The After Show: Who Killed Leslie Preer?

Summary

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20/20: The After Show – Who Killed Leslie Preer?

July 27, 2026
Host: Debra Roberts (B)
Guest Correspondent: Stephanie Ramos (C)
Focus: Behind-the-scenes insights into the 23-year-old cold case murder of Leslie Preer in Chevy Chase, Maryland, covered in the 20/20 episode “First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder.”

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Episode Overview

This after show dives into the protracted and emotionally wrenching investigation into the murder of Leslie Preer, a married mother found dead in her shower in 2001. For over two decades, her case was unsolved, haunted by suspicion and family pain, until two determined detectives cracked it using advances in DNA technology and genetic genealogy. Host Debra Roberts and correspondent Stephanie Ramos revisit the investigative process, impact on the Preer family, and the surprising identity of the killer, charting the full arc from initial heartbreak to final justice.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Crime and Initial Investigation

• Setting: Affluent suburb Chevy Chase, Maryland, 2001.
• Victim: Leslie Preer, 50, found murdered in her home’s shower—water still running—after failing to show up for work.
• Initial Focus: Early suspicion fell on her husband, Sandy Preer, due to perceived inconsistencies in his alibi and acknowledged marital struggles (07:37).
• Family's Pain: Leslie’s daughter, Lauren, was 23 and intensely close to her mother, left devastated and bewildered.

“Investigators, as they often do, began looking at her father, Sandy Preer. They started looking suspiciously at him, but [Lauren] was not having it. She defended both of her parents vigorously.” — Debra Roberts [04:15]

• Lauren’s Loyalty: Initially considered her father possible but quickly dismissed the idea, remaining steadfast in her defense despite police pressure (04:30, 05:36).

“She did not think about that for long…she said there’s absolutely no way that her father could have hurt her mother.” — Stephanie Ramos [04:34]

2. Emotional Fallout & Family Trauma

• Lauren’s Trauma: Deeply affected by loss and persistent suspicion toward her father, Lauren’s life trajectory was drastically altered by her mother’s murder and the lack of closure (07:03).

“The weight of not only the loss of her mom, but also not knowing who did this to her mom has been with her ever since.” — Stephanie Ramos [07:23]

• Sandy Preer: Suffered ongoing suspicion from the community and police, ultimately dying in 2017 without his name fully cleared (16:04).

3. Case Goes Cold, New Detectives Take Over

• Long Hiatus: Case remained unsolved for over 20 years.
• Breakthrough Team: In 2022, Detectives Tara Augustin and Allison Dupois, both mothers and veteran officers familiar with genetic genealogy, were assigned the case (10:34).
• Key Evidence: DNA found under Leslie’s fingernails—unknown male, not Sandy—preserved since 2001.

“They joined the Montgomery County Department…and they’re assigned to the cold case unit. As they’re looking through it, they realize, ‘We have the tools where we can figure out who did this.’” — Stephanie Ramos [10:34]

4. DNA Technology & Genetic Genealogy

• Genetic Genealogy: In 2022, technological advancements allowed detectives to use DNA to identify a suspect family in Romania, and narrow down to a man named Eugene Glegor (11:36, 11:54).
• Sting Operation: Police obtained Glegor’s DNA from a discarded water bottle, matching it to the crime scene.

“What they used in 2022 was genetic genealogy to find the name Caligor, to find this distant relative, which happened to be in Romania.” — Stephanie Ramos [11:57]

5. The Interrogation and Arrest

• Identity of the Killer: Eugene Glegor, Lauren Preer’s ex-boyfriend, who had once been “welcomed into the family,” was charged and later convicted (14:13).

• Police Interrogation: Detectives confronted Glegor, who displayed odd behavior, claiming "dryness" instead of tears and vague, inconsistent recollections (13:01).

• Notable Interrogation Moment:

  • Detective: “There’s no tears coming out of your face.”
  • Glegor: “I’m very dry right now…partially dehydrated.” [13:01–13:07]

• Glegor’s Excuse: Claimed to have been intoxicated on drugs and alcohol, with no memory of the incident.

“He says he did. He doesn’t remember that morning. He says it’s an absolute blur because…he had been drinking the night before…possibly that morning as well, and doesn’t remember anything.” — Stephanie Ramos [14:38]

• Police Theory: Glegor entered the home intending to steal, was surprised to find Leslie, and killed her during the encounter (14:59, 15:01).

