Overview

• Laurie Diane Potter's remains were discovered in a Rancho San Diego trash bin in 2003 but went unidentified for nearly two decades.
• Jack Dennis Potter, her husband, smothered and dismembered her, later forging documents and opening credit accounts to conceal her death.
• Investigators identified Laurie Potter in 2020 using investigative genetic genealogy, a first for San Diego County in solving a homicide case.
• Potter was arrested in 2021 and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in February 2025, acknowledging his actions and expressing remorse in court.
• Laurie Potter's family, including her son, endured years of unanswered questions before finally receiving closure with the sentencing.