Murder of Lauren Giddings
LocationMacon, Georgia, U.S.
DateJune 26, 2011 (2011-06-26)
c. 4:30 a.m. (EST)
Attack type
Murder by strangulation, dismemberment, home invasion
PerpetratorStephen Mark McDaniel
VerdictPleaded guilty
ConvictionsFelony murder
SentenceLife imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 30 years

Lauren Teresa Giddings (April 18, 1984 – June 26, 2011)[1] was an American woman who was murdered by Stephen Mark McDaniel (born 1985) on June 26, 2011, in Macon, Georgia, United States. Giddings was a recent graduate of Mercer Law School. McDaniel pleaded guilty in 2014, and was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.[2]

Murder

McDaniel and Giddings lived in neighboring apartments and were former classmates at Mercer University.[3] According to McDaniel, at 4:30 a.m. on Sunday June 26, 2011, he used a master key to gain access to Giddings' apartment. Wearing a mask and gloves, McDaniel strangled her to death with his hands in her bedroom. The next day, he dismembered her body in the bathroom with a hacksaw. Most of Giddings' remains were discarded in a dumpster on campus. However, her torso was thrown in a trashcan outside the apartment complex.[4]

Investigation

Giddings was reported missing on June 30,[2] and her torso was subsequently discovered.[5] That day, McDaniel did an interview with WGXA, claiming to be a concerned friend of Giddings. During the interview he learned that the torso had been recovered.[2]

On July 1, McDaniel voluntarily went to the police office to give a statement about Giddings. His interrogation lasted over 12 hours and his apartment was searched. He was placed in jail on July 2, where he would remain for the next month.[6] In August, McDaniel was charged with murder. Investigators had linked several pieces of evidence to him, including the hacksaw he used to dismember the body.[4]

The rest of Giddings' remains have never been found.[4]

Aftermath

In 2014, McDaniel accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to murder. His deal required him to describe his account of the murder, and in exchange, he would avoid the death penalty. The judge also dismissed additional charges discovered during the investigation, including one count of burglary and 30 counts of sexual exploitation of children. He will be eligible for parole in 2041.[4]

In 2018, McDaniel's father, Mark McDaniel, started a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for the legal expenses needed for an appeal. The page was promptly taken down.[7] Stephen McDaniel represented himself in court while arguing for a retrial in 2018. He stated that his constitutional rights were violated as he was not medically cleared before giving consent for searches, his legal research was intercepted by the district attorney, and his attorneys did not adequately represent him.[8] He also filed a malpractice complaint against his former attorney.[9] The judge denied the appeal.[10]

On May 30, 2022, another habeas corpus petition was filed by McDaniel claiming documents from defense trial preparations were stolen by the district attorney. In his petition, he requested his conviction be overturned and he be released from prison.[11]

As of January 8, 2023, McDaniel is incarcerated at Hancock State Prison in Hancock County, Georgia.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Lauren Giddings Obituary - Macon, GA". Dignity Memorial. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  2. 1 2 3 Wise, Erin (23 June 2021). "The girl next door: Lauren Giddings' family remembers her 10 years after brutal murder". WGXA. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  3. ↑ "Ga. man pleads guilty to strangling, dismembering woman". CBS News. 23 April 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Lavoie, Luke (21 April 2014). "Georgia man pleads guilty, sentenced to life in murder of North Laurel's Giddings". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  5. ↑ Leibowitz, Barry (3 August 2011). "Classmate of Lauren Giddings, Ga. law school grad, charged with her murder". CBS News. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  6. ↑ Womack, Amy Leigh; Kovac Jr., Joe. "The Killer Wouldn't Crack". Macon Telegraph. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016.
  7. ↑ Perez, Chris (26 July 2018). "GoFundMe page seeking 'justice' for confessed killer gets removed". New York Post. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  8. ↑ "UPDATE: Stephen McDaniel's former attorney believed he was innocent until his confession". WMAZ. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  9. ↑ Jones, Tavares (26 April 2018). "Convicted murderer of Mercer Law student files malpractice complaint against attorney". WGXA. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  10. ↑ "Lauren Giddings' killer files federal appeal claiming prosecutors stole documents". WMAZ. 7 June 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  11. ↑ Coates, Shelby (8 June 2022). "Stephen McDaniel petitions court to vacate conviction, plea in Giddings murder". 41NBC News | WMGT-DT. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  12. ↑ "Find an Offender | GDC". gdc.ga.gov. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
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