:30 p.m. after that, prosecutors said nathan would have had to drive denise's car to the park, get in his own car, and then drive to starbucks where he was seen on surveillance video at 12:45 p.m. >> and he would have had to have done all that without leaving any blood smears, getting any blood on him. >> the state's theory, nathan put his plan into action when denise left the house to take their daughter to daycare. RT @crimedinerpod: EP: Missionary Imposition https://linktr.ee/wdst We cover the story of Nathan Leuthold and his wife Denise, who went to Lithuania on a missionary assignment and came back w/ a stowaway. saving is easy when you're in good hands. The 39-year-old Peoria man showed little emotion as Peoria Circuit Judge Kevin Lyons handed down the sentence. >> did you fear that the person could still be in the house? Lyons described Leutholds actions with his mistress surrounding his wifes murder as gut-wrenching and stunning. A family member of Denise Leuthold also read a message in court for Denises parents: Were devastated that Nathan lied and deceived us after we have loved him for so long, and then chose to kill our precious daughter. Please pray for this family. Officers recovered fleece gloves about fifty feet from the vehicle next to a picnic table. For a day that ended so tragically, it started with roses. See production, box office & company info. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Denise Leuthold - Nathan's wife - dead. >> detectives asked nathan the uncomfortable questions they ask anyone who espouse has been murdered -- >> this is kind of a personal question, and take no offense because we have to cover every base. Denise L. Leuthold, 39, of Peoria passed away Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013, at her residence. >> the more we start looking at the house, it didn't seem like a real burglary. was that a factor -- >> well, obviously it was a concern. death, nathan and his children's day-to-day church mission houses. >> in the meantime, denise's parents made the choice to return to their home, the scene of the crime. Scott Rochowitz testified that he worked for the Illinois State Police and spent twentythree and a half years in forensic science. Missionaries Nathan and Denise Leuthold, along with their three young children were back home in Peoria, Illinois after years of overseas work in Lithuania. she's not answering my phone calls, she's not answering my mom's phone calls. They then took her under their wing and housed her until she grew up. he was not even worth cross-examining. but she told detectives she left the school because of problems with her hands. >> he was part of our family for 17 years, and, you know, he was like a son to us. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. going just about the speed limit right on, which is 45 miles per hour. He then started the Denise Amber Lee Foundation six months after his wifes death with the idea to improve how 911 operating centers work. >> it was supposed to be some type of present to this other chick. >> we kept going over the robbery, like how it would've happened, and it didn't really make sense. we're living with denise is. It was there that officers found the body of his wife, Denise . i don't think there was a person in that courtroom that disbelieved what she was saying. >> i got a shotgun. It makes absolutely no sense to me that you would stage a burglary and you would say okay, I dont want to do anything thats going to harm my in-laws furniture, you know their drawers, and yet in their home Im willing to kill their daughter.. >> from a purely selfish perspective, it's my life. was >> that a sick feeling when you see all those? In the couples bedroom was Denise Leutholds purse, which had a $50 bill and $20 bill inside. i need to figure out how that car got to robinson park. >> the motive? >> no. They are currently home on furlough and are staying with Denise's parents. >> nathan was very quiet, almost in a state of shock, maybe? i mean, nathan, he is going to be our best witness, you know? 75%. what's more, an expert testified it had gun shot residue on the right cuff. >> that's how she came on your radar? that said a lot to the detectives. i was emotionally spent. >> how did you tell them that their father killed their mother? that while the spouse, nathan in this case, would have been the logical place to start, the problem with that is if you follow that gut feeling, that's going to cause you very likely to miss other things, and in this case simply not look for them at all. see accepted her into our home. let's see how long that takes. Is Somebody Out to Get the Harrison Family? A Peoria County judge put the children under the guardianship of their maternal . Nathan and Denise had met for the first time as teenagers. it's not as if i'm in there watching or whatever else, so you check the records, the waxing treatment was the same day i'm getting a haircut. >> like aina's text the day of the murder. Nathan and Denise Leuthold had known each other since grade school. >> that's correct. She'd received a single but deadly gunshot wound to the head. A Collection of Interesting, Important, and Controversial Perspectives Largely Excluded from the American Mainstream Media detectives needed to know more about the needs and begin questioning her family, including nathan, her husband of 17 years. >> there is no broken case at the house. my future. mother and child in vehicle. But for the witness on Mossville Road that saw the defendant walking at 12:20, you know we wouldnt have had any direct evidence. >> was it for? >> when dateline continues. we're not accountants, but we know it doesn't add up. >> this is because really, nathan, wanted to do it? he just loves to help people out. >> during school vacations, aina would stay in peoria with the whole family. We had no clue of all the double life he was leading. The following day investigators found a set of keys to the vehicle in the trash near where the vehicle was found. >> our parents didn't really believe in dating. for cultural reasons, musical purposes. other serious side effects include potential heart rhythm problems and abnormal movements. when dateline continues. after all, the defendant was a missionary accused of killing his wife in their home in an upscale neighborhood. more almond breeze, please! >> but he wanted to set the record straight with us, insisting he's innocent. Nathan Andrew Leuthold killed his wife Denise, 39, on Valentine's day 2013. at that point, i didn't know where we were going. You want to humiliate me by