Survivor's testimony key in helping convict ex-boyfriend of murder

19 hours ago 8

C.C. Opanowski was conscionable 18 years aged erstwhile she was brutally attacked by idiosyncratic she erstwhile loved -- her ex-boyfriend Shawn Doyle. C.C. tried to enactment the traumatic incidental down her until she learned years aboriginal that Doyle murdered a parent of 2 young boys. For the archetypal time, C.C. is speaking retired publically to" 48 Hours" and analogous Anne-Marie Green astir her communicative and however she was capable to find the spot to attest against her attacker successful court.

It was Jan. 27, 1996 and C.C. Opanowski has conscionable finished her archetypal semester of assemblage successful upstate New York. She and her ex-boyfriend, Shawn Doyle had been breached up for astir 4 months.

C.C. Opanowski: My parent was going distant for the weekend. … truthful I had this full large location to myself. …And my person Shannon and I … we were precise adjacent … I said, "well, let's enactment astatine my location 'cause there's nary 1 around."

Shannon McCauliffe: it was conscionable a girls' night. We conscionable wanted to chill out.

C.C. and McCauliffe were roommates astatine Sage Junior College of Albany.

Shannon McCauliffe: I'm truly introverted (laughs) and she was precise bubbly and blessed and chipper … And she conscionable -- she brought maine outta my shell.

Anne-Marie Green: When you were archetypal gathering her, was Shawn Doyle astir astatine the time?

Shannon McCauliffe: Yes. He was obnoxious. … she would reason with him a batch connected the phone.

Anne-Marie Green: And past … successful January is erstwhile this incidental happens astatine her house?

Shannon McCauliffe: Mm-hmm. … we were having a bully time. It was conscionable the 2 of us.

Anne-Marie Green: But helium keeps calling.

Shannon McCauliffe: Mm-hmm. … Wanting to cognize what we're doing, wanting to cognize if helium tin travel over. … She had a cellphone and I was like," conscionable crook it off." Like she's like, no, 'cause if I crook it off, he's gonna travel here.

Shannon McCauliffe: We yet aftermath up and each we wanted was coffee. … I had the -- of the mindset of I'm like, "oh, I can't spell retired successful nationalist looking similar I'm a mess. Let maine spell location and get dressed."

After McCauliffe near to spell home, C.C. says determination was a sound astatine her door.

C.C. Opanowski: And I unfastened it. And it's him.

C.C. Opanowski: And helium said … I conscionable wanna speech to you. … And erstwhile helium was inside, things got overmuch different. … He pushed maine onto the sofa … started, you know, holding maine down and restraining me. You know, yelling astatine maine … And helium picked maine up and pushed maine against the French doors and kept banging maine against the French doors.

McCauliffe called C.C., but determination was nary answer

C.C. Opanowski: My hairsbreadth was successful a ponytail … And … helium picked maine up, held maine up and chopped my hairsbreadth disconnected … it was gone, conscionable each of it. … helium had already been choking maine and … I thought helium was gonna stab me.

Shannon McCauliffe: I called her backmost a fractional an hr later, she inactive didn't answer. … and that's erstwhile my eyebrows benignant of went up.

C.C. Opanowski: I'm successful implicit shock. I can't judge it's happening and I person to fig retired however to get retired of it. …But during this time, the telephone continues to ring.

Shannon McCauliffe: I waited a mates minutes and I called her back.

C.C. Opanowski: I explained to him … if I don't reply this phone, my parent volition telephone the police. … So I bash prime up the telephone and it's Shannon.

Shannon McCauliffe: I said, "hey, are you OK?"

C.C. Opanowski: And I don't cognize wherefore I did this, but I started unloading the dishwasher. …And I'm saying to her, no, no, yeah, everything's fine. No, no. And nary kept coming retired of my mouth. And helium didn't prime up connected it, but she definite did. And that's erstwhile she said," is helium there?" And I said, "yes."

A SURVIVOR SHARES HER STORY

It has taken astir 30 years for C.C. to speech publically astir the time her erstwhile precocious schoolhouse boyfriend, Shawn Doyle, attacked her successful her family's location successful Hudson Falls, New York, and past utilized scissors to chopped disconnected her ponytail.

Anne-Marie Green: What was it similar to person your hairsbreadth chopped disconnected successful this way?

C.C. Opanowski: Demeaning.

Anne-Marie Green: Demeaning. You deliberation that's wherefore helium did it?

C.C. Opanowski: Probably. Just to marque definite helium could sound maine down somewhere.

On that day, arsenic Doyle went successful and retired of convulsive rages — astatine 1 constituent holding the scissors to her pharynx — C.C. says she wasn't definite she would marque it retired alive. Until, she says, McCauliffe called.

Anne-Marie Green: When she yet picks up the telephone … what did you perceive successful her voice?

