A 72-year-old California man, Jack Dennis Potter, has finally been sentenced for the horrific murder of his wife, Laurie Diane Potter, nearly two decades after the crime. On Friday, a San Diego County courtroom sentenced Potter to 15 years to life in prison after he pleaded guilty in February to second-degree murder.
The case remained a mystery for almost 17 years — until modern DNA technology and cold case efforts finally uncovered the truth.
The Discovery That Sparked the Investigation
The crime was first discovered back on 5 October 2003, when a maintenance worker at an apartment complex in Rancho San Diego found a pair of human legs in a dumpster. At the time, investigators knew the remains were from a woman, but they could not identify her.
The case went cold for years until June 2020, when forensic technology was used to re-examine the DNA. Investigators matched the victim’s DNA to relatives and finally identified her as Laurie Diane Potter. Shockingly, she had never been reported missing.
Detective Troy DuGal, the lead investigator, said, “Nobody knew except for one guy.” That man was Jack Potter — her husband — who had been hiding the truth all along.
Living a Lie: The Fraud That Followed
After killing Laurie, Jack Potter didn’t stop there. He went on to live a lavish lifestyle funded by her death. Obsessed with a new woman he met at a strip club — also named Laurie — he began spending large amounts of money.
Potter opened new credit cards in his dead wife’s name, bought expensive items like a pickup truck and a ski boat, and even gifted his new girlfriend a luxury Hummer SUV and a $30,000 credit card. He set her up in a private apartment and maintained the lie that his wife was still alive.
Incredibly, Potter also filed for divorce after Laurie’s murder and claimed in court that he had contacted her about the legal process — even though she was already dead. This false claim allowed him to legally sell their family home in Temecula and keep all the profits.
A Cold Case Finally Solved
For years, Laurie’s murder went undetected. Her remains were unrecognizable, and no missing persons report was ever filed. Jack Potter had managed to keep her disappearance a secret — using her identity for personal gain and building a new life with another woman.
The case was reopened by cold case investigators in 2020, and after advanced DNA testing linked the remains to Laurie’s relatives, detectives began piecing together the story. By 2021, they had enough evidence to arrest Jack Potter, ending nearly two decades of deception.
Justice has finally caught up with Jack Dennis Potter, who not only murdered his wife but continued to benefit from her death for years. His cold-hearted actions, including financial fraud, identity theft, and lies to the court, shocked investigators and the public alike. Though he was sentenced to 15 years-to-life, given his age of 72, it’s likely he will spend the rest of his life behind bars. This case serves as a grim reminder of how far some will go to hide the truth — and how persistent investigators can bring long-hidden crimes to light.
