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[00:00]
Natalie Morales
Foreign. Welcome back to Postmortem. I'm CBS News correspondent Natalie Morales stepping in as host today to speak to 48 Hours correspondent Ann Marie Green about her report on Sean Doyle, who we know assaulted at least two known victims before murdering Lori Leonard back in 2005. One of the survivors, Cece Opanowski, has broken her decades long silence and she is telling her story publicly for the first time to 48 hours. Anne Marie, thanks so much for talking with us today.
[00:44]
Ann Marie Green
It's interesting to be on this other side of the microphone right now.
[00:47]
Natalie Morales
You're in the hot seat today.
[00:49]
Ann Marie Green
Yes.
[00:50]
Natalie Morales
I just wanna remind you to all of our listeners, if you haven't listened to the 48 Hours episode yet, you can find the full audio just below this episode in your podcast feed. Go take a listen, then come back and join us for our conversation. So, Anne Marie, this story is a little bit unusual in that we start with a survivor story instead of a murder. Can you tell us a little bit about that decision of starting with Cece Oponowski's story and how she survived that frightening attack by Doyle back in 1996 when she was just 18 years old?
[01:24]
Ann Marie Green
Nali, I don't know about you, but one of the questions that I always ask have when I watch true crime is, you know, I always want to know, well, how did we get here? How did this person end up like this? So here we had an opportunity to start from the very beginning. And a huge part of this story has to do with Sean Doyle's history of domestic violence. And we were lucky enough to have cece be willing to talk to us. She was his high school girlfriend. And we're able to paint this picture of how his pattern of violence got worse and worse and worse over the years. The challenge, I think a little bit is that normally we have, you know, one victim and the people who are impacted by them. In this case, we had three different victims with two victims who survive with different approaches to the trauma. And for cece, it took decades for her to feel strong enough to talk publicly about what happened to her. And having her come forward, I think was part of the reason why we thought we need to start with her. It seemed like the best way to tell this story was from the very beginning, which was with cece speaking of,
[02:40]
Natalie Morales
you know, how that attack took place. Let's talk about her friend Shannon, who was so instrumental, I mean, truly perhaps saved her life. So Shannon was calling cece over and over again and when, when cece wasn't picking up the alarm Bells were going off with her. Something wasn't right. And so then she finally gets through. CeCe answers the phone, and she hears Cece, you know, putting away the dishes in the dishwasher. But they're having this somewhat stilted conversation, it sounds like. And then. And she got to the point where she said, you know, is Sean there with you now? And Cece, you know, was able to tell her, yes, he is here now. I just wanted to know about their relationship now. I mean, are cece and Shannon still friends? Are they in touch?
[03:33]
Ann Marie Green
They are in touch again. Now, you've probably seen this before with some of the hours that you've worked on, that sometimes actually getting involved with the 48 hour story brings people back together, but they hadn't been talking for a while. I found Shannon so fascinating, and I could not understand how a teenager was so intuitive, because when she tells the story of that phone call, I mean, the cues are so subtle. I couldn't understand if she could pick this up. But I asked her over and over again, but how did you know? How did you know? How did you know something was going wrong? And then finally she said, well, I. I've seen this sort of thing within a. In a family member. And I was like, there you go. That's why it makes sen. If anyone else had been hanging out with cece that day, they might not have picked up on it. She was clued in on it because she knew the signs to look for.
[04:29]
Natalie Morales
So in the hour, CeCe talked about when the police did arrive at her house, she thought that she would then be protected from Doyle. Instead, she said she didn't feel safe because she said they put her in the backseat of that same squad car with Doyle. And then later, she said they questioned them together in the same room. I mean, how unusual was that back in 1996?
[04:54]
Ann Marie Green
I mean, I don't know how unusual it was back then. It seems stunning that, you know, law enforcement would do that from this vantage point. And certainly our producer spoke to the current police chief of the Hudson Falls Police Department, and he said, look, it sounds terrible. We would never do anything like that now, you know, we are trained. We know how to handle victims. And he was really, you know, sympathetic to what CeCe went through. And she just sort of felt like, you know, the officers then they kind of treated it like a lover's quarrel. They weren't taking it seriously. And she couldn't understand because she said, you know, like, she had bruises, her hair was cut. It was obvious that this wasn't a little sort of teenage spat. It was something much more serious. You know, decades ago. The way domestic violence was viewed was at times very different. Things have changed, thankfully, and everybody has
[05:49]
Natalie Morales
learned to treat domestic violence very seriously because we know how much these things can escalate, as it did in this case with Sean Doyle. Now, Cece didn't want to relive the trauma by testifying against Doyle, but he struck a deal and he received a sentence of three years probation. But then in 2000, Doyle violently attacked then 23 year old Sarah Vollmer.
[06:14]
Ann Marie Green
And it was, it was bad, Natalie. Like, you know, we have this archival footage. We can see the interview that she did with the local news station in Albany, and she's kind of relaying these facts, her experience, in a really matter of fact way. It sounded terrifying. She's in the bedroom. He ties her up. He uses duct tape. It is stunning that she survived. And this happens and her mother walks in the room and that's what, what ends this horrible violent assault.
[06:46]
Natalie Morales
Thank goodness her mom walked in at that time.
[06:49]
Ann Marie Green
Absolutely. Absolutely saved her life.
[06:51]
Natalie Morales
I'm curious then why Doyle was able to get yet another three years probation for that second attack. I know instead of facing a more serious sentence.
[07:02]
Ann Marie Green
So in terms of Doyle's charge, he was only charged with two misdemeanor assault and imprisonment charges. And basically, and I'm going to just kind of refer to my notes because I don't want to get it wr, the punishment guidelines are much, much less for these two charges. So in 2005, a local reporter by the name of Don Lehman, you saw him in the Hour. He asked the district attorney at the time, his name's Robert Wynn, you know, why these charges? He said that the allegations did not fit the criteria for more serious charges like felony assault or felony unlawful imprisonment. And without a felony charge, there wasn't much of a possibility, lengthy prison term. I can see you shaking your head, Natalie, because I, I know, I know.