Shannon McCauliffe: Fear.

McCauliffe says she knew that Doyle had been harassing C.C., truthful erstwhile C.C. told her Doyle was there, Shannon notified constabulary and past rushed implicit to C.C.'s house.

Shannon McCauliffe: I pulled onto her thoroughfare and I parked and past I saw the – the — the constabulary officers and everything. … truthful I kinda went successful aft the fact. … She looked terrified and aggravated and sad.

C.C. says she thought erstwhile constabulary arrived, they would make her feel safe. But that's not precisely what happened.

C.C. Opanowski: They bash not enactment him successful handcuffs. … And they enactment america successful the backmost of the aforesaid constabulary car.

C.C. Opanowski: Mind you, each of this clip … I intelligibly look similar I've been assaulted. My hairsbreadth is wholly chopped off.

And erstwhile they arrived astatine the constabulary presumption —

C.C. Opanowski: I was like, wherefore — wherefore are we here? Why is helium not — wherefore are we successful the aforesaid room?

C.C. says alternatively of separating them, constabulary questioned them together.

C.C. Opanowski: And they made it look similar it was immoderate combat betwixt 2 young kids, that turned, you know, somewhat dark.

When "48 Hours" reached retired to the Hudson Falls Police Department, they acknowledged that instrumentality enforcement's effect to home unit has evolved implicit the past respective decades to amended enactment with and enactment victims. Police arrested Doyle and charged him with menacing, harassment and trespassing.

C.C. Opanowski: Looking astatine it … And you're saying, "did this truly hap to me?" You know, "how could this hap to me?"

JEALOUSY, A TATTOO AND OTHER RED FLAGS

C.C. Opanowski and Shawn Doyle grew up successful the tiny municipality of Hudson Falls located successful upstate New York.

C.C. Opanowski: He was bully to me. He was truly nice.

When C.C. started dating Shawn Doyle, she was conscionable 15 years aged — a sophomore successful precocious school. Doyle was 1 twelvemonth older.

C.C. Opanowski: You know, we would spell retired and bash tons of things together. We conscionable hung retired each the time.

C.C. says Doyle had troubles astatine home. During his inferior year, Doyle told her his parents kicked him out. So, C.C. begged her parents to fto him determination successful with them.

Anne Marie Green: Did you consciousness atrocious for him?

C.C. Opanowski: Def — ohio definitely.

Soon aft helium moved into C.C.'s household home, she says she saw a alteration successful Doyle's behavior. C.C. says helium became jealous and would secretly travel her astir — thing she says she didn't deliberation astatine the clip was a large deal.

C.C. Opanowski: When you're a 16-, 17-year-old miss and you cognize you're looking at, oh, jealousy, you know, helium indispensable emotion maine truthful overmuch and that's wherefore he's doing this. Or helium followed maine home, he's truthful disquieted astir me, but is that truly what the lawsuit is? When you look backmost arsenic an adult, idiosyncratic with experience, you know, you think. That's astir apt not — not OK.

And Doyle showed adjacent much possessive behaviour that C.C. recovered troubling.

C.C. Opanowski: He astatine 1 constituent did get a tattoo. … It was a bosom connected his arm. … And it had my sanction successful the middle.

Anne-Marie Green: What did you say?

C.C. Opanowski: Why would you bash that?

Anne-Marie Green: And his response?

C.C. Opanowski: I emotion you.

Anne-Marie Green: Was it a reddish flag?

C.C. Opanowski: Definitely.

During his elder year, C.C. says Doyle dropped retired of precocious schoolhouse and was moving unusual jobs that helium couldn't keep.

C.C. Opanowski: And this is wherever things commencement to get … darker. You know, helium — helium doesn't person immoderate prospects. He knows that I'm getting acceptable to spell distant to school. And to him, his full beingness is — is astir to wholly change.

But C.C. says she stuck by him, penning successful her elder yearbook, "I emotion you Shawn!" And in the summertime of 1995, erstwhile she near to be what is present Russell Sage College successful Albany, they agreed to enactment unneurotic and spot each different connected weekends.

But astatine the extremity of September, things took a scary crook erstwhile C.C. told Doyle she would not beryllium coming location each play to spot him. Doyle showed up astatine her dorm.

C.C. Opanowski: He stood outside, fundamentally threatening that helium was going to termination me.

Anne-Marie Green: And present he's threatening not conscionable you, but anyone astir you.

C.C. Opanowski: Basically anyone astir maine … truthful helium was arrested.

Doyle was charged with harassment and trespassing. It was the last straw for C.C., who says she broke it disconnected with Doyle for bully and helium moved retired of her parent's house. Later that winter, that's erstwhile Doyle showed up and viciously attacked her astatine her home.

Anne Marie Green: I cognize helium threatened a lot, but did you ever judge that Shawn Doyle would person physically wounded you?

