Stephanie Ramos

Soon, the police would be inundated with tips from Leslie Prier's neighbors, coworkers, and friends, all trying to help solve this murder.

A murder that seemed from the outset not to make any sense at all.

Detectives didn't believe that this crime committed in one of the safest counties in the country was random.

By the time they told Lauren Prier on May 5th that her mother was the victim of a homicide, they already had a number one suspect in mind.

But under questioning, Sandy showed that there were secrets in the prayer house.

Arguments between husband and wife that had been getting worse.

This was not an open and shut case.

The investigation was riddled with unexpected revelations and dead ends that would prevent justice from coming for a very long time.

Blood and Water is a production of ABC Audio and 2020, hosted by me, Stephanie Ramos.

Produced by Madeline Wood, Shane McKeon, and Kiara Powell.

With help from Emily Schutz and Caitlin Schiffer.

Edited by Gianna Palmer.

Our supervising producer is Susie Liu.

Music and mixing by Eben Viola.

Scoring by Kiara Powell.

Special thanks to Katie Dendaz, Janice Johnston, Sean Dooley, Chris Donovan, Camille Peterson, Christina Corbin, Gail Deutsch, Amanda Carr, Ellie Jostad, NG Adam, and Michelle Margulis.

Josh Cohan is our director of podcast programming.

Eamon McNiff is our executive producer.

In 2001, Leslie Prier was living in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., when on a spring morning, the unthinkable happened.

This woman was strangled and she was beaten.