[07:51]
Natalie Morales
To me it's like, you know, if the pattern of behavior is there, he's done this before, it's escalated. And had her mom not walked in when she did, Sarah Vollmer might not be here today. Thankfully, that's not the case.
[08:04]
Ann Marie Green
Absolutely. And when you see what he did with Sarah, you see that he was well on his way because he used some of the same techniques that, that he used with Lori.
[08:15]
Natalie Morales
Do authorities suspect, though, I mean, given that pattern, that Doyle perhaps had more victims than Laurie, Cece and Sarah?
[08:24]
Ann Marie Green
Do authorities suspect? They do. Do they have anyone who's willing to come forward. They don't.
[08:32]
Natalie Morales
As we learn in the hour, Sean Doyle's assaults, tragically would lead to murder. And when we get back, we're going to dig into Laurie Leonard's case and the lasting impact her death has had on both her family and CeCe. Stay tuned. Welcome back to postmortem. So let's talk about Lori Leonard's case. On May 5, 2005, Lori's sister Jennifer reported to police that Lori was missing after she failed to answer her phone all day. And she never returned home after saying that she was going to pick up Yankees tickets in Albany. Now, Laurie never ended up making it to Albany to pick up those tickets. Her body was discovered three months later in that toolbox floating in an upstate New York canal. Police were able to link Doyle to the crime from a key that was found in his car that matched that toolbox lock, as well as materials that were found in his home, including duct tape and the bandanas, like the ones that were used to bind and gag Laurie. Just horrific. Jennifer immediately suspected that Sean Doyle was involved, and that was Laurie's ex boyfriend at the time. But Doyle's friend Dorothy was absolutely convinced of his innocence. Why do you think she believed him?
[10:02]
Ann Marie Green
Look, I don't have a psychology degree or anything like that, but I think that it gives you a little hint as to sort of the charm that Sean Doyle could have when he needed to turn it on. There's obviously another side to Sean Doyle, Dorothy. And I really should pronounce her name Dorothy with a sort of a sound, because that's how she pronounced it.
[10:23]
Natalie Morales
It's the upstate New York.
[10:24]
Ann Marie Green
Yeah, 100%. Her husband, her ex husband now was friends with Sean Doyle. And so he would come around, they would, you know, hang out together. And then she took him under her wing, like kind of a maternal figure. You know, he would come in and ask her for advice on his love life, his. His family. She liked him. So, you know, she believed Sean Doyle until she didn't. And then when police reached out to her after Lori's body was found, I mean, this is a woman that just pays attention to detail. So she just gave them all the information she could remember. She feels absolutely terrible about the things that she yelled at Lori's family when they were in kind of the middle of town trying to get answers, trying to find her, she absolutely believed that Sean Doyle had nothing to do, and they were kind of besmirching his name, and she has lived with that guilt ever since. The defense did not have a lot to work with in this trial. But they did go after Dorothy. She says that she's got, you know, some intuition. She's got a gift. I don't know if we'd call her psychic, but there's something there. And they went after her about that. You know, the. The defense attorney said, so you're, you know, a self proclaimed psychic. And she said, well, I don't know if I would proclaim. And they said, well, what about these books about witchcraft that you have in your house? She said, I have a lot of books. But they tried to kind of, you know, characterize her as this wacky woman who just loves the spotlight, and that's why you're a part of this. But, man, she stood firm.
[12:08]
Natalie Morales
Key witness for the prosecution. Um, let's talk about, you know, some of the most poignant interviews that you did with Laurie's family, including her two sons. Just broke my heart watching those. They're now grown up, but of course, they still feel her loss very deeply. And Anne Marie, it's clear, I mean, it's almost 20 years later, but everyone you talked with in the Hour, everybody still feels the pain of losing Laurie.
[12:35]
Ann Marie Green
So these two young men, they are little kids. When Laurie is taken away from them. Austin's nine, Zachary's five. You can imagine the psychological burden that these kids are under. And, you know, they start to fight with each other. They're little kids. You know, Zachary will say, you know, I remember when mom did this. And Austin would be like, how can you remember? You were only five. You don't know mom. You don't know what she's like. And they have now, as adults, worked their way back to each other, and they're very grateful that they've rebuilt and continue to rebuild their relationship.
[13:15]
Natalie Morales
This is a single mom. So the loss of the central figure to those boys in their life at that young age and to grow up with those memories is just horrific to think about. I know how hard it is, and I know it was hard for you to report on this as well. It was emotional for you, right?
[13:34]
Ann Marie Green
When we talk about how emotional this was, this is the only story that I've ever worked on where everyone cried. Not just the victims. I mean, the police officers, the former district attorney. I mean, everyone teared up. And myself too. And it was unexpected because, you know, all of these stories are heartbreaking, right? But I think that I was just thinking exactly as you kind of just mentioned about these boys and how they miss their mom at this, like, tender age. And we're Both parents. So, you know, like, you go. You think about your own kid, and then it's just. It's waterworks.
[14:15]
Cece Opanowski
Oh, I know.
[14:16]
Natalie Morales
And I have two boys, so seeing those two, it just crushed me.
[14:20]
Ann Marie Green
You know, when they came to do the interview, of course they brought tons of pictures, and then they brought something that their grandmother had made for them. She took all of Lori's clothes and made two quilts for them.
[14:35]
Natalie Morales
Oh, beautiful.
[14:36]
Ann Marie Green
Yes. Including the, you know, the Yankees shirt, or. I don't know if it's a shirt or a jersey, but, you know, she was going to get those Yankees tickets. She was a huge Yankees fan, so including that. And gave each of the kids a quilt for them to kind of, like, cuddle up and remember their mother by, which I thought was such a great gift.
[14:55]
Natalie Morales
So sweet.
[14:56]
Ann Marie Green
Yes. And then the other thing I wanted to tell you about was Bruce Hamilton, who was the original detective on this case. Um, he died in 2014, so we could not talk to him. But he was so committed to solving this, and he was so committed to those boys. He had pictures of the boys in his office. He would call the family on a regular basis, and his commitment was almost infectious.
