Murder of Larry McNabney
Encyclopedia
Larry McNabney was a Sacramento, California
attorney
whose body was found buried in a vineyard
on March 5, 2002. The case made national headlines when police learned that his wife, Elisa McNabney, was actually Laren Sims who had served time in a Florida
prison
for fraud
and identity theft
. After a nationwide manhunt
, Elisa was captured in Florida and arraigned for first-degree murder. Before Elisa could stand trial however, she hanged herself in her jail cell. Elisa's friend Sarah Dutra was later convicted of voluntary manslaughter
and sentenced to 11 years in prison for murdering Larry McNabney.
. Laren was a cheerleader and excellent student at Hernando High School
; she had an IQ of 140. Despite her intelligence, she dropped out
of high school, had two children with two different fathers, and started stealing. Laren was arrested for stealing L'Oreal
hair color
kit from Woolworth's
in Tampa, Florida
. After being released on that charge, she violated her probation
by illegally using a credit card
. She cut off her ankle monitor
and headed to Las Vegas, Nevada
with her daughter Haylei.
more than $74,000 from clients. Larry closed his office in Nevada and moved to Sacramento, California
. Despite this, Elisa and Larry married in 1996.
, Elisa McNabney and her friend Sarah Dutra, with whom she worked at the law office, injected Larry with the horse tranquilizer drug acepromazine
at a Los Angeles
hotel. According to her later confession
, Elisa drove to Yosemite National Park
to bury Larry, but he was still alive. Elisa and Sarah kept Larry's body in the refrigerator in their garage
for months. His body was later moved to the nearby winery
where it was discovered on February 5, 2002. By that time however, Elisa liquidated the couple's assets, totaling more than $500,000, and disappeared.
. She was going by the alias Shane Ivaroni and was hiding out in Destin, Florida
. On March 20, 2002, Elisa was staying at her daughter Haylei's friend's house in Fort Walton Beach
when she was turned in for the reward money.
to California. While awaiting extradition, Elisa gave a full confession
to law enforcement
. One week later, on Easter Sunday 2002, Elisa hanged herself in her jail cell.
of Larry McNabney in 2003. She faced life imprisonment
without parole
if convicted of first-degree murder, but she was only found guilty of voluntary manslaughter
. She was sentenced to the maximum of 11 years in prison.
, she asked her lawyer to sue
the Hernando County Jail for not preventing her suicide. She also asked that her children receive any funds raised from the lawsuit. "This is all I can give to my children... My actions now will allow them to move into the future without this heavy burden. They won't have to watch my trial on Court TV. It should all die with me," she wrote in the note. She also claims that she was not checked regularly in her cell, but an investigation has since disputed the charge.
Sarah Dutra was released from the Central California Women's Facility
on August 26, 2011 after serving eighty-five percent of her sentence.
This case was the basis for the made-for-TV movie Lies My Mother Told Me
which aired on Lifetime in 2005. The film starred Joely Richardson
as Elisa, Kailin See as Sarah, and Hayden Panettiere
as Haylei.
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
whose body was found buried in a vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
on March 5, 2002. The case made national headlines when police learned that his wife, Elisa McNabney, was actually Laren Sims who had served time in a Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
for fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
and identity theft
Identity theft
Identity theft is a form of stealing another person's identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person's identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person's name...
. After a nationwide manhunt
Manhunt (law enforcement)
In law enforcement, a manhunt is a search for a dangerous fugitive involving the use of all available police units and technology and sometimes help from the public....
, Elisa was captured in Florida and arraigned for first-degree murder. Before Elisa could stand trial however, she hanged herself in her jail cell. Elisa's friend Sarah Dutra was later convicted of voluntary manslaughter
Voluntary Manslaughter
Voluntary manslaughter is the killing of a human being in which the offender had no prior intent to kill and acted during "the heat of passion," under circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to become emotionally or mentally disturbed. In the Uniform Crime Reports prepared by the...
and sentenced to 11 years in prison for murdering Larry McNabney.
Early life
Elisa McNabney was born Laren Renee Sims to parents Jesse and Jackie Sims on January 3, 1967 in Brooksville, FloridaBrooksville, Florida
Brooksville is an incorporated city in Hernando County, Florida, in the United States. It is the county seat of Hernando County. It is a suburban city included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. Laren was a cheerleader and excellent student at Hernando High School
Hernando High School (Florida)
Hernando High School is a public high school located in Brooksville, Florida. It is part of the Hernando County School District. It has been in operation since 1889, which makes it one of the oldest, continuously operating public high schools in the United States. HHS has a large network of alumni...
; she had an IQ of 140. Despite her intelligence, she dropped out
Dropping out
Dropping out means leaving a group for either practical reasons, necessities or disillusionment with the system from which the individual in question leaves....
of high school, had two children with two different fathers, and started stealing. Laren was arrested for stealing L'Oreal
L'Oréal
The L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company. With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics...
hair color
Hair color
Hair color is the pigmentation of hair follicles due to two types of melanin: eumelanin and pheomelanin. Generally, if more melanin is present, the color of the hair is darker; if less melanin is present, the hair is lighter...
kit from Woolworth's
F. W. Woolworth Company
The F. W. Woolworth Company was a retail company that was one of the original American five-and-dime stores. The first successful Woolworth store was opened on July 18, 1879 by Frank Winfield Woolworth in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as "Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store"...
in Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. After being released on that charge, she violated her probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
by illegally using a credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
. She cut off her ankle monitor
Ankle monitor
An ankle monitor is a device that individuals under house arrest are often required to wear. At timed intervals, the ankle monitor sends a radio frequency signal containing location and other information to a receiver. If an offender moves outside of an allowed range, the police will be notified...
and headed to Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
with her daughter Haylei.
