March 7, 2025 • 28 mins
Laneshia Crowder, known to friends and family as "Lane," was born on July 21st, 1979, in Georgia. She grew up in Carrollton, a suburban town near the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, with around 30,000 residents at the time. Carrollton, often referred to as the "Friendly City," was a place where people knew one another, and looked out for each other. Everyone sort of knew everyone and violent crime was rare.
On Monday, August 14th, police arrive fairly quickly on the scene and are met with a gruesome sight. Immediately walking in they find Laneshia, motionless on the floor and 2 year old lyric next to her. Who murdered Laneshia? The case has gone unsolved for over 2 decades.
A reward of $8,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for Laneshia’s murder. If you have any information, please contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Region 2, at 706-565-7888, or reach out to the Carroll County Sheriff's Office at 770-830-5888.
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Sources:
https://gbi.georgia.gov/cases/unsolved-homicide/laneshia-crowder-0
Clip from Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb9hFWw2D00
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hi everyone, this is your host Raven Siyad and welcome back to Forgotten Echoes, a podcast
(00:05):
where we dive into the mysterious and unexplained cases of black women that often get lost in
time.
So before we get into today's case, rather this is your first time tuning in, or you've
listened to all six of my episodes, I just want to take a beat and say thank you for
your support.
Rather, you're listening, you're subscribed, liking, sharing, or even just mentioning this
(00:30):
podcast in casual conversation means more to me than you know.
Like seriously, I'm here because of you.
Every time you engage with this podcast, you're helping bring awareness to a case that has
been overlooked for far too long.
For those of you that might be new here, let me remind you what this podcast is all about.
(00:52):
This is a space where we shed light on the disparity in media coverage and public awareness
when it comes to criminal cases involving black women.
Too often, our stories are ignored or minimized, and that lack of visibility has real consequences.
Here we're doing our best to challenge those narratives.
(01:13):
We amplify the voices and experiences that mainstream media often fails to recognize.
I try and ask the tough questions to spark necessary conversations and essentially just
push for the change that I wish to see.
Every case we cover serves as a reminder that justice delayed is justice denied, and today's
(01:35):
episode is no exception.
Today we're covering a deeply tragic and unresolved case, the murder of Lanisha Crowder, a young
mother with a bright future ahead of her, whose life was cruelly taken in her home with her
two young children present at the time of the murder.
(01:55):
Despite the brutality of the crime, justice has remained elusive for over two decades.
This episode will explore Laneshia's life, the horrific events of that night, the testimony
of her surviving children, and the aftermath that still haunts the family and the small
community she belonged to.
(02:16):
This is a story of love, pain, and injustice, one that reminds us how easily lives can be
shattered and how difficult it can be to pick up the pieces when answers never come.
We'll be diving into the timeline of events, the known evidence, and the frustrating stagnation
of the investigation in hopes of keeping Laneshia story alive and pushing for the
(02:41):
justice she deserves.
(03:11):
Sources for today's episode include 11 Alive News, GBI.Georgia.gov, and WGNO News.
Now let's get into the case.
It was a warm summer day when Lanisha Crowder, known to friends and family as Lane, was born
on July 21st of 1979 in Georgia.
(03:34):
She grew up in a small city, Carrollton, a suburban town near the foothills of the Appalachian
Mountains, with around 30,000 residents or so at the time.
Carrollton, often referred to as Friendly City, was a place where people knew one another
and looked out for each other.
Everyone sort of knew everyone and violent crime was extremely rare.
(03:59):
Investigator Ashley Holsey of the Carroll County Sheriff's Office said this about the town,
quote, that neighborhood is very tight knit.
A lot of people were kin to each other.
Back then, and even now, everyone kind of knows everybody in one way or another, quote.
(04:20):
Laneshia's mother, Doris, raised her alongside her siblings.
And from everything I've read, they had a close bond.
Her sisters remember her as outgoing, funny, and someone who could light up a room.
She had a magnetic personality with an infectious laugh.
She was funny and had a sharp wit that just made people gravitate towards her.
(04:44):
You just wanted to be around her because she was one of those type of people that would
make every day a great one.
To know Lanisha was to love her.
It was overwhelmingly clear she was known for her kindness, her strength, and always putting
her family first.
Laneshia was also a devoted mother to two children.