[15:24]
Natalie Morales
So let's talk about Laurie's nephew, Dustin. He was the one who helped her move into that house to start her life over again. I want to share a clip of Dustin, who really talks about how Laurie's murder impacted his life.
[15:43]
Ann Marie Green
How do you think the murder of your aunt impacted you? Did it change you?
[15:51]
Dustin
I'm sure it did. You hear stories, you know, that things like that are possible, but now you have to. Now you have to know it's real, and you have to look it in the eye. And, you know, just. It made it harder to. To kind of put trust into anybody. It made it hard to. To really love anybody because, you know that they. They be. They could be gone.
[16:13]
Ann Marie Green
So, you know, Natalie, I think that we're. We're both parents, and you kind of hope that there'll be an adult in your kid's life that is, like, parent adjacent. Right. So that's the kind of relationship that he had with his aunt. Like, Laurie was his kind of other parent. You know, he adored her, and so, you know, losing her was devastating.
[16:37]
Natalie Morales
He heard him say it made him hard to trust once again in his own life. And I think cece was deeply affected by that as well. Right. That level of trust disappeared for her. Let's talk about what. How important it was to hear her at the trial, because the prosecution fought to have both Cece and Sarah Bulmer testify at Doyle's trial to show that he had a history of abusing women. Now, the judge allowed for that in this case.
[17:06]
Ann Marie Green
There were so many similarities in the attacks that it was really kind of showing this is a pattern. So I think that was a big win for the prosecution to certainly have that opportunity. And, yeah, the prosecutor, you know, you heard him in the story, he said, we saved the best for last. And cece was kind of the final witness. The first witness was Lori's mom, who has since passed away. But CeCe brought it home. I mean, if you're a jury and they show you, you know, your early girlfriend, and that was your behavior back then when she broke up with you, that's kind of the lingering message that the prosecutor wanted the jury to sit with.
[17:45]
Natalie Morales
And did CeCe tell you what it was like to be in that courtroom to look at Doyle back? You know, seeing him sit across from her, look at him in the eye?
[17:53]
Ann Marie Green
You know, she had been scared before, and she was not scared. Cece said she really wanted to look at him. He looked completely different, you know, no, more like tough guy, bald head, bandana.
[18:05]
Natalie Morales
I think it was. Laurie's sister described him as choir boy. Right. I thought that was. So that was such a perfect description because he had the collared shirt and the. The blue sweater.
[18:14]
Ann Marie Green
Yeah, totally. And so, yeah, it was very empowering to. To sit in front of him and. And sit in front of him fearlessly.
[18:22]
Natalie Morales
On January 26, 2006, the jury found Doyle guilty of. Of second degree murder. He received the maximum sentence of 25 years to life with the possibility of parole. So I'm curious, why wasn't he found guilty of first degree murder? I mean, you know, they go for second degree instead of first degree.
[18:41]
Ann Marie Green
Yeah, it's. It's very interesting. So here's what I have learned about the state of New York when it comes to first degree murder. And you're right, first degree murder typically considers premeditation. The prosecution must prove that the defendant committed the murder with at least one of these factors. Yes, I'm reading this and a few examples of what an aggravating factor might be. The victim was a police officer. The murder was committed while the defendant was serving a life sentence, already imprisoned. The murder was committed for hire. The murder is committed in the course of another felony, like maybe robbing a bank. So it didn't quite fit the first degree murder charge, which, of course, was upsetting to Lori's family. You know, they said they wanted to see a Harsher penalty. They. They didn't want the possibility of parole. You know, the parole process begins in 2030, which is, like, really not that far away.
[19:40]
Natalie Morales
Not that far away. I know these. These are the stories. They're so hard to tell, but they're so important because, you know, if telling Cece's story can save one life from potentially a domestic violence attack, I'm sure she will feel good that she was able to come forward and tell her story. I want to play a clip from the show where CeCe talks about why she's speaking out now and what she hopes our audience will take away from hearing her story.
[20:08]
Cece Opanowski
Be vigilant. Look at what's happening in front of you and make sure someone. Someone knows, don't keep it quiet. Pay attention. And when you have that feeling, that one that doesn't go away, you know, the one that you try to push down, that's the one you should listen to the most.
[20:31]
Ann Marie Green
And she's spot on it. It pains me so much that she felt guilty for so long because she was just a kid. Yeah, how could she know? It totally changed the trajectory of her life. She left the college she was going to. She moved as far away as possible from New. She eventually ended up in California. You know, she went to law school because somebody suggested maybe she might like law. And then she just went. And she was good at it. And she's a successful entrepreneur now. But you can see the impact of this trauma today.
[21:06]
Natalie Morales
And I know it took so much courage for her to come forward. So we have to thank her for telling her story and telling it to us. And we should remind our listeners and our viewers if you or if someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline. That number is 1-800-799-7233. AnneMarie, wonderful reporting. Great to connect with you on this story. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.
[21:34]
Ann Marie Green
Thank you.
[21:38]
Natalie Morales
And if you like this series postmortem, please rate and review 48 hours on Apple Podcasts and follow 48 hours wherever you get your podcast. And you can also listen ad free with a 48 hours plus subscription on Apple Podcasts. Thank you for listening.
[22:00]
Narrator/Promotional Voice
The critically acclaimed series Colin from Accounts returns for a brand new season.
[22:04]
Natalie Morales
You proposed to me drunk out of nowhere at my best friend's wedding.
[22:08]
Ann Marie Green
I was being spontaneous.
[22:09]
Natalie Morales
You didn't have a ring. It was just. It was embarrassing.
[22:12]
Narrator/Promotional Voice
All episodes streaming September 10th.
[22:14]
Natalie Morales
Still will they, won't they?
[22:16]
Ann Marie Green
Who cares?
[22:17]
Dustin
But what is it?
[22:19]
Natalie Morales
We are together, Lee. We're friends. Lee together with a dog Colin from
[22:24]
Narrator/Promotional Voice
Accounts new season streaming September 10th only on Paramount Plus.

