Woman learns man who attacked her killed a young mother years later
When C.C. Opanowski of Hudson Falls, New York, was a teenager, she survived a terrifying attack at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, Shawn Doyle. Years later, he would kill Lori Leonard, a mother of two young sons in Chittenango, New York.
In 1996, C.C. Opanowski was house-sitting for her mother in Hudson Falls, New York when her ex-boyfriend Shawn Doyle attacked her. Opanowski, who had dated Doyle in high school and her freshman year of college, says Doyle became violent, pushed her onto the couch, restrained her, and cut off her ponytail with scissors. Opanowski described the experience as demeaning, and Doyle had a history of violent rages.
The authorities, however, did not take the matter seriously and even interviewed Doyle and Opanowski together at the police station. Opanowski later transferred colleges and moved away from Hudson Falls.
Nearly nine years later, in 2005, Opanowski learned that Doyle had been arrested for murdering Lori Leonard, a young mother of two boys. Lori Leonard had met Doyle on the dating website Cupid.com in 2003, but their relationship was short-lived due to Doyle's violent temper. Despite being broken up, Doyle continued to be friends with Lori Leonard, and she even allowed her to move into a new rental apartment with Doyle's truck.
However, Doyle's presence became increasingly uncomfortable for Lori's sister, Jennifer Leonard. On May 4, 2005, Lori Leonard disappeared without a trace. Three months later, on July 24, 2005, Lori Leonard's body was found in a metal toolbox in the Lake Champlain Canal.
Written by urgent.news from CBS News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
