The Murder of Mandy Lemay
For this case, I watched an episode of Married to Evil. It’s season 1 episode 5, titled ‘Stranger Comes to Town.’
A woman’s family reports her missing after she doesn’t show up to Thanksgiving dinner.
Background
Mandy Lemay grew up in a small town in Kentucky. Her grandfather was the local pastor, so Mandy and her family grew up in a sheltered household. Mandy had never been allowed to date but she eventually met an older man named Paul on Facebook in November 2015.
Mandy was described as outgoing, quirky, and funny. Mandy also loved to dye her hair bright colors.
A New Relationship
In November 2015, Mandy met Paul Lemay on Facebook. Paul was from Massachusetts but moved to Kentucky to be with Mandy.
Paul was in his 40s and Mandy was in her 20s. Mandy and Paul dated for about months before they got married. Mandy’s family was very supportive at first. Paul worked in a nursing home and provided for them. They moved into a house together in Oil Springs, Kentucky.
It wasn’t long until Paul’s behavior changed. He was controlling and would often post angry and aggressive posts on Facebook. Paul’s drinking also increased and it led to arguments between him and Mandy.
A New Life
In February 2018, Mandy’s sister, Juanita, and her kids went to stay with Mandy and Paul.
Paul would come home from work and retreat to his bedroom. Paul and Mandy would get into arguments. Paul was controlling and disrespectful. Mandy couldn’t do anything besides grocery shopping without asking Paul first.
Mandy would make comments to her sister that she felt like she was in jail.
Juanita and the kids eventually moved out when Paul told Mandy that he needed them to leave or he would hurt the kids. Paul’s behavior turned more violent. He began to shove Mandy and eventually, she had enough.
In November 2018, Mandy let her sister know that she left Paul and was staying with a friend. Mandy had planned to spend Thanksgiving with her family. However, she never showed up.
The Investigation
Days passed and no one had heard from Mandy.
In December 2018, “Mandy” posted something on Facebook about needing to get away from the drama. However, Mandy’s family knew it hadn’t been her. Mandy often had a lot of spelling mistakes in her posts, but everything was spelled correctly.
On December 17, 2018, Mandy’s brother, Homer called the police. He claimed that Mandy had just left her husband and that no one had heard from her in weeks.
The Kentucky State Police were called in. Paul refused to comply and barricaded himself in the house. Paul was also known to own a .22 caliber gun.
One of the neighbors messaged Paul on Facebook, to which Paul responded. He refused to come out of the home but said he needed a cigarette. The neighbor walked to the porch to give it to him. Paul was eventually apprehended and taken into custody.
The Discovery
When the police walked into the home, they were hit by the smell of death. Mandy’s body was found underneath a pile of blankets. She had been shot once in the back of the head.
In his interrogation, Paul admitted to killing Mandy. He said everyone would take her side and paint him as the bad guy.
Mandy’s family believes that Paul killed her so she couldn’t leave and be with anyone else.
Mandy had left their house and hadn’t returned in weeks. She eventually returned to the house. She told Paul that she had lost her phone and needed a way to communicate with her family.
It’s believed that they began arguing. Paul grabbed a .22 revolver from his room and shot Mandy in the back of the head. He dragged her body into one of the bedrooms and slept near her body for several weeks. He tried to preserve her body as the temperature had been turned down in the house.
The Plea Deal
Paul was evaluated by two psychiatrists and found fit to stand trial.
Paul entered a guilty plea and admitted to killing Mandy. He pled guilty to murder and abuse of a corpse. He was sentenced to 45 years.
Mandy’s family is devastated that Paul never explained why he killed her. They can only guess why he did it.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I believe Paul was struggling with an alcohol addiction or addiction of some kind. But it’s not an excuse. He was controlling and abusive to Mandy. She was finally able to get away from him but needed to go back to the house one last time. Mandy was looking for a way to let her family know she was okay and would be coming to Thanksgiving. Paul took her life and took her away from her family and the new life she was going to have.
Sources
https://www.kentuckystatepolice.ky.gov/news/p9-12-17-18
https://www.wymt.com/content/news/Murder-investigation-underway-in-Johnson-County-503027152.html
https://www.wsaz.com/2020/10/21/man-sentenced-for-killing-wife/