Summary6 min read

48 Hours: Post Mortem | Facing a Monster at Trial

Host: Natalie Morales (CBS News)
Guest: Anne-Marie Green (48 Hours Correspondent)
Date: August 11, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of "Post Mortem" brings listeners inside the investigation and trial of Sean Doyle, a violent offender whose escalating pattern of abuse ended in the murder of Lori Leonard in 2005. Hosted by Natalie Morales, with guest Anne-Marie Green, it explores how the tapestry of Sean Doyle’s crimes was slowly revealed, the impact on survivors and the bereaved, and the evolution of justice in domestic violence cases. The conversation shines a spotlight on survivor Cece Opanowski, who breaks her decades-long silence to share her story publicly, and examines both investigative missteps and the profound, enduring pain inflicted on victims and their families.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Starting With a Survivor’s Story

[00:49]

Unlike typical crime narratives that begin with the murder, this episode leads with the account of a survivor, Cece Opanowski, Doyle's high school girlfriend and first known victim.
- Anne-Marie Green:
  "It seemed like the best way to tell this story was from the very beginning, which was with Cece speaking." (01:24)
Cece’s reluctance to come forward for decades illustrates trauma’s long shadow.

2. The Night of the Attack – Intervention and Intuition

[02:40]

Cece’s friend Shannon was pivotal, sensing something was wrong from subtle cues during a phone call.
- Anne-Marie Green:
  "I found Shannon so fascinating...if anyone else had been hanging out with Cece that day, they might not have picked up on it. She was clued in on it because she knew the signs to look for." (03:32)

3. Law Enforcement’s Response – 1996 vs. Today

[04:29]

After Cece's attack, law enforcement treated her and Doyle as equals, even placing them together in the same squad car and interview room.
- Anne-Marie Green:
  "[Cece] just sort of felt like...they kind of treated it like a lover’s quarrel. They weren't taking it seriously...Decades ago, the way domestic violence was viewed was at times very different. Things have changed, thankfully." (04:53)
Hudson Falls police now recognize the mishandling and treat such cases with gravity.

4. Escalation of Doyle’s Violence and Lenient Sentencing

[05:48]

Cece’s refusal to testify led to Doyle receiving three years’ probation. In 2000, Doyle attacked Sarah Vollmer—again narrowly averted murder.
Though Doyle’s violence was evident, he was charged only with misdemeanors, leading to another probationary sentence.
- Anne-Marie Green:
  "...without a felony charge, there wasn’t much of a possibility, lengthy prison term." (07:01)

5. Missed Warnings and "What-Ifs"

[08:03]

Sarah’s mother interrupted Doyle’s assault in 2000, saving Sarah’s life; had she not, Doyle would likely have killed.
There’s suspicion of further unknown victims, although no others have come forward.

6. Lori Leonard's Murder – Clues and Suspicions

[08:31]

Lori went missing after planning to pick up Yankees tickets. Her body was found months later in a canal, evidence linking Doyle directly to the crime.
Family immediately suspected Doyle; however, others (like his friend Dorothy) initially defended him fueled by his manipulative charm.
- Anne-Marie Green:
  "...she believed Sean Doyle until she didn't." (10:24)
Dorothy later provided crucial information to the investigation, despite being disparaged by the defense in court.

7. Grief and Intergenerational Trauma

[12:07]

Interviews with Lori's sons, Austin and Zachary, vividly illustrate the sorrows and ruptures left by her loss.
- Anne-Marie Green:
  "They are little kids when Laurie is taken away...they have now, as adults, worked their way back to each other, and they’re very grateful..." (12:34)
Emotional toll extended to every interviewee—family, law enforcement, prosecutors, and reporters.

8. The Power and Pain of Memory

[14:15]

Grandmother’s act of making quilts from Lori’s clothes as keepsakes for her sons is especially poignant.
Detective Bruce Hamilton’s unwavering devotion to solving the case and supporting the family is honored, even after his passing.