(05:05):
Her son, Kenneth, or Kenny, who was seven years old at the time of the murder, and her
two-year-old daughter, Lyric.
Having given birth to Kenny at a young age, Laneshia faced immense challenges as you can
imagine.
But with grit and her family support, she persevered.
She grew up with Kenneth, and it's said that even at a young age, she had a history of
(05:29):
trying to protect his mother.
She moved forward a few years, and she graduated from Carrollton High School, determined to
provide a stable and wonderful life for her children.
Life was going well for Lanisha.
She was smart, ambitious, and well-liked.
It just truly seemed like everything was falling into place for her.
(05:52):
As she transitioned into early adult life, despite her struggles, Laneshia maintained
a decent job, took care of her children, and had dreams for a better future.
Dreams she wouldn't get the chance to bring into fruition.
She wanted to go back to school to further her education, and to create a life where
(06:13):
her children would never have to experience the hardships she endured.
She had aspirations of becoming a social worker, driven by a deep sense of empathy and her
desire to help others who had gone through difficult circumstances.
But those dreams were cut short in the most horrific of ways.
(06:34):
It was a cool night in August 2000, and it was a quiet evening for Laneshia and her kids.
Lanisha lived at 270 Henson Circle in Carrollton with her children and her boyfriend Grady.
So that was in fact Grady's home, at the time of the crime, he was incarcerated, so
that night it was just her and the kiddos.
(06:57):
On Saturday night, August 12th, Laneshia returned home with her children after spending the
day with her mother.
She put them to bed around 9.30 or so, and according to phone records, spoke with friends
until about midnight.
After that, no one heard from her.
Days passed, and concerned friends and family tried calling Laneshia, but she didn't answer
(07:21):
and the phone eventually went voicemail.
Sunday comes and goes and there is still no word from Laneshia, and at this point, something
doesn't feel right to people that knew her.
Now it's August 14th and enough is enough.
On that afternoon, it was a Monday, her boyfriend Grady was growing increasingly uneasy and
(07:43):
reached out to a neighbor from jail, asking them to check on her.
It was going on two days since anyone had spoken to her, which was extremely uncommon.
The neighbor agreed and that evening goes to check on her, and when they arrive at the
home, they peered into the window and were met with the most gruesome sight.
(08:05):
Lanisha's beaten lifeless body was laying on the floor, and her baby girl two-year-old
Lyric was on top of her, seemingly trying to wake her mother up.
There were boxes of band-aids scattered around her mother's body and several band-aids on
Lanisha.
It seemed Lyric was trying to patch up her mother's wounds.
(08:26):
And at this point, Lanisha's neighbor is completely mortified and immediately calls
911.
This was heartbreaking from the beginning for a multitude of reasons, but reading that
two-year-old Lyric is putting band-aids on her mother's lifeless body because she thinks
(08:47):
that it's going to make her feel better or she's patching up the Owies or the Boo-Boo's
completely shattered my heart.
It's extremely sickening to think that not only would somebody murder Lanisha, would
allow her young children to witness it, then behind for days at the scene.
(09:11):
So that night, Monday, August 14th, it's around 10 p.m. and the police arrive fairly
quickly on the scene.
And they're also met with the gruesome sight.
Immediately walking in, they find Laneshia, motionless on the floor and two-year-old Lyric
next to her.
In the next room over, they find seven-year-old Kenneth barely clinging a life in the back
(09:34):
bedroom.
He had been brutally attacked.
In an interview with WGNO News, Kenneth remembers parts of that horrifying night in this clip.
I knew something was wrong.
I couldn't tell it, but I knew something was wrong.
I told my sister to hide, and then they just came in the door and started beating my mom
(10:01):
and started beating me.
By the time emergency responders arrived, 21-year-old Laneshia Crowder was pronounced
dead at the scene.
Her son Kenneth was severely assaulted and left for dead with several head wounds.
He was barely alive at this point and was airlifted to a nearby hospital where he fought
to survive for the coming weeks.
(10:24):
Two-year-old Lyric was unharmed.
Investigators searched the premises for any evidence or clues, but surprisingly they didn't
find much.
One key they did notice was strangely nothing was stolen from the home, and the most shocking
part of it all, there were no signs of forced entry.