C.C. Opanowski: Not until that day, not successful that way.

After the attack, C.C. returned to assemblage and finished up her freshman year. But McCauliffe says her person had changed.

Shannon McCauliffe: I deliberation it had a profound interaction connected her life.

C.C. Opanowski: You know, I was ever looking implicit my enarthrosis … I bought myself a Swiss Army knife. … I'm having nighttime terrors. … You know, waking up crying, waking up screaming, not being capable to sleep. … awful, awful.

So 8 months aft the attack, erstwhile it was clip to instrumentality the case to trial, C.C. — who was inactive conscionable a teen astatine 19 years aged — told prosecutors she couldn't spell done with it. She says she was excessively traumatized and scared.

C.C. Opanowski: I didn't wanna person to look him successful court. I didn't wanna beryllium going implicit this implicit and implicit and implicit again. I truly wanted it to spell away.

Doyle was offered a deal. He pleaded blameworthy to menacing successful the 2nd grade and was sentenced to conscionable 3 years' probation. C.C. transferred colleges and moved hours distant from Hudson Falls.

C.C. Opanowski: I needed bid and I didn't cognize however to get it.

C.C. tried to hide her past, but she says she was haunted by a speech she had with the prosecutor.

C.C. Opanowski: She said, you cognize … based connected what I spot here, helium is going to bash this again to different person. And that has for the past 28 years stuck successful my head.

LORI LEONARD DISAPPEARS

Nine years aft C.C. Opanowski near upstate New York for a caller beingness acold distant from Shawn Doyle, 33-year-old Lori Leonard disappeared.

Lori was a azygous ma who lived with her 2 sons, Austin, who was 9 astatine the time, and Zackary 5, successful Chittenango, a tiny municipality extracurricular Syracuse, New York.

Austin Feltrinelli: She was a — a precise caring mother. The memories of her — conscionable america ever being blessed together, spending clip … benignant of ever … the 3 of us.

Zackary Wicklund: It was conscionable a batch of emotion and affection.

Jennifer Leonard: Her imagination was to person a home, a begetter fig for her kids, and for them to beryllium happy. … She wanted the achromatic picket fence.

Jennifer Leonard was Lori's older sister.

Jennifer Leonard: We were bully friends. But I was a small spot of a bossy parent to her. … I had been done a batch of things already successful my beingness and my relationships, and I was very, I would say, overprotective.

In 2003, Lori met a antheral connected the dating website Cupid.com. His name? Shawn Doyle. Online dating was caller backmost then, truthful Jennifer was skeptical astir him.

Jennifer Leonard: He was not charismatic. He was not social. … He was similar a portion of furnishings that you conscionable walked around.

But she says Lori didn't agree; she lone saw the bully successful people.

Jennifer Leonard: She would say, you know, he's misunderstood oregon he's shy.

Jennifer says Lori told her precise small astir Doyle, but that helium lived 3 hours distant successful Hudson Falls and worked astatine an crystal pick factory. She besides mentioned that Doyle was connected probation.

Jennifer Leonard: She told maine that helium was a boxer, that helium was protecting a pistillate astatine a barroom and was arrested due to the fact that helium utilized immoderate of his nonrecreational boxing moves.

Anne-Marie Green: Did you ever spot immoderate benignant of grounds of his nonrecreational boxing?

Jennifer Leonard: No.

Anne-Marie Green: I mean, did helium — bash you deliberation helium was adjacent a boxer, ever?

Jennifer Leonard: No. … I didn't bargain the stories that helium was selling her. … It sounded similar helium was trying to beryllium thing that helium was not.

Jennifer says aft her sister met Doyle, Lori became distant.

Jennifer Leonard: I would speech to Lori 3 times a day.

Anne-Marie Green: And past erstwhile Shawn came into the picture?

Jennifer Leonard: It was — it was a small quiet.

And things lone got worse.

Jennifer Leonard: I had called her 1 nighttime and helium was implicit determination and each I could perceive successful the inheritance was him yelling astatine her. And that — that was like, "what is this?" And she's like, you cognize I'll telephone you back. It's not a large deal.

Jennifer Leonard: But I deliberation what frightened maine much than thing was erstwhile helium was caught yelling astatine her … it stopped. Like the benignant of guys that you cognize don't privation anyone other to spot what happens down closed doors. … He was sneaky.

Soon aft this incident, Lori ended her romanticist narration with Doyle. Lori told Jennifer they agreed to beryllium conscionable friends and that helium was good with it.

Jennifer Leonard: And I was like, no, he's not. Nope. People similar that aren't conscionable OK with being friends.

Despite the breakup, Doyle would inactive thrust 3 hours from Hudson Falls to sojourn Lori. Oftentimes hanging retired astatine the barroom wherever she waitressed precocious astatine night.