9. Extended Impact on Other Family Members

[15:24]

Lori’s nephew Dustin describes how her murder made it hard to trust or love others:
- Dustin:
  "[I]t made it hard to kind of put trust into anybody. It made it hard to really love anybody because...they could be gone." (15:51)

10. The Trial: Patterns, Justice, and Closure

[16:37]

Prosecutors successfully argued for Cece and Sarah’s testimony to establish Doyle’s pattern of violence.
- Anne-Marie Green:
  "...the prosecutor, you know, you heard him in the story, he said, we saved the best for last. And Cece was kind of the final witness." (17:06)
Cece faced Doyle in court without fear—a reclamation of power.
- Anne-Marie Green:
  "She had been scared before, and she was not scared." (17:53)
Lori’s family wanted a first-degree murder conviction, but state law limited the charge to second-degree, carrying a 25-year sentence with parole eligibility in 2030.

11. Survivor’s Message and the Weight of Guilt

[20:07]

Cece’s statement to listeners underscores vigilance and the importance of trusting one’s intuition:
- Cece Opanowski:
  "Be vigilant. Look at what's happening in front of you and make sure someone knows...That one [feeling] you try to push down, that's the one you should listen to the most." (20:07)
Despite her success today, Cece’s life was profoundly detoured by trauma and guilt, leading her to move away and start anew.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

"It seemed like the best way to tell this story was from the very beginning, which was with Cece speaking." – Anne-Marie Green (01:24)
"She was clued in on it because she knew the signs to look for." – Anne-Marie Green on Shannon's intervention (03:32)
"They kind of treated it like a lover’s quarrel. They weren't taking it seriously." – Anne-Marie Green (04:53)
“Had her mom not walked in when she did, Sarah Vollmer might not be here today.” – Natalie Morales (07:50)
“She believed Sean Doyle until she didn't.” – Anne-Marie Green on Dorothy (10:24)
"They are little kids when Laurie is taken away from them...they’re very grateful that they’ve rebuilt and continue to rebuild their relationship." – Anne-Marie Green (12:34)
"She had been scared before, and she was not scared." – Anne-Marie Green on Cece facing Doyle in court (17:53)
"If telling Cece's story can save one life...I'm sure she will feel good that she was able to come forward." – Natalie Morales (19:39)
"Be vigilant...That one [feeling] you try to push down, that's the one you should listen to the most." – Cece Opanowski (20:07)

Important Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Topic | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | 00:49 | Decision to begin with survivor Cece’s story | | 03:32 | Shannon’s intuition and rescue | | 04:53 | 1996 police response and systemic failures | | 06:14 | Sarah Vollmer’s attack and survival | | 08:31 | Discovery of Lori Leonard’s body & evidence against Doyle | | 12:07 | Lori’s family—impact on her sons | | 15:24 | Nephew Dustin’s perspective | | 16:37 | Testimonies at trial—establishing Doyle’s patterns | | 17:53 | Cece’s experience in the courtroom | | 18:41 | Sentencing and legal limitations | | 20:07 | Cece’s message to survivors and listeners |

The Tone

Personal, raw, and empathetic, the episode’s tone reflects both the horror of Doyle’s crimes and the resilience of survivors and bereaved families. Interviews are intimate; emotions unguarded. The correspondents emphasize gratitude and respect for those who shared painful memories and highlight the necessity of storytelling for prevention and healing.

Takeaway Message

The legacy of domestic violence crimes like those committed by Sean Doyle resonates far beyond their immediate brutality, affecting generations and entire communities. By bringing survivor voices to the forefront and scrutinizing past investigational failures, "48 Hours" aims to raise awareness, inspire vigilance, and contribute to a more just and compassionate system.

