May 2, 2001, was a perfect spring morning in Chevy Chase, Maryland — crisp, clear.
That morning, Leslie Preer was late for work and not answering her phone.
So her boss decided to call Leslie’s husband, Sandy. That’s when the two men realized something had to have been terribly wrong. There was no reason for Leslie to be late.
They met at the Preer home to look for Leslie together. And what they found was terrifying.
Blood everywhere — on the floor, in the kitchen, on the back door, on the appliances.
They called 911. Officer Jim Barnette with the Montgomery County Police Department was the first on the scene.
It was evident to Barnette that there had been a violent struggle. He went upstairs and there, in the corner of the shower, found Leslie. She had been murdered in a vicious attack.
Watch as loved ones remember Leslie as a fun-loving and caring woman.
The murder shocked the quiet Chevy Chase community, and left Leslie’s daughter, Lauren, desperate for the truth.
After a decades-long search, she finally got an answer, and it was one nobody expected…
To find out what happened, watch the full episode “A Perfect Spring Morning” on Peacock now.
You can also watch on the NBC app or listen to the full episode on our podcast.
Plus, those who knew the killer reflect on the years before his arrest, and how he stayed close to their circle of friends.
You can also listen to this week’s episode of Talking Dateline with Blayne Alexander and Lester Holt, in which they take you behind the scenes of the episode.
