ENDING a romantic relationship can be difficult, but for Larene Austin’s ex-girlfriend, LaNell Barsock, it turned out to be deadly.
LaNell Barsock’s tragic death, the woman who killed her, and the man who was framed for her murder are the subjects of a true crimeDateline episode, The Breakup, airing on Friday, June 14, at 10 pm ET.
Where is Larene Austin now?
Larene Austin met LaNell Barsock using the personal ads section of Craigslist.
The duo’s friendship eventually evolved into a romantic connection, and they started dating.
All was well until Barsock broke things off with Austin, wanting to rekindle a relationship with her ex-boyfriend.
On June 16, 2010, Austin entered the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, covered in blood.
She told detectives that she had entered Barsock’s garage and slipped on “something wet,” as reported by NBC.
When detectives reached the scene of the crime, they found Barsock’s lifeless body.
She was laying facedown with a black plastic bag over her head, and a gunshot wound in the back of her head.
Louis Bonheur, Barsock’s boyfriend, became the prime suspect in her killing.
However, police quickly realized that the case was far more sinister than it seemed – and zeroed in on Austin, who had tried to frame Bonheur for murder.
Once Bonheur was cleared of any involvement in Barsock’s death, Austin quickly fled the country, traveling to Belize to try and escape her fate.
When was Austin sentenced for Lanell Barsock’s murder?
Larene Austin’s case went to trial in the summer of 2015.
On August 14, 2015, a jury found Austin guilty of first-degree murder.
In addition to court testimony, “DNA and other forensic evidence” linking Austin to the murder of Lanell Barsock was presented throughout the 21-day trial, as reported by CBS News.
On August 26, 2015, Austin received two consecutive 25-year-to-life prison sentences.
In November 2017, a California appeals court panel upheld Austin’s conviction.
She is currently serving her 50-year-to-life term in a California state prison.
How was Austin caught?
The truth is often stranger than fiction, especially when it comes to true crime.
In 2011, Austin was living in Punta Gorda, Toledo District, hiding out from authorities.
Then, the unthinkable happened: an episode of America’s Most Wanted aired internationally, featuring Austin and her then-alleged involvement in Barsock’s murder.
Local police received a tip about Austin’s whereabouts, and quickly went to work.
“Once we vetted the tips and confirmed she was out of the country, we got in touch with the FBI,” said L.A. Sheriff’s Detective, Bob Kenny, as reported by Amandala News.
“Over the following two months or so, the FBI partnered with Belizean authorities to bring Austin down,” Kenny added.
In January 2012, Austin was arrested in Punta Gorda.
On January 26, 2012, she was flown from Belize to Houston, and “handed over to homicide investigators,” before going on trial for murder.