Viswa Vanapalli
One night in late 2014, several gunshots rang out at a residential community in Saco, Maine, followed by a desperate 911 call from someone injured in the shooting. The authorities rushed there to find a bloody scene and two people hurt, one of them being Rachel Owens. NBC News’ ‘Dateline: The Intruder’ focuses on the shocking story of the secret double life that Rachel’s husband led, ending with him trying to kill her. So, let’s find out more about Rachel then, shall we?
What Happened to Rachel Owens?
Rachel Owens lived with her husband, Gregory Owens, in Londonderry, New Hampshire. She had been diagnosed with dementia and had health issues due to that. So, on December 15, 2014, her friend Carol Chabot swung by to pick her up for a short stay at her place. Rachel traveled to Saco, Maine, to spend time with Carol and her husband, Steve. But just days later, a horrific incident changed all their lives forever.
At around 2:47 am on December 18, 2014, a frantic Steve called 911 to report an intruder in his house. He claimed that his wife Carol, Rachel, and himself were shot and asked the police to hurry. By the time the police arrived, the shooter had fled but left two people injured. Steve was shot thrice, and Rachel was shot at four times, being hit thrice. The then 55-year-old was in critical condition; she was hit in the arm, leg, and back of her head. Rachel was rushed to the hospital and was in critical condition; the doctors initially didn’t think she would make it out alive.
Despite the bullet still in her head and suffering brain damage, Rachel made it. However, she didn’t remember much from the night of the shooting. As per the show, Rachel talked about hanging out with the Chabots before going to bed. She had no memory of the shooting apart from possibly seeing the attacker wearing a Jamaican hat. However, that didn’t match Steve’s description of the assailant, who said he was dressed in all-black and wore a ski mask. The authorities then collected shell casings and some other evidence from the scene and later spoke to Greg, who was at home in Londonderry.
The husband, a former Army man, seemed distraught upon learning what happened to Rachel and claimed to have been at home all night working. The investigation then revealed that Greg had been living a double life for years and had an affair with Betsy Wandtke, a woman from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. In the time leading up to the shooting, Betsy overheard a conversation on the phone and believed Greg wasn’t going to divorce Rachel as he promised, leading to a confrontation.
The aforementioned discovery led the police to think Greg had the motive and means to commit the crime. While Greg claimed his innocence, the authorities continued to find evidence that linked him to the attack. Apart from DNA evidence from the scene that matched him, they recovered the same bullets used in the crime from Greg’s home. Combined with other circumstantial evidence and Greg’s secret life, it didn’t take a jury long to find him guilty of the attempted murder. As a result, Greg Owens was sent away to prison for life.
Where is Rachel Owens Today?
Rachel Owens had a long road to recovery after the surgery and was ably helped by her son, Wayne Owens, who stayed by her side throughout. She testified at Greg’s trial in February 2016. Rachel talked about how she had difficulty doing even mundane things like opening a bottle or an envelope and needing assistance for the most part. After the incident, for about four years, Rachel moved in with Wayne and his family in Rhode Island and also lived with her brother for a while.
However, over time, the family realized that Rachel needed extensive medical care and assistance, which wouldn’t have been possible at home. In May 2018, she was placed in an assisted living care facility with experts catering to her needs constantly. According to the family, Rachel’s doing quite well, enjoying her time with the community there. Despite everything that she had been through, Rachel has remained upbeat and looked forward to living her life and spending time with her grandchildren. For now, it seems like Rachel still lives at a care facility somewhere in Rhode Island, with regular visits from family.
Read More: Where is Greg Owens Now?