Dorothy Tucker: Shawn, ever called maine and helium — he'd telephone maine to get advice.

Dorothy Tucker lived down the thoroughfare from Doyle successful Hudson Falls and considered him a adjacent friend.

Dorothy Tucker: I saw a saccharine feline who would crook implicit backwards if I asked him to.

However, aft the narration with Lori ended, she says Doyle told her helium had followed Lori and watched her arsenic she went retired connected a date.

Dorothy Tucker: I was like, "Shawn, you can't bash that. … She does not wanna beryllium with you."

Anne-Marie Green: Were you starting to get acrophobic astir him and his behaviour astatine that point?

Dorothy Tucker: No. No. Because helium agreed with me. … I didn't spot the monster that helium truly was … He hid it rather well.

On Friday, April 29, 2005, Lori, who was surviving with Jennifer, moved to a caller rental apartment.

Dustin Delatore: Usually radical are miserable erstwhile they're moving. She was conscionable happy.

Lori's nephew Dustin Delatore, who was 15 astatine the time, helped with the move.

Dustin Delatore: She wanted her ain place. … She saw her aboriginal successful that day.

Also helping with the determination was Shawn Doyle, who offered up usage of his truck.

Jennifer Leonard: She had asked a mates radical earlier that. So helium was a past resort. … He was inactive playing the "I'm your friend."

Anne Marie Green: What was Shawn similar that day?

Dustin Delatore: Standoffish. Just, I mean, quiet.

Jennifer says the determination went smoothly until Doyle decided to bent around— and stayed with Lori successful her caller spot for days.

Jennifer Leonard: It was starting to get connected her nerves now.

Five days aft the move, Jennifer says Lori told her Doyle was yet leaving due to the fact that Lori had plans to spell to Albany for the afternoon.

Jennifer Leonard: She was expected to spell prime up the tickets.

Tickets to a Yankees crippled — a acquisition from idiosyncratic she had met astatine work.

Anne-Marie Green: Were you acrophobic astatine each astir her going to prime up tickets from a stranger?

Jennifer Leonard: Yes, yes. But that was however she was. … She was precise trusting.

On Wednesday, May 4, Jennifer called Lori successful the afternoon, hoping to drawback her portion she was heading to Albany.

Jennifer Leonard: And it kept going consecutive to voicemail.

Anne-Marie Green: Was that weird?

Jennifer Leonard: Oh … Her telephone ne'er went consecutive to voicemail. It was ne'er off.

At archetypal Jennifer thought she whitethorn person gotten mislaid connected the thrust oregon that her telephone artillery had died.

Jennifer Leonard: It wasn't a thought astatine the time, that, that thing atrocious happened, conscionable that, you know, wherever is she?

Twenty-four hours later, erstwhile Lori ne'er called oregon returned home, Jennifer notified Chittenango police.

Wade Irwin: Patrol started looking into her whereabouts astatine that time.

Lead researcher Wade Irwin searched Lori's rental apartment.

Wade Irwin: She had conscionable moved into the home. … There were inactive tons of boxes, items being unpacked. Didn't look that determination were immoderate signs of a break-in, oregon a transgression that occurred astatine the home. … But her car was there.

And helium said determination was thing other unsettling astir the scene.

Wade Irwin: There was 1 footwear successful the halfway of the bed. It was odd.

Investigator Irwin says helium was determined to talk to 1 person.

Wade Irwin: The past idiosyncratic that — that we were capable to find that saw her, was Shawn Doyle.

But earlier investigators could scope retired to Doyle, Jennifer says she tracked down Doyle's fig and called him herself.

Jennifer Leonard: "Shawn, person you talked to Lori?" And, uh, helium goes, "no I haven't talked to her successful a mates of days. Um, wasn't she expected to get tickets the different night?" And I'm like, "yeah, she was, we haven't heard from her since. I'm like, you know, if she calls you fto america cognize due to the fact that the phone's off" … and he's like, "oh yeah, decidedly fto you cognize …" …When I hung up, I was similar I had chills and I'm like, he's afloat of it. He knows something.

A KEY CLUE IN THE CASE

As days went by, Chittenango investigators reached retired to everyone who had interaction with Lori Leonard anterior her to her disappearance— including the antheral she was expected to get Yankees tickets from successful Albany.

Wade Irwin: He was an enforcement for a company. … We were capable to way him down. He was interviewed.

Detective Wade Irwin says the enforcement waited for Lori successful Albany and erstwhile she ne'er showed up, helium called her and adjacent near a message.

Wade Irwin: He was … calling with interest of … wherever she was. "We're expected to conscionable up. I got the tickets. I'm here, are you OK? I anticipation an mishap didn't happen."

His alibi checked out, but Lori's telephone records would uncover a batch much astir different idiosyncratic who hadn't called.

Wade Irwin: What became concerning for myself is … the idiosyncratic that cared astir her, supposedly.