(10:45):
Police believed that the attack wasn't premeditated, but rather a crime of passion or rage.
And it was pretty obvious the killer was very angry, because it's extremely rare to become
so mad you beat a mom to death in front of her children, as well as beating a child to
a pulp.
The brutality of the assault indicated deeply personal motives.
(11:10):
The one thing police did find was a weapon.
But it's unclear if the weapon found was officially ruled as being the weapon that was responsible
for Laneshia's murder and its attack.
We just don't know.
And when I was doing research for this case, there is so little, I mean anything involving
(11:33):
this case, and that's mainly due to police holding in a lot of information because the
investigation is still open.
But in an interview with investigator Holze, who was one of the original investigators
on the Crotter case, she confirms what investigators were thinking in this clip.
We think that it wasn't a planned out thing.
(11:55):
More than likely it probably was a heat of the moment kind of deal.
The level of violence used against Lanisha and her son suggests that the perpetrator
or the perpetrators were intent on silencing them permanently.
Eric was interviewed almost immediately, but as suspected, due to her age, she wasn't
(12:15):
able to help much.
To this day, and with what we know, no arrests have been made.
The question I have is why.
This case was so hard to report on because unlike other unsolved stories I've told,
there really isn't a working theory in this case.
We usually see one or two at minimum, but what I've told you thus far is majority of
(12:40):
what the public already knows.
Which is insane because I haven't filled you in on much of anything.
Like, I really didn't even have source material for this episode because Lanisha's case wasn't
reported on as much as I would have hoped.
I'm talking the same few articles regurgitating the same information because that's all they
(13:03):
have and majority of the interviews and articles I did find are over a decade old.
Also there is little news coverage on this case and because of that, public interest
was at an all-time low.
This case really slipped through the cracks because of this and while I partially blame
the biases of mainstream media for not picking up this story, I also believe the investigators
(13:29):
working this case would have been better off feeding some information to the community.
I think some bait would have been better than none, especially at this point.
That's just my opinion though.
And don't get me wrong, I get it.
Trying to maintain the integrity of the case because let's face the facts, it's an open
(13:50):
case still and investigators are still trying to figure things out and work it.
That's sometimes how you catch killers, you withhold some information from public knowledge
and the killers will essentially tell them themselves and say something that you haven't
released and that's how you move forward in the case.
But I think in this circumstance because it's been over two decades, investigators
(14:15):
gotta give a little to get a little.
I mean, release some breadcrumbs to the public.
The community, neighborhood, neighbors, and I mean, just because as I say every case,
we don't know it.
That doesn't necessarily mean investigators don't know they might have not released that
part to the public.
But I'm assuming that not much has been done because we know nothing.
(14:41):
We know what happened that night.
A little bit after, but even then really nothing.
Like I said, there's not even a theory to go off of in this case.
Sometimes there's a theory and I know normally you look at the boyfriend or the significant
other boyfriend was incarcerated at the time.
So if not him, then who and why she was described as a lovely person.
(15:09):
Who were her enemies?
Have we talked to all coworkers?
I don't know.
I feel like the public doesn't know enough, which in return can create the snowball effect
and have people start calling with tips or something strange that they heard or you know,
what I mean, it's a small community too, which makes all of this even more strange.
(15:34):
So I definitely feel that police should loosen their grip a bit, give a little bit to the
public in order to try and get some information, especially considering it's already been a
couple of decades.
And to my knowledge, Kenneth and Lyric still live in the area and just think we have no
(15:57):
justice not only for his slain mother, but for the brutal attack on Kenneth.
And to go a little deeper, put yourself in their shoes for just a moment and think about
how traumatizing it is to live in a small city and think is the person I'm walking
past the person that murdered my mother?
(16:21):
Is that the person that beat me nearly to death?
It is so disheartening to think about what these children and her mother have had to
go through over 20 years.
It's just incredibly frustrating and I wish nothing more than justice for the Crowder
family.
(16:42):
Now fast forward and while the Crowder family's world lay in ruins, the rest of the world
kept moving forward.
Over the course of several months and numerous life-saving surgeries, Kenneth fought to survive.
Though he was eventually released from the hospital, he continues to live with the lasting
(17:02):
effects of the savage assault.
Taler Lyric was temporarily taken by CPS because they didn't know if the killer or killers
were going to come back and try and finish the job so this was for her own safety.
