Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘Two’s Company, Three is Murder’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Betrayed,’ the primary focus is on the mysterious disappearance and horrific killing of 34-year-old Linda Singleton in Mansfield, Ohio, in late 2001 or early 2002. Her sudden demise left the entire community shell-shocked, while grief took over her loved ones. When the detectives uncovered some personal secrets of Linda’s life, they were eventually led to the killer. The documentary features exclusive and insightful interviews with Linda’s family and friends, and the officials who worked hard to get to the bottom of the case.
Linda Singleton’s Remains Were Found Over Two Years After Her Disappearance
On July 10, 1967, in Mansfield, Ohio, James W. and Viola Mae Welty Daugherty welcomed Linda Marie Daugherty Singleton into the world as their little bundle of joy. Raised alongside her brothers Brian, David, and John, and two sisters, Lori and Amy, Linda attended Madison Comprehensive High School and Lighthouse Gospel Church. In her free time, she loved fishing, woodcarving, and drawing. She later married Allen Singleton, and the two raised two loving children — a son, Jeremy, and a daughter, Ashley. She supported her family by working at a local factory called Mansfield Assemblies.
Leading a seemingly picture-perfect life, Linda suddenly vanished sometime between late December 2001 and early January 2002. However, the 34-year-old was not reported missing until six months later by her sister. After years of investigation, her remains were finally recovered from a shallow grave on a property on Stewart Road in Mansfield in November 2004. The autopsy revealed that the cause of her death was a fatal gunshot wound to the back of the head with a 9mm handgun.
Sons of Linda Singleton’s Killer Led the Police to the Burial Site
After Linda Singleton was reported missing, the authorities began digging deeper into her personal and professional life to locate her. During the investigation, they learned that her friendship with a coworker named Angie Brown allegedly turned into a sexual relationship at some point, which complicated the women’s lives. After Linda’s husband found out about the alleged affair, she and her daughter moved into the Brown residence. It is alleged that Linda, Angie, and Angie’s husband, Larry Brown Sr., shared a three-way sexual relationship at the time and slept in the same bedroom. As Linda and Angie’s bond grew, Larry allegedly became hostile towards Linda. Thus, the two women moved out of the house and stayed in different places. In the following weeks, Larry allegedly stalked the two women into a tent, which he allegedly burned.
As per reports, he even made verbal threats to them while they were staying at a motel. When Angie’s divorce attempts failed due to a lack of money and his alleged threats towards her attorney, she moved back into his home in the fall of 2001, but had plans to reunite with Linda eventually. However, soon after spending Christmas with her family, Linda went missing. The case remained unsolved for the next few years until Larry’s son, Edward, was arrested on unrelated charges in September 2004. In order to avoid prosecution, he reportedly struck a deal with the detectives and led them to the site where Linda’s remains were buried. Since he claimed that his brother, Larry Jr., had told him about the locations of the remains, the police brought him in for questioning.
During the interview, Larry Jr. claimed that his father, Larry, behaved strangely around the time of Linda’s disappearance. He and Edward also noticed a puddle of blood-like liquid in the driveway, but their father told them that it was just transmission fluid. In the days that followed, the suspect allegedly cleaned and sold his car and disposed of his 9 mm handgun after cutting it into pieces. According to Larry Jr., while working on John Gottfried’s residence on Stewart Road, where Linda’s remains were found, Larry had asked him if he could smell anything unusual. Although both Larry Jr. and Edward believed that their father was responsible for Linda’s death, they didn’t reach out to the police because Larry had allegedly threatened to take them down with him if he was caught for the crime. Thanks to the testimonies of his sons, Larry was arrested and charged with the murder of Linda Singleton.
Larry Brown Sr. is Serving His Sentence at an Ohio Prison Facility Today
Soon after Linda Singleton’s remains were recovered, on November 10, 2004, Larry Brown Sr. was indicted by the Richland County Grand Jury in connection with the death of Linda Singleton. A few months later, on April 7, 2005, the accused stood trial for his crimes. During the four-day jury trial, the prosecution called the defendant’s sons to the stand, who testified against him. Ultimately, the jury deliberated after hearing all the evidence and testimonies, and found Larry guilty of one count of aggravated murder with a firearm specification and one count of abuse of a corpse.
About ten days later, on April 18, Larry’s sentencing hearing took place. He was sentenced to 23 and a half years to life in prison for his involvement in the killing of Linda Singleton. Not long after, he filed a motion to get his conviction and sentence overturned. However, the Richland County Court of Common Pleas denied his appeal and upheld his conviction. The 59-year-old killer is currently incarcerated at Richland Correctional Institution in Mansfield, Ohio, with his parole eligibility date scheduled for April 2028.
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