Naman Shrestha
When Lori Leonard went missing in 2005, her loved ones and the entire community actively searched for her. However, when her remains turned up a few months later, her family’s worst nightmare had turned into reality. Evidence led the authorities straight to Shawn Doyle, her ex-boyfriend, who was responsible for the gruesome murder. His involvement in her murder and previous violent attacks are covered in a detailed manner in CBS’ ’48 Hours: Facing a Monster.’ The episode also features Shawn’s other former girlfriend, C.C. Opanowski, who played a vital part in bringing him to justice.
Shawn Doyle Attacked His Ex-Girlfriend C.C. Opanowski at Her Mother’s House
Born in 1976, Shawn M. Doyle knew C.C. Opanowski for several years before dating her in high school. Their relationship was full of ups and downs, but carried on into Opanowski’s freshman year of college before finally parting ways, not in a particularly amicable manner. During their time together, he allegedly showed signs of violent behavior and even held a pair of scissors to her throat, as per her claims. Some time after their breakup, he reportedly got out of control on January 27, 1996, when she was house-sitting at her mother’s house. Shawn knocked on her door, and as soon as he entered the residence, he pushed and restrained her before cutting off her hair.
It was only after the authorities arrived that Shawn let his ex-girlfriend go, as both of them were taken to the police station and interrogated together. The police allegedly did not take the matter as seriously as they should have, and according to Opanowski, they treated it as a regular fight between two young individuals that turned sour. Shawn was arrested and charged with menacing, harassment, and trespassing. After he took a guilty plea and admitted to menacing in the second degree, he was sentenced to three years of probation. Once he had served his sentence, Shawn returned to the dating scene and met Lori Leonard, a single mother of two boys, in 2003 on Cupid. They began dating, but due to his erratic behavior, she broke up with him after a short while.
Shawn Doyle Was Responsible For the Brutal Murder of Lori Leonard
Despite the breakup, Shawn and Lori remained friends as he allegedly kept trying to move back into her life. On April 29, 2005, he even helped her move to a new rental apartment. According to Lori’s sister, Jennifer, he stayed with her for a few days before leaving her new house. Since he was the last person to see her before she disappeared on May 4, Shawn was on the radar of the authorities as a possible suspect. Throughout the questioning process, he was cooperative with the detectives and even allowed them to go through his truck, where they found a key in the glove compartment. As it turned out, that was the key to the metal toolbox inside which Lori’s remains were found in the Champlain Canal on July 24, 2005.
After he was directly linked to the murder, the authorities obtained a search warrant for his residence. There, they found more incriminating evidence, including handcuffs, duct tape, a bandana, and other items found on Lori Leonard’s remains. Shawn had suffocated her to death as she died from lack of oxygen, before he placed her remains inside the metal toolbox and dumped it in the water. With enough evidence against him, the police arrested and charged him with second-degree murder on the night of July 25, 2005, while he was working at Ellsworth Ice Cream in Saratoga Springs. It turned out that his rap sheet also consisted of several drug-related convictions and an arrest for unlawful imprisonment and assault.
Shawn Doyle is Serving His Sentence at a New York Prison Facility
Shawn Doyle stood trial for his crimes on January 23, 2006. During his trial, his ex-girlfriend, C.C. Opanowski, also testified against him, claiming that he had violently attacked her in 1996. Another woman, whom he allegedly tried to kill a few years after attacking Opanowski, also took the stand and gave her testimony against the defendant. After the prosecution presented a strong case against him, the jury found him guilty of second-degree murder on January 26. Since the case was not eligible for the death penalty, Lori’s loved ones pushed for the maximum prison term.
One of her friends, Dawn Popluhar, stated, “Shawn Doyle is a horrible monster, and if we have anything to say about it, he will never get out. He has no idea what he has done to this family. He is a murderer and a pig.” Meanwhile, Jennifer Leonard, Lori’s sister, said, “I hope he rots. I don’t ever want him to see freedom again.” Eventually, he was sentenced to the maximum prison term of 25 years to life. Nearly two years later, he and his defense appealed his conviction and claimed that it was not supported by enough evidence. However, the appellate justices denied the appeal and upheld his conviction and sentencing.
A year later, Shawn filed another motion for his conviction to be overturned, claiming that his attorney was ineffective and that the police illegally collected evidence from his house and truck. In his argument, he claimed that his attorney failed to properly cross-examine the witnesses. However, the judge argued that he should have made these arguments in his previous appeal and denied his motion. As of today, Shawn Doyle is incarcerated at NYSDOC Eastern Correctional Facility in Napanoch, New York, with his parole eligibility date scheduled for July 2030.
Read More: Lori Leonard Murder Details and Investigation Timeline