Loading summary

Transcript63 lines

[00:00]
Natalie Morales
Foreign. Welcome back to Postmortem. I'm CBS News correspondent Natalie Morales stepping in as host today to speak to 48 Hours correspondent Ann Marie Green about her report on Sean Doyle, who we know assaulted at least two known victims before murdering Lori Leonard back in 2005. One of the survivors, Cece Opanowski, has broken her decades long silence and she is telling her story publicly for the first time to 48 hours. Anne Marie, thanks so much for talking with us today.
[00:44]
Ann Marie Green
It's interesting to be on this other side of the microphone right now.
[00:47]
Natalie Morales
You're in the hot seat today.
[00:49]
Ann Marie Green
Yes.
[00:50]
Natalie Morales
I just wanna remind you to all of our listeners, if you haven't listened to the 48 Hours episode yet, you can find the full audio just below this episode in your podcast feed. Go take a listen, then come back and join us for our conversation. So, Anne Marie, this story is a little bit unusual in that we start with a survivor story instead of a murder. Can you tell us a little bit about that decision of starting with Cece Oponowski's story and how she survived that frightening attack by Doyle back in 1996 when she was just 18 years old?
[01:24]
Ann Marie Green
Nali, I don't know about you, but one of the questions that I always ask have when I watch true crime is, you know, I always want to know, well, how did we get here? How did this person end up like this? So here we had an opportunity to start from the very beginning. And a huge part of this story has to do with Sean Doyle's history of domestic violence. And we were lucky enough to have cece be willing to talk to us. She was his high school girlfriend. And we're able to paint this picture of how his pattern of violence got worse and worse and worse over the years. The challenge, I think a little bit is that normally we have, you know, one victim and the people who are impacted by them. In this case, we had three different victims with two victims who survive with different approaches to the trauma. And for cece, it took decades for her to feel strong enough to talk publicly about what happened to her. And having her come forward, I think was part of the reason why we thought we need to start with her. It seemed like the best way to tell this story was from the very beginning, which was with cece speaking of,
[02:40]
Natalie Morales
you know, how that attack took place. Let's talk about her friend Shannon, who was so instrumental, I mean, truly perhaps saved her life. So Shannon was calling cece over and over again and when, when cece wasn't picking up the alarm Bells were going off with her. Something wasn't right. And so then she finally gets through. CeCe answers the phone, and she hears Cece, you know, putting away the dishes in the dishwasher. But they're having this somewhat stilted conversation, it sounds like. And then. And she got to the point where she said, you know, is Sean there with you now? And Cece, you know, was able to tell her, yes, he is here now. I just wanted to know about their relationship now. I mean, are cece and Shannon still friends? Are they in touch?
[03:33]
Ann Marie Green
They are in touch again. Now, you've probably seen this before with some of the hours that you've worked on, that sometimes actually getting involved with the 48 hour story brings people back together, but they hadn't been talking for a while. I found Shannon so fascinating, and I could not understand how a teenager was so intuitive, because when she tells the story of that phone call, I mean, the cues are so subtle. I couldn't understand if she could pick this up. But I asked her over and over again, but how did you know? How did you know? How did you know something was going wrong? And then finally she said, well, I. I've seen this sort of thing within a. In a family member. And I was like, there you go. That's why it makes sen. If anyone else had been hanging out with cece that day, they might not have picked up on it. She was clued in on it because she knew the signs to look for.
[04:29]
Natalie Morales
So in the hour, CeCe talked about when the police did arrive at her house, she thought that she would then be protected from Doyle. Instead, she said she didn't feel safe because she said they put her in the backseat of that same squad car with Doyle. And then later, she said they questioned them together in the same room. I mean, how unusual was that back in 1996?
[04:54]
Ann Marie Green
I mean, I don't know how unusual it was back then. It seems stunning that, you know, law enforcement would do that from this vantage point. And certainly our producer spoke to the current police chief of the Hudson Falls Police Department, and he said, look, it sounds terrible. We would never do anything like that now, you know, we are trained. We know how to handle victims. And he was really, you know, sympathetic to what CeCe went through. And she just sort of felt like, you know, the officers then they kind of treated it like a lover's quarrel. They weren't taking it seriously. And she couldn't understand because she said, you know, like, she had bruises, her hair was cut. It was obvious that this wasn't a little sort of teenage spat. It was something much more serious. You know, decades ago. The way domestic violence was viewed was at times very different. Things have changed, thankfully, and everybody has
[05:49]
Natalie Morales
learned to treat domestic violence very seriously because we know how much these things can escalate, as it did in this case with Sean Doyle. Now, Cece didn't want to relive the trauma by testifying against Doyle, but he struck a deal and he received a sentence of three years probation. But then in 2000, Doyle violently attacked then 23 year old Sarah Vollmer.
[06:14]
Ann Marie Green
And it was, it was bad, Natalie. Like, you know, we have this archival footage. We can see the interview that she did with the local news station in Albany, and she's kind of relaying these facts, her experience, in a really matter of fact way. It sounded terrifying. She's in the bedroom. He ties her up. He uses duct tape. It is stunning that she survived. And this happens and her mother walks in the room and that's what, what ends this horrible violent assault.
[06:46]
Natalie Morales
Thank goodness her mom walked in at that time.
[06:49]
Ann Marie Green
Absolutely. Absolutely saved her life.
[06:51]
Natalie Morales
I'm curious then why Doyle was able to get yet another three years probation for that second attack. I know instead of facing a more serious sentence.
[07:02]
Ann Marie Green
So in terms of Doyle's charge, he was only charged with two misdemeanor assault and imprisonment charges. And basically, and I'm going to just kind of refer to my notes because I don't want to get it wr, the punishment guidelines are much, much less for these two charges. So in 2005, a local reporter by the name of Don Lehman, you saw him in the Hour. He asked the district attorney at the time, his name's Robert Wynn, you know, why these charges? He said that the allegations did not fit the criteria for more serious charges like felony assault or felony unlawful imprisonment. And without a felony charge, there wasn't much of a possibility, lengthy prison term. I can see you shaking your head, Natalie, because I, I know, I know.
