In June 2000, high school freshman Leah Freeman went missing from her place of origin of Coquille, Oregon. With considered one of her footwear being came upon on the night of her disappearance and the opposite pair being located per week later, the police knew that they had a murder on their palms. ’20/20: Last Seen Walking’ chronicles the mysterious disappearance and presentations how suspicion fell on Leah’s boyfriend, Nick McGuffin, after her frame used to be recovered. Let’s dig in deep and in finding out where Nick is lately, we could?
Who Is Nick McGuffin?
At the time of Leah’s disappearance and homicide, Nick was a senior at her highschool, and the 2 have been in a relationship. Although according to the show, Leah’s mom did not approve of their courting and wanted it to finish, the pair were rather glad in combination. On June 28, 2000, Nick and Leah had decided to go on a double date, and he dropped her off at her pal Cherie Mitchell’s space to organize. Incidentally, Cherie and Leah had an argument associated with the latter’s relationship, which led to Leah leaving her buddy’s area alone.
According to the display, the highschool student used to be remaining observed walking on my own close to her high school ahead of disappearing into skinny air. On that same night time, a mechanic found one in every of Leah’s health club sneakers as regards to a cemetery within sight her highschool. However, not understanding the shoe’s importance, he was overdue to show it in. The second shoe used to be recovered a week later, and authorities found blood on it.
Initially, Nick informed the police that he and his friend, Kristen Steinhoff, had searched in all places for Leah on that night time. After on the lookout for his female friend till 2 am, Nick dropped Kristen off and returned to Leah’s space. He then found the TV to be switched on and concluded that Leah should be again house. On August 3, 2000, nearly 5 weeks after Leah went lacking, her frame was recovered from a wooded embankment.
The police additionally concluded that she was strangled to death. Although Nick volunteered to offer his observation to the police or even allowed them to take pictures of him, the suspicion ultimately fell on the high school senior. However, and not using a leads or evidence to tie him to the murder, the case sat unsolved for a very long time.
In the interim, Nick had to reside with anxiousness or even discussed that he tried to die by suicide. Still, after his recovery, he moved directly to some other relationship or even had an exquisite daughter in 2007. Additionally, his occupation picked up, and after graduating culinary faculty, he discovered himself as The Mill Casino’s head dinner party chef. In 2008, the town of Coquille got a new police leader who took it upon himself to resolve Leah’s murder.
While re-investigating, the police came across Kristen Steinhoff, who alleged that on the evening of Leah’s disappearance, she and Nick had performed medicine sooner than he expressed a need to have sex along with her. Kristen also claimed that she became down Nick’s sexual advances. On the other hand, Nick vehemently denied asking for sex and said that the 2 had simply kissed. Yet, he did affirm that he and Kristen smoked marijuana together. Based on the statements, a grand jury indicted Nick, and he was once arrested for murder.
Where Is Nick McGuffin Now?
Once put on trial, Nick pleaded now not in charge to the fees in opposition to him and used to be acquitted of the murder rate through the jury. However, on a 10-2 majority, the jury did find Nick to blame of manslaughter. Based on his conviction, Nick was once sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2011. Initially, Nick was incarcerated at the Snake River Correctional Institution but used to be soon shifted to a Tillamook State Forest exertions camp for his just right conduct.
Meanwhile, legal professional Janis Puracal determined to have a look at Nick’s case in 2014 and located that neither the defense nor the prosecution had tested the sufferer’s sneakers for DNA proof within the 2011 trial. Furthermore, DNA testing in 2000 was once not as complex, which supposed that the sneakers were by no means correctly tested. In 2017, she asked to re-evaluate the sneakers, and experiences discovered an unidentified foreign DNA profile. Additionally, Nick’s DNA was once nowhere to be discovered on the victim’s sneakers. Using this evidence, Nick overturned his conviction in 2019.
After his free up from prison, the prosecution stated they wouldn’t be asking for a retrial as Nick had served maximum of his ten-year sentence, and a retrial would most effective pressure the sufferer’s family to relive their pain. For Nick, life after jail has been emotionally taxing as even landing a job proved relatively challenging. However, his dating with his daughter is what gives him the power to hold on in lifestyles.
In 2020, Nick filed a federal civil rights lawsuit for wrongful conviction in opposition to the police departments of the City of Coos Bay, Coquille, and Oregon. The Coos County sheriff’s division is additionally mentioned in the lawsuit. In 2020, reports claimed that Nick was once residing in Portland and was employed as a chef. He even appeared on ’20/20: Last Seen Walking’ to discuss his enjoy. Moreover, he is also made up our minds to unravel Leah’s murder and find the offender to be able to give himself and Leah’s circle of relatives a way of justice.
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