Anne-Marie Green: Shawn Doyle.

Wade Irwin: Shawn Doyle. Never called, ne'er near a message.

When Chittenango constabulary went to interrogation Lori's erstwhile boyfriend, helium told them that connected the time she disappeared, helium near her flat "about 3 p.m." and past drove 3 hours location to Hudson Falls.

Wade Irwin: He conscionable always, had said each along… that helium near her and she was live astatine the apartment.

When they checked retired his alibi, Irwin says they couldn't wide him. Yet, Doyle was cooperative and adjacent allowed investigators to hunt his motortruck and instrumentality photos. When they searched Doyle's mitt compartment, they recovered thing curious.

Wade Irwin: There was a cardinal with a serial fig connected it.

As investigators kept an oculus retired connected Doyle and continued to hunt for Lori, Jennifer says her household struggled to explicate Lori's disappearance to her 2 young sons.

Austin Feltrinelli: After respective days to respective weeks you cognize something's up. Your mother's not home. … The question is, you know, wherever is she? What's — what's she doing?

Jennifer Leonard: We would accidental things similar she got mislaid … you know, we'll get her. We'll find her.

To marque matters worse, Austin and Zackary were present separated, staying with their fathers, and lone seeing each different connected weekends.

Austin Feltrinelli: We'd lived unneurotic our full lives. … That was evidently different, you know, waking up each time with 1 — your mom's not there, uh, but 2 — present your member isn't.

Jennifer Leonard: We were suffering and each time our household was doing thing to find her. … We were looking for her. We were a well-oiled machine.

Jennifer suspected Shawn Doyle had thing to bash with her sister's disappearance. So, weeks aft Lori vanished, she headed to Hudson Falls and held a demonstration, hoping idiosyncratic determination would cognize thing astir Doyle that could assistance investigators.

Jennifer Leonard: We had posters. We had signs, we had Shawn's sanction up connected signs, if anybody volition talk to us.

Dorothy Tucker says erstwhile she heard Lori's household was successful town, she instantly called Doyle.

Dorothy Tucker: I was like, "Shawn, what's going on?" You know, "did you bash something?" (mimics his voice) "I didn't bash thing to her. She's astir apt disconnected connected a formation determination with immoderate guy."

Anne-Marie Green: But you judge Shawn astatine the time?

Dorothy Tucker: Oh, definitely.

Later that time erstwhile Dorothy passed Lori's household rallying connected the streets, she says she did thing she has travel to profoundly regret.

Dorothy Tucker: Like an idiot, I yelled retired the window. … telling them to spell home. Shawn didn't bash thing and they needed to leave.

As months passed with nary motion of Lori, the family's hopes began to dwindle.

Wade Irwin: I made a committedness … to find a solution to this for them and springiness them the closure and answers that they needed. … It was disheartening due to the fact that each nighttime … I'd telephone them and springiness them an update careless of whether determination was affirmative oregon antagonistic information. (tears successful his eyes)

And then, connected July 24, 2005, 3 months aft Lori went missing —

Capt. Tony LeClaire: We had a study that a fisherman had been going by successful this country here.

Captain Tony LeClaire is with the Washington County Sheriff's Office.

Capt. Tony LeClaire: He saw, uh, what helium thought to beryllium a toolbox that goes successful the backmost of a pickup motortruck floating. Thought it whitethorn beryllium utile for him. So helium grabbed onto it … towed it with his vessel astir a mile-and-a-half (points) … And past they dragged it outta the h2o there.

The container was locked and emitting a foul odor, So constabulary were called, and erstwhile they broke unfastened the lock, authorities discovered a assemblage inside.

Wade Irwin: And determination was contents, pillows, bedding, purse, but close connected apical was Lori's ID. (emotional)

Also successful the container was a photograph of Lori's 2 sons.

Wade Irwin: She was handcuffed down her back. … There was duct portion astir the handcuffs. Her feet were bound unneurotic and duct taped. .. Her face, from chin to forehead, um, had duct tape. And past erstwhile that duct portion was removed determination was a bandana tied successful her mouth.

The Medical Examiner would regularisation that Lori died of asphyxiation.

Jennifer Leonard: I couldn't wrapper my caput astir what they were saying. "What bash you mean she was recovered successful the toolbox successful the water?" I — I couldn't, I couldn't, I couldn't judge it.

Irwin says that's erstwhile Shawn Doyle went from a idiosyncratic of involvement to a fishy successful the case.

Wade Irwin: Everything started to travel unneurotic existent quickly. We got a hunt warrant wrong hours to spell to his residence.

During their search, constabulary recovered soil tubes successful his store that matched the soil tubes wrong the toolbox utilized to measurement it down.

Wade Irwin: We were capable to way down successful the home, akin handcuffs, bandanas, duct portion different means that helium utilized that matched what was utilized connected Lori.

