Shivangi Sinha
At 25 years old, Amy St. Laurent lived independently in South Berwick, Maine. In October 2001, she ventured out to Old Port for a casual date with a friend. However, her friend stated that they went their separate ways at some point during the night, and she never returned home. In the episode ‘Disappeared: A Fateful Meeting,’ the investigation explores whether her date played a role in her disappearance or if there is a larger, more complex story behind her vanishing.
Amy St. Laurent Was on a Date on the Night of Her Disappearance
Amy St. Laurent, born on March 12, 1976, in New Hampshire to parents Dennis St. Laurent and Diane Jenkins, saw her family move to Portland, where she spent the majority of her formative years. Described as a resilient and determined young woman, Amy was known for making unconventional choices and embracing independence. After graduating from South Portland High School in 1994, she felt uninspired by the prospect of college and opted to enter the workforce instead.
In 1996, Amy began working as a secretary at the Aircraft Club at Pratt & Whitney, finding her place in the professional world. Establishing her residence in South Berwick with her cat, Alex, she remained closely connected with her family. By 2001, Amy had recently ended a four-year-long serious relationship and was navigating the single life, engaging in casual dating. During a visit to a friend in Florida, she met Eric Rubright, who developed a quick and lasting fascination with her. Their connection continued through email after her return home.
In October 2001, Eric visited Amy in Maine, arriving on October 20. During his stay, she showed him around her town and nearby areas. On the evening of October 20, around 10:30 p.m., they ventured to the Old Port section of Portland, Maine. Despite Eric expressing romantic interest, Amy clarified that she only wanted to be friends. They initially went to a sports bar, where Amy played pool with some other men. Subsequently, they headed to a dance club called Pavillion. Eric recounted that Amy was dancing with the men they had played pool with earlier.
When he returned after a brief absence, he found that neither Amy nor the other men were there, assuming she had left with them. This marked the final sighting of Amy, and her body was discovered on December 8, 2001, buried in the woods near Scarborough, Maine. The cause of her death was determined to be a gunshot wound to her head. Notably, her body was found with her underwear twisted around her ankles.
The Killer Was Caught Following His Confession to a Loved One
Amy St. Laurent’s mother was concerned when she did not contact her after her night out. She did not show up at work either and had left her cat on its own, all of which was highly unusual for Amy. She filed a complaint with the police. The initial suspect in Amy St. Laurent’s disappearance was Eric Rubright, given that he was the last person known to have seen her. The police brought him in for questioning, and he provided a detailed account of the events that transpired that night. According to Rubright, after being unable to locate Amy, he felt disappointed and somewhat angry that she had left him alone in an unfamiliar town.
Consequently, he drove back to Amy’s house, assuming she had already returned, as her purse and keys remained in his car. Eric Rubright, in his account to the police, mentioned that he had stopped for gas and taken the toll road south to the Wells exit. Recalling that he only had 15 cents, he claimed to have asked the toll-taker to let him pass without payment. Upon reaching Amy’s house, he observed her car in the driveway but found her absent. Choosing not to enter, he claimed to have slept in his rental car that night. The following morning, he took a shower, left a note expressing his displeasure with Amy’s behavior, and departed.
Missing posters for Amy were distributed throughout the town, and three men flagged down a patrol car to inform the police that they had seen the woman on the night of her disappearance. These men were the ones Eric claimed to have seen Amy dancing with. Among them, Jeffrey “Russ” Gorman recounted that Amy had joined him for an after-party at his house around 1 a.m., but she requested to be driven back to the dance club by 2 a.m. He claimed to have dropped her off at the club around that time and returned home by 3 a.m., stating that he hadn’t seen her after that.
At this point, the police were able to verify all the information provided by Eric. They interviewed the toll-taker, who confirmed remembering Eric from that night and stated that nothing about his behavior seemed unusual. The focus of the investigation shifted to Gorman, and the police interviewed his roommates. According to the roommate, Gorman had brought Amy to the house, and both of them left around 2 a.m. However, the roommate couldn’t confirm if Gorman had returned to the house by 3 a.m.
She mentioned that a friend had come to the house around 5 a.m. and saw Gorman in the same clothes he had worn the previous night, cleaning up in the bathroom. Gorman emerged as the prime suspect for the police, but proving his guilt was still a challenging task. The turning point in the investigation occurred on December 8, 2001, when Amy’s body was discovered. The location of her body was near Gorman’s mother’s house, and investigators learned that Gorman often visited there for fishing. The police assumed that Amy had been killed due to a failed sexual assault attempt or in the middle of it.
As the police intensified their pursuit, Gorman began displaying signs of distress. He altered his appearance by shaving his head and eventually decided to leave town. The police received information that Gorman had confided in his mother about the murder, leading to her being subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury. In February 2002, Gorman’s mother testified that her son had admitted to killing Amy a day after her body was discovered. Following this revelation, Gorman was indicted on charges of murder.
Jeffrey “Russ” Gorman is Serving His Sentence Today
Jeffrey “Russ” Gorman relocated to his hometown in Troy, Alaska, and engaged in a 6-hour stand-off with the police, threatening suicide. He was arrested in December 2001, pleading not guilty to the charges of murdering Amy St. Laurent. The trial commenced in January 2003, during which his mother did not testify against him, claiming she didn’t remember the details of their conversation. Despite this, Gorman was found guilty of murder and received a 60-year prison sentence. Presently 44 years old, Jeffrey “Russ” Gorman is serving his sentence at a Maine State Prison, with his earliest possible release date set in 2054.
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