Shivangi Sinha
In May 2001, Carl Preer received the devastating news that his wife, Leslie Preer, had been killed in their Chevy Chase, Maryland, home. He rushed to the scene and did everything he could to console his daughter, Lauren Preer, as they processed the tragedy. However, not long after, police began to view Carl with suspicion and brought him in for questioning. In ABC’s ‘20/20: First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder,’ Lauren shared how her mother’s death shattered the loving family she had once known. She spoke about how the grief deeply affected Carl and consumed much of his life in the years that followed.
Carl “Sandy” Preer Was Suspected of Killing His Wife
Carl Eugene “Sandy” Preer III was known as a hardworking and diligent man who provided everything he could for his family. Born on July 20, 1952, in Japan, he eventually came back to the US. He studied marketing at the University of Florida and made a successful life for himself. He had a good life, something his parents, Carleton and Virginia Preer, were very proud of. On October 26, 1974, Carl married Leslie Ann Jennings in a beautiful ceremony in Escambia, Florida, surrounded by friends and family. It was a day Carl considered the happiest of his life. In 1977, they welcomed their daughter, Lauren Preer, completing their small, happy family. In 1982, the family moved to Chevy Chase, Maryland and started their life there.
Carl was a devoted husband and father who loved family traditions. He made breakfast on weekends and spent time with his family whenever he could. On May 2, 2001, he was called home after police had arrived at the scene. Leslie had not shown up for work, and her co-worker had called him out of concern. Carl had seen her in the morning as she was getting ready for work and knew that she would have informed him if she was running late. He decided to go back to the house to check on her. When he reached, he saw streaks of blood on the walls and the things thrown in a disarray.
The friend who came with him immediately called the police, and Leslie’s remains were found in the house. Carl had to break the devastating news to Lauren, and together they searched for answers. However, the investigation quickly shifted focus. Since domestic violence is often common in such cases, police suspected Carl of killing his wife. He was brought in for questioning but firmly denied any involvement. He pleaded with investigators to focus on finding the real killer. Eventually, DNA evidence collected from the crime scene pointed towards an unknown male profile. It cleared Carl of suspicion and shifted the investigation.
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Carl “Sandy” Preer Passed Away Without Getting Answers About His Wife’s Killer
Life in the years that followed was extremely difficult for Carl Preer. The sudden and violent loss of his wife left him deeply shaken. Though he had his daughter, Lauren Preer, to lean on, there was always a sense of emptiness in his life. Carl passed away in 2017 at the age of 67, never having learned the truth about his wife’s killing. When Eugene Teodor Gligor, the man responsible for the crime, was finally arrested in 2024, Carl was no longer alive to witness justice being served.