running around with a 20 year old? it's irresistibly delicious. three weeks after denise leuthold was shot to death, her husband nathan was arrested for her murder. >> there's no doubt in my mind that nathan was arrested because they needed somebody in jail. >> i could see that the windowpane was broken. At the station Nathan gave consent to search the house, the vehicles, the bedroom, his cell phone and laptop. the state argued he was in love with another woman. when was this? >> she didn't recognize the man that day, but later when she looked at a police photo lineup, she quickly pointed to this man, and it turned out to be nathan leuthold. >> no. Among the 911 calls that were made, one of them really stood out. it was enough to scare everybody. By 2007, the couple had two kids, Noah and Adam. we're taking you to jail for the murder of your wife. hen dateline continues plus an immediate cooling sensation for your throat. and she just looked at me, stone cold. there's no way that i could ever fathom nathan doing this. the white house announced it will reimpose sanctions against belarus after its leader had a plane rerouted so he could have an opposition leader arrested. >> he's taking this woman and her early twenties, an exchange student, to the spa. it was natural for denise to want to hire her, and we trusted her 100% with them. Hello, hello loves! >> i was exhausted. >> she woke about 6:45. i was already shaving and showering. Together they built their family on faith, but in a flash, one of them was dead and the other was under suspicion. >> why were you so sure? >> still, it was obvious from nathan's interview video that detectives had questions about his story early on. >> yes. they collected surveillance video from the places he said he had been. curly hair and bouncy step. i don't have the answer. >> they knew that he had been on trial for murdering their mother, and that a jury had convicted him. Nathan and Denise Leuthold had known each other since grade school. my life has a deeper meaning and purpose because you are my world and everything and that will never change. Oh my. Rochowitz examined the black hooded sweatshirt recovered from defendants bedroom for gunshot residue. how hardwood before someone departed open? >> prosecutors said nathan also showed no emotion during his police interview, even when a detective told him denise was dead. RAIDER. >> in the house? feel the clarity, and live claritin clear. a family of three children, great husband. What is that all about? absolutely. PEORIA Day two of Nathan Leutholds murder trial began and ended with the same handwritten note, written by his slain wife, in which she accused of him of wanting her dead and being unfaithful. she baby sat for them in the 20th, and they were sponsoring her as a student in the u.s.. what was that call about? we decided to see for ourselves how long that drive would take. PublishedSeptember 10, 2014 at 7:43 PM CDT, WCBU | >> the jurors, of course, never heard any of that because nathan never took the stand. US Persons Directory: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z i believe the children suspected something. >> what were you thinking? She had heard what she thought was a girl screaming and later noticed a hand that was banging on the back window of Michaels car. thank you, onstar. i'm like well, i just want to know, i just want to know what happened to my daughter. mind. false positive and negative results may occur. and that's the kind of change you notice. >> did you spend the night with mr. leuthold? Never done enough. Nathan Leuthold decided to kill his wife as a Valentine's day gift for his new love. and she trusted nathan. >> we've got a break in. i know that you want me dead. the police investigator read the note in court. by then, they had a third child, jenelle. with frontline, you and your pet can go anywhere no matter how you define it. she even lived with them for a while in peoria. The court will consider an appeal on the Leuthold case Friday at 11. started going through the house. and live a life rich in meaning, and gratitude. what time did they wake up? if she's late, if she broke down, if she had a flat tire, she would've called from, herself phone. Nathan Leuthold est un missionnaire de 37 vivant avec sa femme Denise et ses 3 enfants. >> do you know why anybody would want to break into that house? But on Valentine's . I am so sad to hear about it. -yes, please. >> that's correct. >> right, exactly. ; Kenneth Allen was sentenced to death (commuted to life) for the murders of Chicago police officers William Bosak and Roger van Schaik. >> it was a shock. For a day that ended so tragically, it started with roses. -the house, the car, the rv. but you need a crowbar something? detectives worked around the clock to solve the crime, and, as they did, they began to get the idea that not everything was as it seemed. if you take asthma medicines don't change or stop them without talking to your doctor. >> and what about the state's, witness who claimed that nathan had confessed the whole crime to him? but that day, something happened that was completely out of character for denise. >> coming up, -- >> he was the only person with. i'm not sure what takes a sicker person, the person to actually do that or the person who suggests that. thank you, onstar. starting with the fact that he happened to own the same type of gun used in denise murder. i'm not stupid. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. there was multiple texts and calls every day. >> typical scenario, robberies happening in peoria. I read in different posting on the net that she was shot in the head. >> were a lot of people anxious for this trial to start? >> they didn't find an intruder, instead they found something far worse. >> now she had to tell her husband, denise father's. >> it looked like a burglary gone bad. and that's how she came to be a part of our family. first, he drove his car to the park down the street. and i doubt she even knew a existed. >> when she testified, you could hear a pin drop in that courtroom. >> i asked for more than once, aren't you jealousies traveling around with this young girl? nathan pleaded not guilty. >> he told me that. diane parish who lived a few houses from nathan and denise remembered seeing a strange man on her street right around the time of her murder. Among the 911 callers was Denise herself, who used Michaels phone to make that call without him knowing. i want to rule you out because i hope you didn't do it. PEORIA - Denise L. 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