And while she was with CPS and Kenneth was in the hospital, their guardianship was pending.
(17:24):
Now luckily, eventually, Lilisha's mother Doris took in Kenneth and Lyric, raising them
as her own.
She was there for it all.
It was tough for the family emotionally, financially, physically, and mentally, but
they got through it as they always do, together.
The grim reality of the loss of a daughter and mother weighed heavily on everyone.
(17:49):
And when asked in an interview, Doris stated, quote,
Despite their tragic past, both children pushed forward and the family stayed close knit and
(18:23):
prevail.
Kenneth, despite his multiple injuries, including serious head trauma, graduated from high school
at the age of 22.
And from what I've last read, he's still doing okay.
Lyric, now 27, became a mother herself.
On an interview with USA Crime in 2015, one of the only national media coverage Lenisa
(18:48):
received, which, yes, was 15 years after the murder, Lyric shared her final thoughts on
her mother's murder as a taller who witnessed it all.
(19:09):
Over the years, Doris has had unsettling encounters with people she believes might know what happened.
She essentially stated sometimes she gets around people and based on the questions they
ask or gossip she hears, she feels like they may have been there.
And I don't blame her.
Carrollton is a smaller city, so word travels fast and there are several signs that point
(19:33):
to the killer being local to the area.
There's not any theories in this case because a lack of information the police have shared
with the public.
Which as I stated earlier, I get there purposely doing this because the case is still open,
but wow, it's almost been 25 years.
(19:54):
Some information would be great to get the ball rolling again.
Now the last tiny bit of this case are the memories from Kenneth and Lyric from that
night.
Now, remember, Kenneth was 7 and Lyric was 2 when Lanisha was murdered.
While Kenneth was definitely old enough to recall what happened because of the brutal
(20:18):
beating and the severe head trauma, he lost a lot of his memory and regained it over time.
Both of them have recalled what happened that night in our pretty firm in their memories.
Now they both say that there was multiple attackers and they've even provided a description
(20:39):
of them all.
Now, the descriptions haven't been released publicly and I've scoured the internet for
them, listened to different YouTube videos and read it, threads, and have read different
blog postings, everything.
I haven't found any of those descriptions, but I do know from an interview with Kenneth
(21:03):
and Lyric, they do mention that they remember exactly how the perpetrators looked.
And they do say that there was multiple attackers, which totally makes sense because one person
being able to murder a mom and then murder a son and then just leave, it just feels a
little unlikely, not that it couldn't happen, it just feels like they would have really
(21:27):
had to be all over the place with three people in the home.
It essentially would have been one, one and a half against one and it just, they would
have been more likely in my opinion to be caught.
So three attackers definitely seems plausible as they could have bombard at the house.
One person takes Kenneth, the other person is in a different room with Lanisha.
(21:51):
Also the fact that Lanisha was found dead in one room and Kenneth was severely injured
in another room.
So that's the last thing I have to say, these are based on the memories of both Kenneth
and Lyric.
Now here are my final thoughts on the case.
One, Lanisha most likely knew her killer or killers because there was no force entry
(22:18):
and this suggests to me that she either knew her attackers or felt comfortable enough to
open the door and the unknown attackers may have pushed their way through, I'm not sure.
Now given that Kenneth said multiple people were involved, it's possible Laneshia was
ambushed by more than one person, which also supports this theory.
(22:41):
Another part of the crime that supports this is the attackers viciously assaulting Kenneth,
most likely because they thought he wasn't going to survive.
In my opinion, this might suggest that they feared him being alive would mean that he
would be able to identify them.
Because I have a hard time believing somebody would randomly beat a seven year old to a pulp
(23:06):
and leave him for dead without touching little Lyric who was also present during the crime.
Just doesn't make sense.
I can only assume it's because Kenneth was old enough to identify them.
And the last bit of evidence we do know that supports this theory is that there was proof
the killer had a personal motive versus it just being a robbery gone wrong, which investigators
(23:32):
kind of entertained in the beginning.
Police confirmed pretty early on that nothing was stolen in the home, reinforcing the idea
that this crime was personal rather than a burglary that just went south.
And that's burglary, say that fast three times.
Now to why was there no arrest?
