A man who almost decapitated his girlfriend has disclosed the dark motive behind the violent killing as he receives a life sentence.
In 2024, neighbors reported a peculiar odor emanating from a nearby apartment, prompting the police to investigate. Upon arrival, officers found the body of 52-year-old Genna Rae LaCombe on the porch, wrapped in blankets, towels, and a shower curtain, left to decompose for days. Inside the apartment, Shane Levi Cole Roberts was discovered hiding in a closet with a dog and was subsequently arrested.
An autopsy revealed that LaCombe had endured numerous stab wounds, including one that almost severed her head entirely. Roberts, aged 46, was convicted of deliberate homicide and sentenced to 85 years in prison.
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors presented substantial evidence, including Roberts’ chilling motive for the heinous crime. Police discovered photos on Roberts’ phone depicting his girlfriend’s bloody body in a bathtub, dated approximately nine days before her remains were found. Additionally, authorities recovered two blood-stained knives, a hatchet, and a hammer.
Following his arrest, Roberts confessed to his mother from jail, admitting to killing LaCombe because she “pushed him too far.” The couple had been in a relationship for about two years and shared a residence in Billings, Montana.
A forensic psychologist evaluating Roberts diagnosed him with substance abuse and major depressive disorder. However, the expert clarified that this assessment did not deem Roberts incapable of understanding his actions during the offense.
Prosecutors and Roberts’ defense lawyer had initially agreed on a 70-year prison sentence, but Judge Colette Davies added an extra 15 years, emphasizing to Roberts that his actions were not driven by love but were abhorrent.
Genna LaCombe, survived by two children, was described in her obituary as a dedicated mother who enjoyed hobbies like painting, beading, and cooking. Her love for 80s music filled her home with joy and dance, despite her sons’ reluctance to join.
Meanwhile, the mother of a teenager brutally dismembered and discarded in a bin vows to continue fighting against his killer, Stuart Diamond, who has not disclosed the location of her son’s head. Despite being deemed too dangerous for release after a 1999 conviction, a review panel will consider granting Diamond parole, prompting the determined mother to testify against his release.
Jean Hartley from Liverpool, aged 74, expressed the profound impact of her son’s tragic murder on her family and her unwavering determination to prevent Diamond’s release, fearing encounters with him even on hospital outings. She mourns her son daily, highlighting the devastating toll his murder took on their family.
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