6. Aftermath & Family Impact

• Closure & Hollow Justice: Lauren now knows who killed her mother, but her father passed away still under suspicion, never seeing his name cleared (16:43).

“She’s still…I mean, obviously sad because she doesn’t have her mother with her, but is upset that her father wasn’t able to see this day.” — Stephanie Ramos [16:48]

• Emotional Toll: Lauren struggles with the reality that someone she once dated was the killer. She reportedly never witnessed any violent tendencies in him, making the revelation even more shocking (17:55).

“That’s the one question she will probably never, never get an answer to. Why?” — Stephanie Ramos [17:58]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Lauren describes learning of her mother's death:

  “My dad is like, talk. He was just talking, but everything was in slow motion…And then he goes, she's no longer with us anymore. I was like, what? And so I ran into my bedroom, and I screamed, like, scream. Screamed like what you hear on, like, the horror movies…And I said, I don't understand.” — Lauren Preer [06:01]

• Detective to Glegor during interrogation:

  “There’s no tears coming out of your face.” — Detective [13:01]
  “I’m very dry right now. I’m partially dehydrated.” — Eugene Glegor [13:04]

• On justice and lingering grief:

  “She just wanted to know why, and that's the one question she will probably never, never get an answer to.” — Stephanie Ramos [17:55]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Debra welcomes Stephanie and frames the case: [00:34–01:31]
• Initial investigation, family suspicion: [03:03–05:36]
• Lauren’s account of discovering her mother’s death: [06:01]
• Discussion of Sandy Preer’s alibi and under-suspicion: [07:37]
• Transition to cold case detectives and DNA breakthrough: [10:34]
• Genetic genealogy and the Romanian connection: [11:54]
• Interrogation of Eugene Glegor: [13:01]
• Police theory and Glegor’s conviction: [14:59–15:13]
• Impact on surviving family members: [16:04–17:55]

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Concluding Reflection

Stephanie Ramos’s investigation brings to light not only the crucial role advancements in forensic science now play in cracking cold cases, but also the profound, enduring wounds inflicted on victims’ families—especially when suspicion clouds innocent lives. Closure brought bittersweet relief for Lauren, mingled with grief for both parents and agonizing questions about betrayal and trust.

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For more: Listen to the original 20/20 episode “First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder” on your podcast feed, Hulu, or Disney+.

Transcript

[A]

This show is sponsored by Murder in the Heartland, a podcast from I D. Murder in the Heartland explores real crimes across small town America. Towns that might look a lot like your own. Every week, uncover shocking stories of murder and betrayal. From a suspicious hunting accident to a college student who disappears after her shift at the local bar. Hear from investigators, witnesses and family members as they share the chilling details behind each case. If you're interested in true crime with a small town twist, you might love this podcast. Listen to Murder in the Heartland wherever you get your podcasts.

[B]

Hi there everybody, I'm Debra Roberts and welcome to 2020, the After show where we pull back the curtains. Some of Our reporting at 2020 to give you a sense of what happens behind the scenes. And today we're gonna take you to an affluent Maryland suburb, Chevy Chase. And our story begins with a 50 year old married mom who, who fails to show up for work. Police would find her body on the second floor of her home in the shower. And this was a case that just went unsolved for 23 years until recently. And there were so many questions around this case. Well, of course we had to dive in. We focus on this story in 2020's episode called First Comes Love, Then comes Murder. And of course you can listen to it right here on your podcast feed or watch on Hulu and Disney. The correspondent in that story is Stephanie Ramos. Hello Stephanie.

[C]

Hello.

[B]

I thought I was the energizer bunny. Oh my gosh. You are on World News Tonight, you're on ABC News Live on Prime, you're on Nightline, and now you're on 2020. What was that like for you switching gears? Because doing these shorter stories is so different from an in depth two hour investigation.

[C]

Oh, absolutely. And as a national correspondent here at ABC News, I mean a lot of the work that I do is day of news coverage. So this is actually something that I had wanted to do for quite some time. Be part of a project, a long term project where you can really get into the details and sit down for these interviews and spend some time with the individuals that are really sharing their life story. So it was, it was great to be a part of this team and it's it. They brilliantly put together all of the pieces and it took several months but we were able to tell this, this what happened to Leslie Prier and, and speak to friends and family and just really get into it.

