Dateline: Deadly Valentine – Who was Denise Leuthold, and what happened to her? Details of the 2013 homicide explored

Dateline dives into the chilling murder of Denise Leuthold, a devoted mother of three, shot in her Peoria, Illinois, home on Valentine's Day 2013. Who was this woman whose life was cut short in a heartbeat?

And what twisted tale of love and betrayal led to her death? Dateline unravels a case that's as heartbreaking as it is haunting, with secrets spilling the wine on a white tablecloth.

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Dateline highlights a life of love and sacrifice

Denise Leuthold was the girl next door with a heart as big as the ocean. Born and raised in Peoria, Illinois, she met her future husband, Nathan, at Faith Baptist Christian School. Nathan tells Dateline that he recalls her curls and smile:

“I was in third grade and she was in fourth grade at the time, and I doubt she even knew I existed, but even then, I thought she was the cutest girl in the school.”

Denise's mom, Diane Newton, noted Nathan was practically family, saying:

“He practically lived at our house.”

But Denise's life wasn't all rosy. When Nathan felt called to missionary work in Lithuania, she packed up her dreams and followed him, toddler and baby in arms. Newton shared:

“I think it was very hard for Denise to leave her family, to leave everything she’d known and to go over to a strange country.”

Despite the challenges, Denise poured her soul into the mission, sharing her love for music and embracing the local community, including a young teen named Ania Dobilaite, who became close to the family.

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A Valentine’s Day Nightmare

Dateline paints a grim picture of February 14, 2013, when Denise's life ended in a flash. Returning home after dropping her youngest at daycare, she barely crossed the threshold before a .40 caliber bullet struck her head.

Detective Shawn Curry told Dateline: Unforgettable:

"She didn't even have time to take her coat off, gloves, anything."

Nathan claimed he found the garage door open and broken glass, prompting a calm 911 call:

"We've got a break in."

But the scene didn't add up. Denise lay atop her car keys, yet her car was found abandoned in a nearby park, with a spare key in a trash can. Curry noted:

"A burglar is not going to take a busted lock box with them."

This dismisses the entire debacle that is the burglary theory. Kitchen cabinets were rummaged, but valuable electronics were untouched. Diane Newton questioned:

"Why would a burglar know that those were the only three [valuable] rings?"

The missing .40 caliber Glock - Nathan's own gun raised red flags, especially with his internet searches like "how to muffle a gun."

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Shadows of Betrayal, with Nathan being an A-class Betrayer

With its investigation, NBC's Dateline took a sharp turn toward Nathan's relationship with Aina Dobilaite, the Lithuanian teen they had sponsored for college in Florida. Their bond raised eyebrows, with Nathan frequenting a spa with her and school records hinting at an "inappropriate" relationship. Detective Shawn Curry joked, saying:

"My stuff would be in the front yard if my wife found out that I was waxing up a 20-year-old."

Aina's odd response to the murder —a text saying "Interesting" with a smiley face- didn't help.

Denise's own words, found in her day planner, cut deep:

"I have tried to please you for seventeen years and never succeeded. I know that you want me dead. I'm not stupid."

Prosecutors argued Nathan shot Denise as a twisted Valentine's gift to Aina, a claim he denied. In 2014, a jury convicted Nathan of first-degree murder in just 90 minutes, sentencing him to 80 years. Prosecutor Jerry Brady stated:

"This was his Valentine's Day present to Aina and that is despicable."

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The 'Deadly Valentine' episode peeled back the layers of a love story that eventually turned lethal. Denise Leuthold's murder shattered a family, leaving a community reeling.

Her diary's haunting words and Nathan's conviction remind us that even on a day meant for love, darkness can lurk, waiting to strike like a snake in the grass.

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