In a divorce filing dated June 20, 2017, Laura Timmons expressed her fear regarding her estranged husband, saying, “I am terrified of my husband. I am fully aware that my decision to file for divorce will infuriate him. I believe he will retaliate and attempt to harm me in some manner. He has a mindset that he must win at any cost.”
The documents revealed that Laura’s husband, Marcus Timmons, a well-educated real estate developer who had been involved in an affair for over a year, displayed “irrational, unsafe, bullying, threatening, and controlling behavior.” Laura also claimed that Marcus had threatened to abduct their five children and take them to his home country of Greece.
Tragically, two years after initiating the divorce, on May 24, 2019, Laura dropped her children off at school and vanished without a trace. Nine days later, police arrested Marcus Timmons and his then-girlfriend, Michelle Roberts.
Why Authorities Suspected Marcus Timmons in Laura’s Disappearance
Marcus maintained his innocence until his death by suicide in January 2020. Investigators found a note in his car stating that he didn’t want to spend “another hour in jail for something I had nothing to do with. Enough is enough.” However, law enforcement had substantial evidence linking him to Laura’s disappearance. Alongside the incriminating divorce filing, it was evident that in May 2017, Marcus had coerced Laura into signing an agreement allowing his girlfriend and her daughter to move into their lavish home.
Laura recounted a terrifying incident in which Marcus became enraged when she disagreed with him, prompting her to flee the house in fear. The following day, she discovered that he had purchased an illegal firearm, claiming it was for “protection.”
On the night Laura went missing, surveillance footage captured a man, his face obscured by a baseball cap, disposing of plastic garbage bags in various bins around Hartford, CT. Over a distance of four miles, thirty bags were discarded, one of which ended up in a storm drain.
Marcus’s phone records placed him in the same area at the precise time the man was seen discarding the bags. Furthermore, the individual was driving a black Ford pickup truck—identical to one that Marcus owned. Surveillance also captured a woman accompanying the man in the passenger seat.
What Detectives Found in the Disposed Bags
A week after the initial discovery of the trash bags, detectives managed to retrieve some of them, which contained sponges, clothing, and zip ties stained with Laura’s blood. At least one bag contained DNA from Laura, Marcus, and Michelle. They were subsequently arrested for “hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence.”
The investigation revealed extensive blood evidence in the garage where Laura parked her vehicle, suggesting a severe physical assault. Additionally, blood stains were found inside the house, indicating an attempted cleanup.
The Red Pickup Truck
Police obtained footage from school buses and neighboring security cameras, piecing together a timeline of how they believed Marcus executed the crime. They learned he borrowed a red pickup truck from an employee, which was captured on multiple cameras around Laura’s residence both before and after the suspected time of her murder.
Authorities alleged that Marcus used Laura’s vehicle to transport her body after lying in wait near her home. The borrowed truck was seen heading in the opposite direction after several hours, while Laura’s vehicle was found abandoned nearby.
Five days later, Marcus arranged for the borrowed truck to be cleaned, even suggesting that his employee swap out the seats with those from a Porsche he owned.
Why Marcus May Have Wanted to Harm Laura
The couple was in the midst of a bitter divorce, compounded by Laura’s parents suing Marcus over unpaid loans exceeding $2.5 million. Laura’s father had been a senior vice president at a major bank and had financially supported Marcus’s ventures. With restricted access to his children due to the divorce, a judge labeled Marcus “a liar” for violating court orders regarding his girlfriend’s presence around the kids, ultimately limiting him to supervised visitation.
Sadly, Laura Timmons’s body has never been recovered. With Marcus now deceased, the likelihood of closure seems bleak. Their five children are currently under the care of Laura’s mother, Gloria Timmons.
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Summary:
The tragic case of Laura Timmons highlights the dangers of domestic abuse and the complexities that arise during divorce proceedings. Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, her estranged husband, Marcus, maintained his innocence until his untimely death. With Laura still missing and her children in their grandmother’s care, the search for justice continues to resonate deeply within the community.