[B]

Well, to call your team brilliant. I gotta tell you, you're already scoring some points here in 2020 because you

[C]

know they do so Good.

[B]

They do a great job. Well, let's jump into this because Stephanie, this story I remember reading about in a couple of magazines and I thought, wow, that's very strange. Leslie Prier found murdered in the shower in her home. The shower is still going. And you know, it was just such a bizarre mystery. There are little CL there. But what was your first take when you heard about this story down in Maryland?

[C]

I found it fascinating that after so many years, more than two decades, these two detectives, these two women moms, just hard charging women, were able to put the pieces together. Of course there are a lot more technological advances now compared to in 2001 when this border took place. But just fascinated that there was justice at the end of this. Even though it was an unsolved case, a cold case for so long. Lauren Preer, who we spent a long amount of time with, her life was, was just turned upside down. The daughter of Leslie Prayer, just to see it all come together because these two women were assigned this case and they said, we're gonna, we're gonna help this, we're gonna help this family. We're gonna find out who did this,

[B]

we're gonna solve it. You know, I've done stories before with a pair of fema. It's always interesting. Sometimes the women's intuition might be a little bit different from some of their male detectives in the same department. And sometimes there's something there that they just can think of and see that others don't. Let's talk about Lauren Preyer. She was about 23 years old when this first happened. Obviously her world was turned upside down, shattered, very close to her mom. Investigators, as they often do, began looking at her father, Sandy Prior. They started looking suspiciously at him, but she was not having it. She defended both of her parents vigorously.

[C]

Oh, absolutely. I mean she, she told us that it crossed her mind that perhaps her father may have had something to do with it. But it, it. She did not think about that for long. She said her parents loved one another. And after giving it further thought, she said there's absolutely no way that her father could have hurt her mother. And like you said, she mentioned, and in officers mentioned that Sandy himself even said that there were some marital issues and in that Leslie had a problem with drinking and that also that that kind of became a point of frustration for him. But Lauren was confident that her dad would never do this to her mom. She was confident that, that he couldn't. Even after a year or so, when police sat down with Lauren and said, this is what we think happened. We think Sandy did this to your mother. Here's why, here's how. And we need to get it out of him. And she's. She can see her in that. In that interrogation room, just shaking her head. She's like, I just can't. I can't. She can't. She couldn't fathom it. And she was right all along.

[B]

Well, because also, too, the way. I mean, she was so brutally murdered. I mean, it was really kind of a brutal scene there. And for her to think that her father could have possibly done that, I can only imagine. Well, you spoke with her, and your interview was so moving. And we have a clip, actually, of her talking about the moment that she learned of her mom's death. Let's take a listen.

[D]

I looked out the window, and I saw a police car pull up, and I saw my dad and a police officer get out of the car. And I said, oh, God, what the hell's happening? My dad is like, talk. He was just talking, but everything was in slow motion. He's like, lap porn. Your mom's been in an accident, I think seeing, like, a bus accident, or she got in a car. Like, you know, I wasn't thinking the work that. And then he goes, she's no longer with us anymore. I was like, what? And so I ran into my bedroom, and he screamed, like, scream. Screamed like what you hear on, like, the horror movies. I get deep down in your stomach, scream. And I said, I don't understand.

[B]

And we should point out, too, that she lived just a few miles from her parents. I mean, she's in her 20s. I mean, she's recalling this. You can still hear the pain in her voice. How is she doing all these years later?

[C]

This really changed her life trajectory. I mean, you can hear in her interview and even spending several hours with her, you can tell that the emotion is still very raw, that her mother was her best friend. And I mean, you can imagine as a young woman, she's the only child. She didn't have any. She doesn't have any siblings. This. This changed her, and it traumatized her. And the weight of not only the loss of her mom, but also not knowing who did this to her mom has been with her ever since.

[B]

Her dad had been out shopping for a battery or something, and police thought it was a little strange, his whereabouts. Tell us a little bit about that.

