Shivangi Sinha
Laura Wallen was a cherished teacher at Wilde Lake High School in Howard County, Maryland. Everyone grew concerned when she failed to attend the first day of the school session in September 2017. Her family and friends joined the police in searching for her, and it wasn’t long before their nightmares came true as she was found dead in a secluded area. It was due to in-depth investigation and pieces of evidence that the identity of the killer was uncovered. The second season of Hulu’s ‘How I Caught My Killer,’ in the episode titled ‘I Know What the Devil Looks Like,’ explores how the police focused on Tyler Tessier, Laura’s long-time boyfriend. The episode also delves into his motivations for the crime and the evidence that linked him to the murder.
Tyler Tessier Was In a Relationship With Two Women
Tyler Tessier, a resident of Damascus, Maryland, had known Laura Wallen since 2010, but their relationship was unstable, marked by frequent breakups and reconciliations and numerous points of contention. Tyler often avoided attending her family events, leading to several arguments between them. In June 2017, Laura discovered she was pregnant with Tyler’s child, which filled her with joy. When Laura’s father questioned Tyler about his intentions, Tyler showed him a ring, indicating his plan to propose to Laura.
However, the reality of Tyler’s life was far more complicated. He had been in a relationship with another woman for ten years and had proposed to her in 2017 using the same ring he showed to Laura’s father, promising to marry her. When Laura discovered his fiancée, she demanded answers and wanted to speak directly to the woman. Laura texted her, stating she was not seeking a confrontation but a face-to-face discussion. The woman confronted Tyler with this information, and he claimed Laura was a stalker, even saying he could “kill her” for sending such messages. In September 2017, Tyler executed his plan.
September 1, 2017, was the last time Laura’s family saw her. On September 2, she sent a text to her sister saying that Tyler had taken her on an adventure that she didn’t understand, along with a picture that appeared to be of a forest. After that, she never contacted anyone again. Her debit card was last used at a Safeway store in Olney, and CCTV footage showed her with Tyler that evening. The police were already suspicious of him, and to gauge his reaction, they asked him to sit with Laura’s family during a news appearance where they appealed for information and announced a $25,000 reward.
Tyler Tessier Gave Contrasting Accounts of Laura’s Death
In a conversation with NBC, he seemed pretty emotional and said, “If somebody has her, please understand that you’ve taken away a huge person in so many people’s life.” On September 13, 2017, Laura’s body was found in a shallow ditch in a secluded open-air field in Damascus, matching the picture she had sent to her sister. That same day, Tyler was arrested in connection to her murder. Initially, he told the police that they had gotten into an argument, and she lunged at him, hitting herself on a post. He claimed he thought she was dead, and in a panic, buried her and shot her in case she was still alive.
Tyler had previously told the police that Laura had confided in him about wanting to run away because she was embarrassed by her pregnancy, falsely claiming it was with a student and not his. The discrepancies in Tyler’s accounts were highly suspicious, and by this time, the police had already discovered his fiancée. They realized that he had been planning the murder for a long time. Initially, he excused himself from a trip to Pennsylvania with the other woman by faking a knee injury, then took Laura to Damascus, where he allegedly killed her. The police charged him with first-degree murder, altering physical evidence and making a false statement to the police.
Tyler Tessier Took His Own Life in 2018
Tyler Tessier was held in a single cell in the Montgomery County Jail, awaiting trial. On the morning of September 6, 2018, the day his trial was scheduled to begin, he woke up at 4 am and took a shower like the other inmates. At 4:45 am, breakfast was brought to him, but he refused to eat. At 4:55 am, he was found hanging in his cell with a bedsheet and was declared dead at 5:32 am. The police released a statement saying they were investigating all the circumstances surrounding his death.
It was soon ruled that Tyler had indeed committed suicide, with no signs of foul play involved. He left behind five letters, none of which acknowledged the murder of Laura Wallen. The identities of the recipients and the contents of the letters have been kept private. The prosecutors entered a nolle prosequi to end the case, during which they called Tyler a “psychopath” and a compulsive liar whose actions had affected many people. They regretted not being able to bring him to justice and maintained that the evidence they had in Laura’s murder would have gotten him a life sentence.
Read More: Laura Lee Day: Where is the Killer Now?
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