Suvechha Sarkar
Laura Jean Simonson was a mother of seven and a kind soul who disappeared from Minnesota in November 2013. Months passed with no news until authorities in Wisconsin discovered the remains of two women in June 2014. Unfortunately, one of them was Laura, while the other was 19-year-old Jenny Marie Gamez from Oregon. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Web of Lies: In Dark Corners’ takes a deeper look at both the murders and how a shocking double confession brought the killer to justice. Beyond that, the episode features firsthand accounts from Laura and Jenny’s loved ones, as well as the officials who caught the killer.
Laura Simonson’s Remains Were Found in Another State 7 Months After Her Disappearance
Richard and Mary Wierson welcomed Laura Jean Wierson into this world on March 29, 1976. Growing up, she had a close bond with her sister, Niki Carlson. As Laura became an adult, she crossed paths with Benjamin Carroll, and they soon came closer. On March 17, 1995, they gave birth to their daughter, Kaylee Jean Wierson. However, their relationship didn’t work out, and they eventually parted ways. Fortunately, Laura found her second chance at love when she met Troy Simonson, and it wasn’t long before they tied the knot. Over the years, they welcomed their daughters, Alyssa, Sarah, Emily, and Josephine, as well as sons, Hunter and Ashton, into their lives. However, they got a divorce around 2007 as problems began to arise.
Laura and Troy reportedly split their time with the kids. However, her life changed completely when her daughter, Alyssa, passed away on June 20, 2013. To cope with the devastating loss, Laura reportedly began speaking with people online. On November 2, 2013, she suddenly vanished, leaving a note stating that she was going away. Initially, her family members didn’t give it much thought. Yet, they grew concerned when her friend, Jeff Madison, reached out to them, informing them that neither he nor their other friends were able to contact Laura. Ultimately, Niki reported her sister missing on November 22, 2013.
Upon investigation, officials discovered that Laura had left her vehicle behind at her mother’s house. She also didn’t take her cards and her cellphone. Gradually, months passed by with no trace of her. On June 5, 2014, a maintenance crew in Geneva, Wisconsin, discovered two foul-smelling suitcases off a rural road, concealed by plants. When detectives arrived, they found that the suitcases contained the remains of two women at the stage of advanced decomposition. According to reports, the first remains were identified as Laura’s based on her tattoos. The 37-year-old’s body was found in a state consistent with restraint and bondage, as described in court records.
Jenny Gamez Went Missing Almost 2 Years Before Her Remains Were Found
Jenny Marie Gamez arrived as a bundle of joy on April 9, 1993, in San Diego, California. Although information about her biological parents is unavailable, the show introduced her sister, Erica Gunsolus. Jenny was also loved dearly by her grandmother, Jenny Frost. However, her grandmother described Jenny’s life as difficult since she had to live in several foster care homes in Oakridge and Cottage Grove, Oregon. Jenny later found her way to her foster care home in Oakridge, where she met her foster mother, Lorraine Ericksen, foster father, and foster sister, Kelsey Troute. According to Lorraine, Jenny was placed into the foster system when she was just 5. However, her loved ones described her as someone with a free spirit who maintained a positive outlook on life.
Reports state that Jenny eventually gave birth to her son. However, Lorraine said that Jenny relinquished her parental rights to her son. She proceeded to graduate from High School, following which she reportedly told her family members that she wanted to travel with her friends. According to police records, when her family members lost contact with Jenny, they presumed she had moved on. Hence, they never officially reported her missing. She was last seen in Cottage Grove in 2012. On June 5, 2014, officials confirmed through dental records that the second woman whose remains were found partially wrapped in black plastic bags in Wisconsin was 19-year-old Jenny. She had no clothes on, and her hands were bound behind her with a rope. Experts believed her time of death was approximately late 2012 or early 2013.
Digital and DNA Evidence Helped Link the Murders to the Killer
When Laura was reported missing, detectives discovered that she had left behind personal items, like her cards and mobile phone. They also couldn’t find any information from her cell phone records. Despite questioning her family members, they found no lead. Troy was also ruled out as a suspect since he had a solid alibi. Official records state that when officials questioned her friend, Jeff, he informed them that he had access to Laura’s online accounts, including her email and social media. They learned that she had been speaking with a man who used the alias Mr Handcuffs on an alternative sexual lifestyle BDSM website. Investigators discovered that Laura had been talking with him in the weeks leading up to her disappearance, and they reportedly discussed meeting in the future.
When officials made Laura’s disappearance public on November 28, 2013, hotel manager Kristi Bodunov contacted them. She informed them that Laura had visited her hotel on November 2, accompanied by a man. The hotel lobby’s CCTV footage revealed the man leaving the hotel the following morning, pushing a luggage cart alone, with no signs of Laura. By January 2014, detectives got a lead when Jeff found the email of Mr Handcuffs, which pointed towards an ex-police officer, Steven M. Zelich. Upon speaking with his former captain, detectives confirmed that Steve was the man in the CCTV footage. In January 2014, law enforcement searched his apartment in West Allis, Wisconsin, but were unable to find anything. Moreover, Steven claimed that he had spoken with Laura on the website but allegedly hadn’t met her.
In March 2014, the FBI again searched his home and collected his DNA swab, but couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary. Things changed when investigators discovered the remains of Laura and Jenny. DNA analysis revealed a male’s DNA on the ropes found at the scene, which matched Steven’s. When he was questioned, he confessed to speaking with Jenny on the website and then meeting her. He claimed that during consensual bondage, he accidentally caused her death. In his statements, Steven confessed to first keeping her remains in a refrigerator at his apartment. He claimed that he then met Laura in November 2013, and he allegedly strangled her with a rope during sex by accident. Steven was ultimately arrested and charged with two counts of hiding a corpse and later with first-degree intentional homicide.
Steven Zelich is Serving His Sentence at a Wisconsin Prison Facility Today
After Steven’s arrest, the prosecution presented digital proof of his chats with Jenny and Laura, as well as hotel records and forensic evidence, in court. Furthermore, they highlighted Steven’s confession as to how he put the remains of Laura in a suitcase and later stored both the bags in the trunk of his car before dumping them. On the other hand, the defense argued that both murders were accidental. Ultimately, on January 25, 2016, Steven pleaded guilty in Wisconsin to first-degree reckless homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon and hiding a corpse. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison and 10 years of extended supervision for reckless homicide on March 30, 2016. For the second charge, Steven received a 3-year term and 3 years of extended supervision.
On February 3, 2017, Steven pleaded guilty in Minnesota to the second-degree murder of Laura. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison, to be served consecutively to his Wisconsin sentence. In August 2017, he pleaded guilty to two counts of hiding a corpse and received a 10-year term in October, to be served consecutively. After sentencing, he filed post-conviction motions to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming ineffective assistance of counsel. On November 25, 2020, the Wisconsin Appellate Court reversed the denial of an evidentiary hearing on his plea-withdrawal motion and ordered a hearing to evaluate his claims. However, no public reports confirm whether the hearing has been held. Currently, he is incarcerated at Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun, Wisconsin. While Steven’s extended supervision date is June 16, 2059, his maximum discharge date is set at June 16, 2079.
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