[C]

Right. So the night before Leslie's murder, police say that Sandy had been out, and Sandy himself was reported saying that he went out the night before to. To buy something for a camera. He had been out for several hours. He went from store to store. And officers weren't really buying that. It seemed as though he was giving them some sort of an alibi of some sort that just didn't make sense. So officers, at this point when they're meeting with Lauren, they're under the impression that Sandy possibly found Leslie the night before she was killed with someone else, murdered her that night, and then police found her the next morning. But we know now that's not the case. That's not what happened.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. So that was really kind of the theory they were operating on. So this was years ago. Fast forward a few years later, two detectives pick up this case. When we come back, we're gonna talk about the evidence that led them to Leslie's killer. So don't go anywhere.

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[B]

of $45 for three months, $90 for six months, or $180 for a 12 month plan. Required $15 per month. Equivalent taxes and fees. Extra initial plan term only greater than 50 gigabytes. Me slow when network is busy. Welcome back to 20 20, the After Show. And I'm here with my colleague Stephanie Ramos, who reported on the case of Leslie Prey, a woman, a Maryland woman who was found dead in her shower. And a case that went unsolved for years. Stephanie, this happened in 2001. The case goes cold. And then in 2022, two new detectives are assigned to the case. Montgomery County Police Department detectives Tara Augustin and Allison Dupois. Things start to advance in the investigation. You talk to both of these detectives, and you know what I thought was so fascinating? You know, these are women who are very tough and fierce. They're both moms, but they had some instincts that were a little bit different that allowed them to go in some different directions.

[C]

Right. They had also worked with genetic genealogy in the past. They had taken some courses here and there. They were patrol officers. They moved through the ranks, were now detectives. They joined the Montgomery County Department, and they're assigned to the cold case unit. They're assigned this particular case, the Leslie Prier case. And as they're looking through it, they realize, we have the tools where we can figure out who did this. At the time at the crime scene, DNA was found underneath Leslie Prier's fingernails that had been sent to a private lab, kept all of these years. So they were able to.

[B]

And it was unknown DNA. It certainly was not her husband. And it certainly caused a little bit more of a mystery around this case.

[C]

Exactly. This is why they were never able to charge some Sandy Preer with the murder. That DNA, that unknown DNA, didn't match his. They had nothing on him. So these two detectives, they called Lauren Preyer and said, we're not making any promises, but we can promise you that we will try to find out who did this. We're gonna work on this. We're gonna open this up again.

[B]

And that's where the plot began to thicken. What is so fascinating in so many of our stories is DNA and where we've come now technologically, and how they are able to pinpoint. Now we're talking 20 plus years, and they are able to find this DNA and track it to a family in Romania.

[C]

Right. Things are so much more advanced now than in 2001. There were no ring cameras back then. There were really no cell phones. It was maybe a few people had cell phones, but it wasn't a common thing. But what they did have from the crime scene was unknown DNA. So what they used in 2022 was genetic genealogy to find the name Caligor, to find this distant relative, which happened to be in Romania.

[G]

Ah.

[B]

And that's where the mystery really just began to deepen. And then there's this kind of a sting operation, and they get some of his DNA from a water bottle. This thing actually takes him on speed big time. And it's just so shocking because who would have guessed an ex boyfriend of Leslie's daughter could be connected to this case? And then he apparently, when they start talking to him, he seems A little weak sort of crying. He seems a little confused. But they don't buy the motion there.

[C]

Not at all. And in the interrogation room, you can see these two detectives, Detectives Augustine and Detective dupois, and they are just talking to him straight.

[B]

Let's listen to a clip.

[E]

There's no tears coming out of your face.

[G]

I'm very dry right now.

[C]

You're dry?

[G]

I'm very dry. I'm partially dehydrated. You can probably see my eyes are bloodshot red because I'm just tired and drained. I don't know what's going on. You want me to drink water so I could hear.

[B]

I don't want you to tear. I just don't want you.

[G]

What are you trying to say?

[B]

I'm just trying to say that this seems a little put on. So they were talking to him, and he is telling police that he's dry. They don't really buy his story, and they think something is up during that interrogation. Right.

[C]

He's saying things like, I don't want to incriminate myself. I don't recall. He says, I'm dry because he's not shedding any tears. After some time where the detectives are saying, but you're.

[E]

Did.

