Suvechha Sarkar
In May 2001, the serene neighborhood of Chevy Chase, Maryland, was shaken to its core when Leslie Ann Preer was found dead in her residence. The untimely demise of the 48-year-old left her family members and friends completely devastated. ABC’s ’20/20: First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder’ revisits the investigation, which spanned more than two decades, until genetic genealogy helped crack the case. It also features interviews with her loved ones and acquaintances, besides the cold case officials who helped bring the killer to justice.
Leslie Preer Was Found Dead at Her Home After She Didn’t Show up For Work
Born on October 5, 1952, Leslie Ann Jennings brought immense joy to the lives of her parents, William Elwood Jr. and Miriam Pullen Jennings. She lived in Rhode Island along with her siblings, Robin, Bill, Frank, Valerie, Harlan, Scott, and Blair. Her loved ones remember her for her kind and gentle personality. Leslie graduated from Pensacola High School and subsequently completed her higher education at the University of Florida in 1973. During that time, she met the love of her life, Carl Eugene Preer III, AKA Sandy. Ultimately, on October 26, 1974, they tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony in Escambia County, Florida.
Leslie and Carl then settled down in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and began building a life together. By 1977, Leslie and Carl had welcomed their daughter, Lauren Preer, into the world. Leslie was a working mother whose life revolved entirely around her family. However, her perfect life changed forever on May 2, 2001. When she didn’t show up for work that morning, her supervisor, Brett Reidy, grew concerned and called Carl. The latter also became worried, and they decided to visit the residence. When they went inside the house, they found dried blood in the foyer, a toppled-over table, and moved rugs. While Carl searched the home for Leslie, Brett called 911 to report the situation.
When officials arrived around 11:45 am, they noticed blood on the wall and the stairs, while the kitchen’s back door was open. The evidence at the scene showed signs consistent with a struggle. They discovered Leslie dead under the shower of the upstairs bathroom, under the running shower. The autopsy revealed that she had seven lacerations to the front and back of her head and multiple bruises on her neck, arms, and legs. Leslie’s cause of death was determined to be multiple blunt force trauma to the head and strangulation as the contributing factor.
Advanced DNA Technology Helped Crack the 23-Year-Old Cold Case
Initially, detectives learned from Carl that he had last seen Leslie around 7:45 am before he left for work. Since they suspected that she could’ve been killed earlier, they questioned the neighbors. A neighbor reported that the previous night, all the lights in the Preer home were on and the blinds were drawn. Another neighbor mentioned that Carl greeted them that morning, which he allegedly never did. When Carl was interrogated, he told the police that on May 1, he had visited three stores to buy a charger before returning home around 9 pm, and everything was normal. He revealed that he and Leslie recently had a strained marriage. Moreover, when he failed a polygraph test, it made investigators consider him a suspect. Shortly after, forensic experts discovered an unknown male’s DNA under Leslie’s nails and in three rooms of her residence.
Since Carl’s DNA wasn’t a match, he was ruled out as a suspect. When it provided no match to the DNA database, the case eventually went cold. In September 2022, it was reopened, and genetic genealogy was used to create the killer’s family tree. By 2024, a match was found with a distant relative of the killer, Virgil Gligor. That was when investigators recalled Eugene Teodor Gligor, Lauren’s high school boyfriend. Eugene lived around 10 minutes away from Leslie’s home at the time of her murder. In January 2002, a neighbor reported to the police that he had been involved in noise-related disputes. Detectives also reportedly discovered his previous run-ins with the law, during which he was listed as a suspect for theft and burglary. Since he was never charged, his DNA was not in the database.
Further investigation uncovered that Eugene didn’t attend Leslie’s funeral and had taken a sudden road trip to Portland, Oregon, on that day. Additionally, officials found out about a protective order petition from his ex-wife in 2021, where she alleged that he was “unpredictable.” To get his DNA, investigators did a sting operation in June 2024. Reports state that he was pulled aside for a special customs screening at Washington Dulles Airport. There, he drank from a bottle arranged by the detectives, which helped them get his DNA. When it was compared to the one found at the crime scene, it turned out to be a match. Ultimately, Eugene was arrested on June 18, 2024, in Washington, DC, and charged with first-degree murder. During questioning, he denied his involvement in the murder and claimed that he had no recollection of that fateful day.
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Eugene Gligor is Currently Incarcerated at a Maryland Prison Facility
Instead of going to trial, Eugene pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder of Leslie on May 7, 2025. The prosecution was seeking a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years for him. On the day of his sentencing on August 28, the prosecution emphasized the brutality of the crime. The defense, on the other hand, argued for a lesser sentence of 10 years, citing his alleged mental health issues. As per court records, Eugene took the stand before he was sentenced and claimed that he had several “blackouts” leading up to the evening of May 1, 2001, and the morning of May 2. According to his statements, he was allegedly under the influence on that day.
Eugene claimed he only remembered stopping by Leslie’s home around 9:30 a.m. that morning and getting into a physical altercation with her. He then apologized to Leslie’s family, saying, “Lauren and Leslie’s family, I’m so sorry for causing you so much misery and hardship.” The judge sentenced him to 22 years in prison, suspending the remainder of the 30-year term, followed by 5 years of supervised probation. He was also ordered to undergo mental health treatment and maintain no contact with Leslie’s family. According to reports, he has filed a motion after the August 28 hearing, asking the court to reconsider his sentencing. As of writing, Eugene is serving his sentence in the Maryland Correctional Training Center (MCTC) in Hagerstown, Maryland.
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