[07:51]
Natalie Morales
To me it's like, you know, if the pattern of behavior is there, he's done this before, it's escalated. And had her mom not walked in when she did, Sarah Vollmer might not be here today. Thankfully, that's not the case.
[08:04]
Ann Marie Green
Absolutely. And when you see what he did with Sarah, you see that he was well on his way because he used some of the same techniques that, that he used with Lori.
[08:15]
Natalie Morales
Do authorities suspect, though, I mean, given that pattern, that Doyle perhaps had more victims than Laurie, Cece and Sarah?
[08:24]
Ann Marie Green
Do authorities suspect? They do. Do they have anyone who's willing to come forward. They don't.
[08:32]
Natalie Morales
As we learn in the hour, Sean Doyle's assaults, tragically would lead to murder. And when we get back, we're going to dig into Laurie Leonard's case and the lasting impact her death has had on both her family and CeCe. Stay tuned. Welcome back to postmortem. So let's talk about Lori Leonard's case. On May 5, 2005, Lori's sister Jennifer reported to police that Lori was missing after she failed to answer her phone all day. And she never returned home after saying that she was going to pick up Yankees tickets in Albany. Now, Laurie never ended up making it to Albany to pick up those tickets. Her body was discovered three months later in that toolbox floating in an upstate New York canal. Police were able to link Doyle to the crime from a key that was found in his car that matched that toolbox lock, as well as materials that were found in his home, including duct tape and the bandanas, like the ones that were used to bind and gag Laurie. Just horrific. Jennifer immediately suspected that Sean Doyle was involved, and that was Laurie's ex boyfriend at the time. But Doyle's friend Dorothy was absolutely convinced of his innocence. Why do you think she believed him?
[10:02]
Ann Marie Green
Look, I don't have a psychology degree or anything like that, but I think that it gives you a little hint as to sort of the charm that Sean Doyle could have when he needed to turn it on. There's obviously another side to Sean Doyle, Dorothy. And I really should pronounce her name Dorothy with a sort of a sound, because that's how she pronounced it.
[10:23]
Natalie Morales
It's the upstate New York.
[10:24]
Ann Marie Green
Yeah, 100%. Her husband, her ex husband now was friends with Sean Doyle. And so he would come around, they would, you know, hang out together. And then she took him under her wing, like kind of a maternal figure. You know, he would come in and ask her for advice on his love life, his. His family. She liked him. So, you know, she believed Sean Doyle until she didn't. And then when police reached out to her after Lori's body was found, I mean, this is a woman that just pays attention to detail. So she just gave them all the information she could remember. She feels absolutely terrible about the things that she yelled at Lori's family when they were in kind of the middle of town trying to get answers, trying to find her, she absolutely believed that Sean Doyle had nothing to do, and they were kind of besmirching his name, and she has lived with that guilt ever since. The defense did not have a lot to work with in this trial. But they did go after Dorothy. She says that she's got, you know, some intuition. She's got a gift. I don't know if we'd call her psychic, but there's something there. And they went after her about that. You know, the. The defense attorney said, so you're, you know, a self proclaimed psychic. And she said, well, I don't know if I would proclaim. And they said, well, what about these books about witchcraft that you have in your house? She said, I have a lot of books. But they tried to kind of, you know, characterize her as this wacky woman who just loves the spotlight, and that's why you're a part of this. But, man, she stood firm.
[12:08]
Natalie Morales
Key witness for the prosecution. Um, let's talk about, you know, some of the most poignant interviews that you did with Laurie's family, including her two sons. Just broke my heart watching those. They're now grown up, but of course, they still feel her loss very deeply. And Anne Marie, it's clear, I mean, it's almost 20 years later, but everyone you talked with in the Hour, everybody still feels the pain of losing Laurie.
[12:35]
Ann Marie Green
So these two young men, they are little kids. When Laurie is taken away from them. Austin's nine, Zachary's five. You can imagine the psychological burden that these kids are under. And, you know, they start to fight with each other. They're little kids. You know, Zachary will say, you know, I remember when mom did this. And Austin would be like, how can you remember? You were only five. You don't know mom. You don't know what she's like. And they have now, as adults, worked their way back to each other, and they're very grateful that they've rebuilt and continue to rebuild their relationship.
[13:15]
Natalie Morales
This is a single mom. So the loss of the central figure to those boys in their life at that young age and to grow up with those memories is just horrific to think about. I know how hard it is, and I know it was hard for you to report on this as well. It was emotional for you, right?
[13:34]
Ann Marie Green
When we talk about how emotional this was, this is the only story that I've ever worked on where everyone cried. Not just the victims. I mean, the police officers, the former district attorney. I mean, everyone teared up. And myself too. And it was unexpected because, you know, all of these stories are heartbreaking, right? But I think that I was just thinking exactly as you kind of just mentioned about these boys and how they miss their mom at this, like, tender age. And we're Both parents. So, you know, like, you go. You think about your own kid, and then it's just. It's waterworks.
[14:15]
Cece Opanowski
Oh, I know.
[14:16]
Natalie Morales
And I have two boys, so seeing those two, it just crushed me.
[14:20]
Ann Marie Green
You know, when they came to do the interview, of course they brought tons of pictures, and then they brought something that their grandmother had made for them. She took all of Lori's clothes and made two quilts for them.
[14:35]
Natalie Morales
Oh, beautiful.
[14:36]
Ann Marie Green
Yes. Including the, you know, the Yankees shirt, or. I don't know if it's a shirt or a jersey, but, you know, she was going to get those Yankees tickets. She was a huge Yankees fan, so including that. And gave each of the kids a quilt for them to kind of, like, cuddle up and remember their mother by, which I thought was such a great gift.
[14:55]
Natalie Morales
So sweet.
[14:56]
Ann Marie Green
Yes. And then the other thing I wanted to tell you about was Bruce Hamilton, who was the original detective on this case. Um, he died in 2014, so we could not talk to him. But he was so committed to solving this, and he was so committed to those boys. He had pictures of the boys in his office. He would call the family on a regular basis, and his commitment was almost infectious.
