In 2000, 21-year-old mother of two, Laneisha Crowder was brutally murdered inside her home in Carrollton, Georgia . Her two children, ages seven and two at the time, witnessed her murder.
About the Case
At the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, on the western side of Georgia, sits the small town of Carrollton, often referred to as “The Friendly City” or “City of Dreams”. It is not a place one would consider unsafe, judging by its nicknames. But on the weekend of August 12, 2000, this small community of less than 30,000 residents was anything but friendly or safe for one family.
On August 12, 2000, 21-year-old single mother, Laneisha Crowder made several phone calls up until around midnight. By Monday, August 14th, nobody had heard from the young mother of two since those phone calls. At around 10:00 p.m., a concerned friend went to her house at 270 Henson Circle to check on her.
The friend peeked inside through a window where he saw Lyric Crowder, Laneisha’s two-year-old daughter, sitting on top of her mother who was lying lifeless on the floor. The friend ran next door to the home of Carl Neal and the two men dialed 911.
The Investigation
When police arrived, they found Laneisha dead on the floor. Lyric was unharmed, but her brother, Kenneth Crowder, had been assaulted, too. He was alive but suffered head trauma and was airlifted to Egleston Hospital.
There were no signs of forced entry and nothing was stolen from the home. The attack most likely occurred in the early morning hours of August 13, 2000.
Police have not released a lot of information to the public regarding this case, but they have said they do have physical evidence and an instrument used to beat Laneisha. They also extensively interviewed the people Laneisha called before her murder, but it is unclear what came from those interviews.
An early report of Laneisha’s death stated there were several domestic calls placed to police prior to her death. The incidents involved an ex-boyfriend. However, he was in jail at the time of her murder.
Initially, police were unsure how she died; the injuries she received were not typically fatal. However, recent reports say she was badly beaten.
No one has ever been arrested for her murder, and the case is listed as an unsolved homicide.
Life after Laneisha crowder
Today, Kenneth Crowder is 24 and Lyric is 19. Both vividly remember the night their mother was murdered despite being so young at the time. Lyric remembers their faces and the clothing the attackers wore the night they killed her mother.
Kenneth still suffers from traumatic brain injury. He graduated high school a couple of years ago. Lyric is attending college, and has a small child of her own. Both still reside in Carrollton.
Kenneth, Lyric, and Laneisha’s mother, Doris Crowder are still seeking answers into her murder.
If you have any information regarding the murder of Laneisha Crowder, please call GBI agent Larry Duren at 706-565-7888 or Carroll County Sheriff’s Office at 770-830-5888.
TCD’s Thoughts
This is one of those cases that pisses me off. Police say they have physical evidence. They have a murder weapon. Yet, no arrests. I hate that her attackers are still out there.
My first thought after reading about this case was that Laneisha Crowder must have known her attackers, or at least one of them. There were three, according to Kenneth, so this sounds more personal. And let’s face it, beating someone is pretty personal.
Even though the ex-boyfriend was in jail, did he hire thugs to kill Laneisha? Was this man the father of one or both of her children?
Nothing was stolen from the residence, so those men went there to kill Laneisha. WHY? What was the motive? Drug money? Did Laneisha know something about the men they didn’t want anyone else to know? Did she witness something prior to her murder? What were the conversations about between her and the people she called right before her murder? Who are these people and could any of the three men be one of them? Were there any calls placed from jail where her ex was to her phone before she was killed?
There were no signs of forced entry, so Laneisha must have let these men into her home willingly, or they knocked on the door and forced their way in when she opened it.
Lyric says she remembers their faces and what the attackers were wearing, so why hasn’t a composite sketch been released?
I hope there is justice one day for this young mother. Someone out there knows something. Let’s just hope he or she will come forward.