(23:54):
Now as I said a little earlier, Kenneth began to recover from his injuries and his memory
slowly started to come back.
He identified three people who believes were the unknown assailants responsible for his
mother's murder and his assault.
If this is accurate, why has nobody been arrested or to our knowledge even questioned?
(24:17):
Police say they have physical evidence but are choosing not to share their findings with
the community and fine.
But why has the case remained cold all these years?
If that is the case, was any DNA found on the murder weapon?
I have a hard time believing nothing or none of these questions have ever been answered.
(24:39):
And if they have, why aren't investigators giving the public something to at least bring
some attention to the case?
I can't repeat that enough.
No composite sketches, no release suspect details.
Why the silence?
Could this be due to the killers living in the community?
(25:00):
We just don't know.
And I think that's been the most frustrating part about this case is that because there's
so many unanswered questions and no theories, your mind just wanders.
Fast forward 25 years and the Carrollton community remains shaken by the murder and Laneshia's
(25:21):
high school classmates still talk about it until this day.
At a recent reunion, investigator Hulsey, who not only was working her case, but was a former
classmate of Laneshia's reminded everyone of the lingering injustice.
And still people can wrap their head around what happened that quiet August weekend in
(25:43):
2000.
Lanisha's case has never been solved and her family, her kids have never received any
resolution regarding their mother's death.
And they've had to live with the trauma of their mother being murdered right in front
of their eyes for over two decades.
(26:04):
Seven year old Kenneth being brutally assaulted and left her dead and taller lyric putting
band-aids on her mother's wounds.
Not quite understanding what events just took place.
As of the recording of this episode, we have no update in the case and no suspects or person
or persons of interest have been publicly named.
(26:27):
Laneshia was 21 when she was murdered and she would be 46 years old today.
Now here's the call to action.
Silence protects the guilty, but justice demands a voice.
Lanisha Crowder was brutally taken from this world and somewhere out there, her killer
or killers have been able to walk free more than the number of years she was alive on
(26:52):
this earth.
This isn't just another name, another case, another statistic.
This is someone's mom, someone's daughter, someone's sister, someone whose life was
stolen far too soon.
And right now, her family is left with nothing but grief and unanswered questions.
(27:14):
A reward of $8,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the
person or people responsible for Laneshia's murder.
If you have any information, please contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Region
2 at area code 706-565-7888, or reach out to the Carroll County Sheriff's Office at
(27:41):
area code 770-830-5888.
I hate that this case is still cold, but we can do our part to ensure Lanisha's story
doesn't fade away.
Her life mattered, her justice matters, and it starts with someone willing to speak up.
(28:03):
I'm sending so much light and love to the Crowder family.
Thank you for tuning in to Episode 7 of Forgotten Echoes.
Please do me a favor and show your support by following the podcast, liking, subscribing,
and sharing this episode.
If you feel so inclined to do so, please leave a 5-star review on whatever platform you're
(28:25):
listening to this episode from.
It really does help.
I'm Raven Siyad, and I'll see you next week with another case that needs to be remembered.
Stay vigilant, stay aware, and keep the echoes of the forgotten alive.
I'll see you soon.
Hi everyone, this is your host Raven Siyad and welcome back to Forgotten Echoes, a podcast
(00:05):
where we dive into the mysterious and unexplained cases of black women that often get lost in
time.
So before we get into today's case, rather this is your first time tuning in, or you've
listened to all six of my episodes, I just want to take a beat and say thank you for
your support.
Rather, you're listening, you're subscribed, liking, sharing, or even just mentioning this
(00:30):
podcast in casual conversation means more to me than you know.
Like seriously, I'm here because of you.
Every time you engage with this podcast, you're helping bring awareness to a case that has
been overlooked for far too long.
For those of you that might be new here, let me remind you what this podcast is all about.
(00:52):
This is a space where we shed light on the disparity in media coverage and public awareness
when it comes to criminal cases involving black women.
Too often, our stories are ignored or minimized, and that lack of visibility has real consequences.
Here we're doing our best to challenge those narratives.
(01:13):
We amplify the voices and experiences that mainstream media often fails to recognize.
I try and ask the tough questions to spark necessary conversations and essentially just
push for the change that I wish to see.
Every case we cover serves as a reminder that justice delayed is justice denied, and today's
(01:35):
episode is no exception.
