Naman Shrestha
When a promising college student named Deborah “Debbie” Dorian was found dead in her Fresno, California, apartment in August 1996, her parents — Sara Loven and Peter Dorian — were among the most heartbroken. While the detectives carried out their investigation, Sara and Peter did whatever they could to get to the bottom of the case and find their daughter’s killer. All the intricate details of the case and the decades-long investigation are covered in ABC’s ’20/20: I’m Going To Get You,’ which also features Sara Loven, who recounts her experience of losing Debbie.
Debbie Dorian’s Parents Waited For Over Two Decades For Her Killer to Be Brought to Justice
On June 20, 1974, Sara Loven and Peter Dorian welcomed Deborah Sarah “Debbie” Dorian into the world as a little bundle of joy. Although Sara and Peter divorced and moved on with their lives, they remained a constant presence in their daughter’s life. They were proud of Debbie, a California State University, Fresno graduate, who was determined to achieve big things in life. Inspired by Peter’s contributions as an audiologist, she considered enrolling in an audiology program in college to follow in his footsteps. The father and daughter planned to go to Sacramento to check out a graduate school on August 22, 1996.
When she didn’t show up at his house that day, he went to her apartment in the North Creek Apartment Homes in Fresno, California, where he came across a horrific sight of Debbie lying dead in her bedroom, with her hands and ankles duct-taped. Overcome with shock, he called his wife and Debbie’s stepmother, who ended up calling 911 and notifying the police about the situation. Devastated by the tragedy, Sara and Peter did all they could to escalate the investigation by giving out flyers and offering a $10,000 reward for any kind of information leading to the arrest of the killer. However, the two had to wait for over two decades before the police apprehended the perpetrator, Nickey Duane Stane, responsible for killing their daughter.
While Peter Continues to Pursue His Musical Passions, Sara Stays Away From the Limelight
During Nickey Duane Stane’s preliminary hearing in November 2023, Peter Dorian took the stand and recounted the horrific experience of discovering his daughter’s remains in her apartment. He stated, “She was lying face up. Her mouth and nose had been taped shut.” What worried him about her was that “She was always on time. She was very punctual, so I became concerned that something was wrong” when she didn’t show up at his place to go to Sacramento and failed to pick up his phone calls. Several months later, in June 2025, during Nickey’s sentencing hearing, Debbie’s mother, Sara Loven, addressed the killer.
“He cruelly extinguished my daughter’s life and brought heartbreak to me and my family. Though he took my precious Deb, he did not take my soul. He has the rest of his life to pay for what he did, and he will pay for his evil actions,” she stated. Emphasizing how long she had to wait for justice to be served, she elaborated at a press conference after Nickey was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole: “I planted a tree the Christmas after Deborah was killed, and that tree is 50 feet tall and three feet around. That’s a long time to grow. It reminds me of how long it’s been that we’ve been working on this case.”
After suffering from the huge loss in 1996, Peter and Sara surrounded themselves with loved ones to deal with the grief. Peter, who completed clinical training requirements in the specialty of Otolaryngology, served his patients through his clinic, Dorian Hearing Center in Fresno, California. In December 2018, the audiologist also released an album titled Oud Expressions, showcasing his innate musical talent. From what we can tell, he still resides in Fresno but prefers to lead a private life. Meanwhile, Sara seemingly spends time with her friends and family, all the while keeping the memories of her daughter alive in every step of the way.
Read More: Debbie Dorian Murder: Where is Nickey Duane Stane Now?
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