[C]

You didn't. You're not saying you didn't do it. Then he starts to say, I didn't do it. I did. I didn't do this. But it took some time, which is odd.

[B]

And that was a. That was a red flag for them. Well, of course, Glegor is eventually charged, and then he would later claim in court that his violent actions toward Leslie were due to drugs and alcohol. And investigators talked to him. They talked to two ex wives. What exactly did they uncover about his past?

[C]

This was Lauren's ex boyfriend. And from what she told us is that he was welcomed into the prey family. He would come over for family dinners. He would go on vacation with them when. When Lauren and Eugene were dating. And he even in court, Eugene talked about how kind Leslie Pryor was to him in court. When we finally did hear from Eugene Glegor, he. He said he did. He doesn't remember that morning. He says it's an absolute blur because he was. He had been drinking the night before. He had been using drugs the night before, possibly that morning as well, and doesn't remember anything. Now, police, they believe that he went into the home because he was familiar with the home with the intent to steal.

[B]

And he was surprised to find Leslie.

[C]

Surprised to find Leslie shocked. Leslie recognizes him. He's now caught in the act. What does he do? If he was indeed under the influence, Maybe that's where that, that came from.

[B]

Glegor was eventually convicted in this murder and he was sentenced to 22 years in jail. We're gonna take one more break and when we come back, we wanna talk about the family. Stay with us.

[H]

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[B]

Welcome back to 20 20, the After show, and I'm here with my colleague, Stephanie Ramos. Stephanie, let's talk about the impact on this family. Because at the core of these stories, when we're telling them, we're always talking about families. These are lives that are ruptured. And this particular family certainly was, as you mentioned earlier, Sandy Prey. The husband here was considered a suspect for a while. Even though they didn't charge him, there was a cloud of suspicion over him. He died in 2017, and there was still questions. Many still wondered whether he had anything to do with the death of his wife over the years. This had a huge impact on him and as well as his daughter.

[C]

Oh, absolutely. And the one thing that, one thing that Lauren shared with me was that even though she has some sort of justice now, knowing who did this to her mother, she's still, I mean, obviously sad because she doesn't have her mother with her, but is upset that her father wasn't able to see this day. He passed away in 2017, and for that entire time, there was this cloud of suspicion over him. So this is how he lived his life. This is how Lauren lived her life, where there were issues in the family because they were blaming Sandy. So it affected the Prayer family significantly. But also Lauren's friends, she says they were there. They've been a part of this journey. And at the sentencing hearing, a lot of family members were there. They were in person on Zoom, and they give, they gave some really emotional impact statements. Just sharing what type of person Leslie was.

[B]

Yeah. And for Lauren, for her to be able to do that, but also to come face to face with the fact that she dated a man who would be a killer later in life. I mean, that had to just be horrific for her.

[C]

She just wanted to know why. And that's the one question she will probably never, never get an answer to. Why? And she, she discussed this with us. She just, she knew that Eugene had been welcomed into the family. He spent so much time with them. She just didn't know why he would do anything like this. And while they were together, I mean, they were together all the time during those high school years. And she says she never saw a violent side of him. She never saw him rage out. She never saw him in that light. So this all came as a shock to her.

[B]

Stephanie, it's a fascinating story and we just so appreciate your joining us on 2020, not only on the podcast but on the program.

[C]

I'm so excited. Deborah, thank you so much. And thanks to the 2020 team that

[B]

does it for us today on the after show. And Stephanie, it was really just a pleasure to have you here. Don't Forget to stream first comes Love, then comes Murder on Hulu and Disney Plus plus, along with all of our other 2020 stories. Thanks so much for being with us and you all take care. Have a good day.

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[I]

Three decades ago, a young woman named Angie Dodge is found brutally murdered in her bedroom in Idaho Falls.

[G]

It was probably the worst case I've ever seen. It is the one that sticks with me.

[I]

Police zero in on a suspect and put a man behind bars.

[G]

I don't know what the hell you guys want. Do you think we'd be wasting our time and wasting your time if we didn't think you're involved?

[I]

But as the years pass, doubts emerge about whether the real killer was ever caught. That's when Angie's own mother embarks on a decades long mission to uncover the truth.

[G]

23 years I've been trying to put this puzzle together and the sinner's missing. I've always been told the truth will come out. You can't hide the truth.

[I]

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