Aliases
Over the years, Laren Sims had a total of 38 aliases, including:- Melissa Godwin
- Tammy Keelin
- Elizabeth Barasch - a woman she met in Florida prison
- Elisa Redelsperger - the name she used when she met Larry McNabney
- Shane Ivaroni - the name she used while she was on the run
Marriage to Larry McNabney
Elisa Redelsperger met Larry McNabney in 1995 when she applied for a job at his Las Vegas law office. She worked as his office manager and settled large cases. However, in late 1995, Larry's law firm was investigated by the Nevada State Bar, which determined that Elisa embezzledEmbezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
more than $74,000 from clients. Larry closed his office in Nevada and moved to Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
. Despite this, Elisa and Larry married in 1996.
Murder
On September 10, 2001, following a horse showHorse show
A Horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and...
, Elisa McNabney and her friend Sarah Dutra, with whom she worked at the law office, injected Larry with the horse tranquilizer drug acepromazine
Acepromazine
Acepromazine or acetylpromazine is a phenothiazine derivative antipsychotic drug. It was first used in humans in the 1950s, but is now little used in humans...
at a Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
hotel. According to her later confession
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
, Elisa drove to Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
to bury Larry, but he was still alive. Elisa and Sarah kept Larry's body in the refrigerator in their garage
Garage
Garage may refer to:Vehicles:*Automobile repair shop, where vehicles are serviced and repaired.*Parking and storage :**Parking garage, a building serving as a public parking facility.**Garage , a building or a residence for storing a car....
for months. His body was later moved to the nearby winery
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
where it was discovered on February 5, 2002. By that time however, Elisa liquidated the couple's assets, totaling more than $500,000, and disappeared.
Manhunt
After the discovery of Larry's body, Elisa was the subject of a nationwide manhuntManhunt (law enforcement)
In law enforcement, a manhunt is a search for a dangerous fugitive involving the use of all available police units and technology and sometimes help from the public....
. She was going by the alias Shane Ivaroni and was hiding out in Destin, Florida
Destin, Florida
Destin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters...
. On March 20, 2002, Elisa was staying at her daughter Haylei's friend's house in Fort Walton Beach
Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Fort Walton Beach is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. As of 2005, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach was 19,992, and as of 2010, the population estimate for Fort Walton Beach is 19,507 recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau...
when she was turned in for the reward money.
Confession
She was booked into the Hernando County Jail and was to be extraditedExtradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
to California. While awaiting extradition, Elisa gave a full confession
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
to law enforcement
Law enforcement
Law enforcement broadly refers to any system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to promote adherence to the law by discovering and punishing persons who violate the rules and norms governing that society...
. One week later, on Easter Sunday 2002, Elisa hanged herself in her jail cell.
Trial of Sarah Dutra
Sarah Dutra went on trial for the murderMurder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
of Larry McNabney in 2003. She faced life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
without parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
if convicted of first-degree murder, but she was only found guilty of voluntary manslaughter
Voluntary Manslaughter
Voluntary manslaughter is the killing of a human being in which the offender had no prior intent to kill and acted during "the heat of passion," under circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to become emotionally or mentally disturbed. In the Uniform Crime Reports prepared by the...
. She was sentenced to the maximum of 11 years in prison.
Aftermath
In Elisa McNabney's suicide noteSuicide note
A suicide note or death note is a message that states the author has died by suicide, and left to be discovered and read in anticipation of suicide....
, she asked her lawyer to sue
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
the Hernando County Jail for not preventing her suicide. She also asked that her children receive any funds raised from the lawsuit. "This is all I can give to my children... My actions now will allow them to move into the future without this heavy burden. They won't have to watch my trial on Court TV. It should all die with me," she wrote in the note. She also claims that she was not checked regularly in her cell, but an investigation has since disputed the charge.
Sarah Dutra was released from the Central California Women's Facility
Central California Women's Facility
Central California Women's Facility is a female-only California Department of Corrections state prison located in Chowchilla, California. It is across the road from Valley State Prison for Women. It is the largest female correctional facility in the United States. It houses the State of...
on August 26, 2011 after serving eighty-five percent of her sentence.
This case was the basis for the made-for-TV movie Lies My Mother Told Me
Lies My Mother Told Me
Lies My Mother Told Me is a 2005 Canadian television movie that aired on Lifetime in the United States.Christian Duguay directed a cast that included Joely Richardson as Laren, Hayden Panettiere as Haylei, Colm Feore as Lucas, and Kailin See as Kristin...
which aired on Lifetime in 2005. The film starred Joely Richardson
Joely Richardson
Joely Kim Richardson is an English actress, most known recently for her role as Queen Catherine Parr in the Showtime television show The Tudors and Julia McNamara in the television drama Nip/Tuck...
as Elisa, Kailin See as Sarah, and Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Leslie Panettiere is an American actress and singer, best known as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC television series Heroes. She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in...
as Haylei.