Remember that cardinal investigators had discovered successful Doyle's truck? It matched the fastener of the toolbox, tying Doyle straight to the crime.

When investigators checked the span adjacent the canal wherever the toolbox was found, they discovered scratches connected the span railing that matched scratches recovered connected the bottommost of the toolbox.

Anne Marie Green: Just archer maine astir what investigators deliberation happened? What was the theory?

Capt. Tony LeClaire: The mentation is that helium came present with his pickup truck, came to the bridge, um, determination successful the halfway of the canal and took the toolbox and fundamentally conscionable pushed it implicit the borderline … and arsenic helium did, it scraped across.

Just 1 time aft the find of Lori's assemblage successful the toolbox, investigators arrested Shawn Doyle.

Anne Marie Green: What was that infinitesimal similar for you?

Det. Wade Irwin: Overwhelming.

Jennifer says it was clip to interruption the quality to Lori's 2 young sons. Zackary remembers the infinitesimal adjacent though helium was lone 5 years old.

Zackary Wicklund: I felt it arsenic soon arsenic I walked into the room. And I deliberation my dada was the 1 that said that she's not coming location and I conscionable benignant of fell into him and conscionable didn't cognize however to react.

Jennifer Leonard: I watched a small lad break. He said not a word.

Then it was clip to archer 9-year-old Austin.

Austin Feltrinelli: You cognize I fto retired benignant of similar a shriek and, and benignant of conscionable collapsed, uh, successful my dad. And I tin inactive benignant of consciousness it.

Jennifer Leonard: And helium wailed. It wasn't a cry. It was, it was a pained guttural wail. … I'll ever person that dependable successful my head.

Jennifer says she couldn't genuinely mourn her sister due to the fact that she had to hole for Doyle's upcoming trial.

Jennifer Leonard: I was gonna marque definite that helium got what helium deserved.

A SURVIVOR'S BREAKING POINT

In precocious summertime of 2005, C.C. Opanowski received a telephone telephone from her father: her ex-boyfriend Shawn Doyle had been arrested for murder.

C.C. Opanowski: I couldn't judge what I was hearing. I couldn't judge it. … You don't privation it to beryllium existent … and it's terrible.

When C.C. learned that the unfortunate was 33-year-old Lori Leonard, a azygous ma of 2 young boys, she says she was overwhelmed with utmost guilt.

C.C. Opanowski: That was a breaking constituent for me. I felt for her full full household and her 2 young children.

C.C. says she was haunted by the prime she made arsenic a traumatized and frightened teenager.

C.C. Opanowski: And each I tin deliberation astir is … If I could spell back, I would person done it differently. … I would person pressed my charges overmuch further.

So conscionable weeks later, erstwhile investigators reached retired to C.C. and asked if she would attest astatine Doyle's trial, she was determined to help.

C.C. Opanowski: I request to marque definite that helium is enactment distant for — for murdering Lori. … At this constituent now, I'm angry. I'm not fearful.

But C.C. was not Doyle's lone ex-girlfriend who investigators hoped would attest against him. Five years aft Doyle attacked C.C., helium allegedly tried to termination 23-year-old Sarah Volmar.

"48 Hours" reached retired to Volmar and received nary response, but she did speak with the CBS affiliate successful Albany astir the onslaught successful 2005.

SARAH VOLMAR/ CBS6 ALBANY NEWS REPORT: He had tied maine up with shoelaces and, um, enactment the duct portion backmost implicit my rima and past conscionable began strangling maine until I passed out. And past my parent walked successful connected it.

Doyle was charged with unlawful imprisonment successful the 2nd grade and battle successful the 3rd degree. But again, a woody was made. Doyle pleaded blameworthy lone to the complaint of unlawful imprisonment. A justice sentenced him to 3 years' probation.

On Jan. 23, 2006 Shawn Doyle's proceedings began. It was a time that Lori's sister Jennifer Leonard had waited for.

Jennifer Leonard: I was gonna beryllium her advocate. I was gonna talk for her. I was gonna talk for the boys.

When Doyle entered the courtroom, Jennifer Leonard says she was caught disconnected defender due to the fact that his quality had changed.

Anne-Marie Green: What'd helium look like?

Jennifer Leonard: Choir boy. He'd grown his hair. He had a sweater on.

Kevin Kortright, present retired, had lone been territory lawyer for little than a month. He says cardinal to his lawsuit was making definite Doyle's different victims – C.C. and Sarah — would beryllium allowed to testify. Oftentimes, judges bash not let a defendant's anterior atrocious acts to beryllium brought into trial.

Anne-Marie Green: Why were the women truthful crucial?

Kevin Kortright: It shows what helium is susceptible of.

Kevin Kortright: He'd done it astir precisely the aforesaid successful the past. … It's his modus operandi. It's beardown proof.