[15:24]
Natalie Morales
So let's talk about Laurie's nephew, Dustin. He was the one who helped her move into that house to start her life over again. I want to share a clip of Dustin, who really talks about how Laurie's murder impacted his life.
[15:43]
Ann Marie Green
How do you think the murder of your aunt impacted you? Did it change you?
[15:51]
Dustin
I'm sure it did. You hear stories, you know, that things like that are possible, but now you have to. Now you have to know it's real, and you have to look it in the eye. And, you know, just. It made it harder to. To kind of put trust into anybody. It made it hard to. To really love anybody because, you know that they. They be. They could be gone.
[16:13]
Ann Marie Green
So, you know, Natalie, I think that we're. We're both parents, and you kind of hope that there'll be an adult in your kid's life that is, like, parent adjacent. Right. So that's the kind of relationship that he had with his aunt. Like, Laurie was his kind of other parent. You know, he adored her, and so, you know, losing her was devastating.
[16:37]
Natalie Morales
He heard him say it made him hard to trust once again in his own life. And I think cece was deeply affected by that as well. Right. That level of trust disappeared for her. Let's talk about what. How important it was to hear her at the trial, because the prosecution fought to have both Cece and Sarah Bulmer testify at Doyle's trial to show that he had a history of abusing women. Now, the judge allowed for that in this case.
[17:06]
Ann Marie Green
There were so many similarities in the attacks that it was really kind of showing this is a pattern. So I think that was a big win for the prosecution to certainly have that opportunity. And, yeah, the prosecutor, you know, you heard him in the story, he said, we saved the best for last. And cece was kind of the final witness. The first witness was Lori's mom, who has since passed away. But CeCe brought it home. I mean, if you're a jury and they show you, you know, your early girlfriend, and that was your behavior back then when she broke up with you, that's kind of the lingering message that the prosecutor wanted the jury to sit with.
[17:45]
Natalie Morales
And did CeCe tell you what it was like to be in that courtroom to look at Doyle back? You know, seeing him sit across from her, look at him in the eye?
[17:53]
Ann Marie Green
You know, she had been scared before, and she was not scared. Cece said she really wanted to look at him. He looked completely different, you know, no, more like tough guy, bald head, bandana.
[18:05]
Natalie Morales
I think it was. Laurie's sister described him as choir boy. Right. I thought that was. So that was such a perfect description because he had the collared shirt and the. The blue sweater.
[18:14]
Ann Marie Green
Yeah, totally. And so, yeah, it was very empowering to. To sit in front of him and. And sit in front of him fearlessly.
[18:22]
Natalie Morales
On January 26, 2006, the jury found Doyle guilty of. Of second degree murder. He received the maximum sentence of 25 years to life with the possibility of parole. So I'm curious, why wasn't he found guilty of first degree murder? I mean, you know, they go for second degree instead of first degree.
[18:41]
Ann Marie Green
Yeah, it's. It's very interesting. So here's what I have learned about the state of New York when it comes to first degree murder. And you're right, first degree murder typically considers premeditation. The prosecution must prove that the defendant committed the murder with at least one of these factors. Yes, I'm reading this and a few examples of what an aggravating factor might be. The victim was a police officer. The murder was committed while the defendant was serving a life sentence, already imprisoned. The murder was committed for hire. The murder is committed in the course of another felony, like maybe robbing a bank. So it didn't quite fit the first degree murder charge, which, of course, was upsetting to Lori's family. You know, they said they wanted to see a Harsher penalty. They. They didn't want the possibility of parole. You know, the parole process begins in 2030, which is, like, really not that far away.
[19:40]
Natalie Morales
Not that far away. I know these. These are the stories. They're so hard to tell, but they're so important because, you know, if telling Cece's story can save one life from potentially a domestic violence attack, I'm sure she will feel good that she was able to come forward and tell her story. I want to play a clip from the show where CeCe talks about why she's speaking out now and what she hopes our audience will take away from hearing her story.
[20:08]
Cece Opanowski
Be vigilant. Look at what's happening in front of you and make sure someone. Someone knows, don't keep it quiet. Pay attention. And when you have that feeling, that one that doesn't go away, you know, the one that you try to push down, that's the one you should listen to the most.
[20:31]
Ann Marie Green
And she's spot on it. It pains me so much that she felt guilty for so long because she was just a kid. Yeah, how could she know? It totally changed the trajectory of her life. She left the college she was going to. She moved as far away as possible from New. She eventually ended up in California. You know, she went to law school because somebody suggested maybe she might like law. And then she just went. And she was good at it. And she's a successful entrepreneur now. But you can see the impact of this trauma today.
[21:06]
Natalie Morales
And I know it took so much courage for her to come forward. So we have to thank her for telling her story and telling it to us. And we should remind our listeners and our viewers if you or if someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline. That number is 1-800-799-7233. AnneMarie, wonderful reporting. Great to connect with you on this story. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.
[21:34]
Ann Marie Green
Thank you.
[21:38]
Natalie Morales
And if you like this series postmortem, please rate and review 48 hours on Apple Podcasts and follow 48 hours wherever you get your podcast. And you can also listen ad free with a 48 hours plus subscription on Apple Podcasts. Thank you for listening.
[22:00]
Narrator/Promotional Voice
The critically acclaimed series Colin from Accounts returns for a brand new season.
[22:04]
Natalie Morales
You proposed to me drunk out of nowhere at my best friend's wedding.
[22:08]
Ann Marie Green
I was being spontaneous.
[22:09]
Natalie Morales
You didn't have a ring. It was just. It was embarrassing.
[22:12]
Narrator/Promotional Voice
All episodes streaming September 10th.
[22:14]
Natalie Morales
Still will they, won't they?
[22:16]
Ann Marie Green
Who cares?
[22:17]
Dustin
But what is it?
[22:19]
Natalie Morales
We are together, Lee. We're friends. Lee together with a dog Colin from
[22:24]
Narrator/Promotional Voice
Accounts new season streaming September 10th only on Paramount Plus.