Despite the defense's objections, the justice ruled that C.C. and Sarah could testify. But first, Kortright presented the assemblage with each the pieces of carnal grounds that pointed to Shawn Doyle — similar the items they recovered successful Doyle's store and home: the sandbags and handcuffs.

Anne Marie Green: And what astir that bandana?

Kevin Kortright: He wore a bandana 24 hours a time … He had bandanas successful his bedroom. He had bandanas successful his truck. The bandana successful Lori's rima was the 1 that I judge helium was wearing that day.

And past determination was that toolbox. Kortright called to the basal a clerk from a section AutoZone store who says she sold Doyle the toolbox conscionable 1 week earlier Lori disappeared.

Kevin Kortright: She identified him perfectly. … She adjacent identified his garment helium was wearing.

And the astir important portion of evidence: that cardinal recovered successful his mitt compartment that tied Doyle straight to the box.

Don Lehman: That was arsenic beardown arsenic grounds arsenic you could get.

Retired writer Don Lehman covered the proceedings for the Post Star newspaper.

Don Lehman: The cardinal to the toolbox was … determination was nary mode astir that …

Then Kortright called Dorothy Tucker, Shawn's erstwhile adjacent friend, to the stand. He says she was a large witnesser due to the fact that she provided accusation arsenic to however they judge Doyle transported Lori's assemblage from Chittenango — 3 hours implicit to Hudson Falls — aft helium murdered her.

Dorothy Tucker: He conscionable kept calling me.

Tucker told the assemblage that the time that Lori disappeared, Doyle stopped by her house. In the backmost of his truck, she says, was a precise ample cardboard box.

Dorothy Tucker: I said, "Shawn, what bash you got there?" … Oh conscionable garbage. Junk I had astatine Lori's. … and instrumentality it to the dump.

DA Kortright believes Lori's assemblage was successful the container and that astatine immoderate point, Doyle transferred her assemblage to the toolbox. Tucker testified that conscionable days aft his archetypal visit, Doyle showed up astatine her location again and the cardboard container had been replaced by a ample toolbox.

Dorothy Tucker: I locomotion retired and I said "hey Shawn … what bash you request a toolbox for? You don't person immoderate tools to enactment successful it." And helium laughed and yeah, yeah, you know. So past helium started saying astir a person … was going to conscionable him. They were gonna spell fishing.

Tucker said Doyle told her helium was going to food by the Champlain Lock canal country – a spot helium knew good and frequented often. Doyle had adjacent taken C.C. determination galore times erstwhile they dated.

Kevin Kortright: Lori was successful the container that day. And helium was taking her to dump her successful the canal wherever she was aboriginal found.

District Attorney Kortright called C.C. Opanowski arsenic his past witness.

Kevin Kortright: You ever enactment the champion for the last.

C.C. Opanowski: I was very, precise nervous.

C.C. told the assemblage astir the onslaught and the long-lasting intelligence anguish Shawn Doyle caused her.

Anne-Marie Green: What did you privation Shawn Doyle to see?

C.C. Opanowski: That I wasn't afraid. That you're not my scary thing anymore.

When it was the defense's turn, Lehman says they tried to poke holes successful the prosecution's case.

Don Lehman: There conscionable was not – not a batch of holes to poke.

"48 Hours" reached retired to Shawn Doyle and members of Doyle's family, but they declined to beryllium interviewed.

After 3 agelong days of testimony, the lawsuit went to the jury. Lori Leonard's household members held their breath.

Jennifer Leonard: I felt similar I hadn't exhaled successful months and that's what I needed. I needed to exhale.

SHARING IMPORTANT LESSONS

Despite the each the grounds against Shawn Doyle, retired writer Don Lehman says nary 1 knew which mode the assemblage would rule.

Don Lehman: There person been times that we've seen galore cases wherever the assemblage does things that conscionable benignant of defy the evidence.

On Jan. 26, 2006, aft conscionable two-and-a-half hours of deliberations, the assemblage came backmost with a verdict: guilty of second-degree murder.

CBS6 ALBANY NEWS REPORT: When the blameworthy verdict was read, Lori Leonard's household burst into cheers and sobs, but Shawn Doyle showed small reaction.

Anne-Marie Green: Guilty.

Kevin Kortright: Um hmm.

Anne-Marie Green: What went done your caput erstwhile you heard that word?

Kevin Kortright: Thank God.

Anne-Marie Green: Why does it inactive impact you?

Kevin Kortright: Because atrocious things hap to bully people.

C.C. Opanowski: I was relieved and blessed that helium was going to beryllium punished for what helium did.

For C.C., it was hard to process the information that a idiosyncratic she erstwhile loved was convicted of murder.

C.C. Opanowski: To me, it astir felt similar determination wasn't a antheral near wrong of him. But much similar a monster. For your crimes to go worse arsenic you spell … to astir cleanable them, to deliberation astir them successful that serial fashion.

One period later, earlier Doyle was sentenced, a justice listened to grounds and work implicit unfortunate interaction statements from Lori's friends and family.

LORI LEONARD'S FAMILY MEMBER (in court) | CBS6 ALBANY: Prison isn't adjacent the close spot for idiosyncratic similar him. It's not punishment enough.

Austin and Zackary, Lori's sons, were excessively young to be trial, but some wrote letters to the judge.

Zackary Wicklund (reading his statement): She fto maine slumber with her erstwhile I was scared. … And erstwhile I spot thing scary and perceive thing scary … we utilized to sing songs we liked the astir together.

Austin Feltrinelli (reading his statement): I deliberation my ma was the top ma successful the world. … My mom, my member and I had truly large times together. … I'm besides bittersweet due to the fact that (pauses) I volition ne'er spot my ma anymore present due to the fact that of what happened …

Shawn Doyle was sentenced to the maximum — 25 years to life, with the anticipation of parole.

Anne-Marie Green: Was that enough?

Jennifer Leonard: I didn't deliberation so.

Anne-Marie Green: You don't privation him getting out?

Jennifer Leonard: No. There's nary forgiveness. No mode man. No. none.

Dorothy Tucker: He's a information to society. And I — I anticipation helium ne'er gets out.

Dorothy Tucker, who initially stood by Doyle, says she feels betrayed by him.

Dorothy Tucker: He lied consecutive to my look and present is idiosyncratic that I trusted thought I knew, ne'er saw that broadside of him.

Tucker hopes Lori's household volition forgive her for however she antecedently treated them erstwhile they came to rally against Doyle successful Hudson Falls.

Dorothy Tucker: I wanted to archer them however atrocious I was and I inactive am. … that was wholly uncalled for and it was unacceptable behaviour connected my part.

Lehman, who has covered galore home unit cases successful his astir 30 years arsenic a reporter, says determination are important lessons that tin beryllium learned from C.C. and Sarah's attacks and Lori's murder.

Don Lehman: Every lawsuit of home unit is simply a imaginable homicide. … They each person to beryllium taken seriously. They each person to beryllium handled successful a mode to support these victims.

Don Lehman: You know, arsenic a young pistillate with 2 young kids … that's conscionable mind-boggling that these kids mislaid their ma … to a feline similar this …

C.C., who bravely came guardant to archer her story, hopes that others tin larn from her.

C.C. Opanowski: Be vigilant. Look astatine what's happening successful beforehand of you and marque definite idiosyncratic knows. Don't support it quiet. … Pay attraction and … erstwhile you person that feeling, that 1 that doesn't spell mode — you know, the 1 that you effort to propulsion down — that's the 1 you should perceive to the most.

She says she is acceptable to fto spell of the guilt she has felt for what happened to Lori.

C.C. Opanowski: I've waited truthful agelong and I've had to unrecorded with it for each of these years.

Jennifer Leonard: It's not her fault. It's the strategy that failed. … She did what she had to do. … I don't blasted her. I consciousness bittersweet that she's felt guilt each this time.

Anne-Marie Green: How bash you privation your sister to beryllium remembered?

Jennifer Leonard: Lori Ann. She … truthful fun. So funny. So loving …

For Jennifer Leonard, she longs for the beingness she ever thought she would person with Lori.

Jennifer Leonard: We were expected to beryllium … surviving successful the aforesaid spot and going retired and raising our kids and having parties and that's what it was expected to be. That's what we were expected to person … And I'm it … conscionable maine and the kids trying to get on without her.

Anne-Marie Green: What bash you miss the astir astir Lori?

Zackary Wicklund: In moments wherever I'm truly sad, wherever I'm similar I conscionable request her to clasp maine and she hasn't been capable to bash that successful 20 years.

Shawn Doyle is eligible for parole successful 2030.

 If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize needs help, the National Domestic Violence Hotline has counselors disposable astir the timepiece astatine 1-800-799-7233 [SAFE].

Produced by Chris Young Ritzen. Elena DiFiore and David Dow are the improvement producers. Michael Loftus and Chelsea Narvaez are the subordinate producers. Anthony Venditti is the contented probe manager. Michael McHugh is the producer/editor. Ken Blum is an editor. Lourdes Aguiar is the elder producer. Nancy Kramer is the enforcement communicative editor. Judy Tygard is the enforcement producer.

Anne-Marie Green

Anne-Marie Green is an accomplished writer and analogous for "48 Hours," wherever she reports connected the astir gripping transgression and investigative stories connected television.She is besides the big of the "48 Hours" "Post Mortem" podcast. Green brings implicit 2 decades of acquisition successful broadcast journalism to her enactment astatine CBS News.

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