Today we're covering a deeply tragic and unresolved case, the murder of Lanisha Crowder, a young
mother with a bright future ahead of her, whose life was cruelly taken in her home with her
two young children present at the time of the murder.
(01:55):
Despite the brutality of the crime, justice has remained elusive for over two decades.
This episode will explore Laneshia's life, the horrific events of that night, the testimony
of her surviving children, and the aftermath that still haunts the family and the small
community she belonged to.
(02:16):
This is a story of love, pain, and injustice, one that reminds us how easily lives can be
shattered and how difficult it can be to pick up the pieces when answers never come.
We'll be diving into the timeline of events, the known evidence, and the frustrating stagnation
of the investigation in hopes of keeping Laneshia story alive and pushing for the
(02:41):
justice she deserves.
(03:11):
Sources for today's episode include 11 Alive News, GBI.Georgia.gov, and WGNO News.
Now let's get into the case.
It was a warm summer day when Lanisha Crowder, known to friends and family as Lane, was born
on July 21st of 1979 in Georgia.
(03:34):
She grew up in a small city, Carrollton, a suburban town near the foothills of the Appalachian
Mountains, with around 30,000 residents or so at the time.
Carrollton, often referred to as Friendly City, was a place where people knew one another
and looked out for each other.
Everyone sort of knew everyone and violent crime was extremely rare.
(03:59):
Investigator Ashley Holsey of the Carroll County Sheriff's Office said this about the town,
quote, that neighborhood is very tight knit.
A lot of people were kin to each other.
Back then, and even now, everyone kind of knows everybody in one way or another, quote.
(04:20):
Laneshia's mother, Doris, raised her alongside her siblings.
And from everything I've read, they had a close bond.
Her sisters remember her as outgoing, funny, and someone who could light up a room.
She had a magnetic personality with an infectious laugh.
She was funny and had a sharp wit that just made people gravitate towards her.
(04:44):
You just wanted to be around her because she was one of those type of people that would
make every day a great one.
To know Lanisha was to love her.
It was overwhelmingly clear she was known for her kindness, her strength, and always putting
her family first.
Laneshia was also a devoted mother to two children.
(05:05):
Her son, Kenneth, or Kenny, who was seven years old at the time of the murder, and her
two-year-old daughter, Lyric.
Having given birth to Kenny at a young age, Laneshia faced immense challenges as you can
imagine.
But with grit and her family support, she persevered.
She grew up with Kenneth, and it's said that even at a young age, she had a history of
(05:29):
trying to protect his mother.
She moved forward a few years, and she graduated from Carrollton High School, determined to
provide a stable and wonderful life for her children.
Life was going well for Lanisha.
She was smart, ambitious, and well-liked.
It just truly seemed like everything was falling into place for her.
(05:52):
As she transitioned into early adult life, despite her struggles, Laneshia maintained
a decent job, took care of her children, and had dreams for a better future.
Dreams she wouldn't get the chance to bring into fruition.
She wanted to go back to school to further her education, and to create a life where
(06:13):
her children would never have to experience the hardships she endured.
She had aspirations of becoming a social worker, driven by a deep sense of empathy and her
desire to help others who had gone through difficult circumstances.
But those dreams were cut short in the most horrific of ways.
(06:34):
It was a cool night in August 2000, and it was a quiet evening for Laneshia and her kids.
Lanisha lived at 270 Henson Circle in Carrollton with her children and her boyfriend Grady.
So that was in fact Grady's home, at the time of the crime, he was incarcerated, so
that night it was just her and the kiddos.
(06:57):
On Saturday night, August 12th, Laneshia returned home with her children after spending the
day with her mother.
She put them to bed around 9.30 or so, and according to phone records, spoke with friends
until about midnight.
After that, no one heard from her.
Days passed, and concerned friends and family tried calling Laneshia, but she didn't answer
(07:21):
and the phone eventually went voicemail.
Sunday comes and goes and there is still no word from Laneshia, and at this point, something
doesn't feel right to people that knew her.
Now it's August 14th and enough is enough.
On that afternoon, it was a Monday, her boyfriend Grady was growing increasingly uneasy and
(07:43):
reached out to a neighbor from jail, asking them to check on her.
It was going on two days since anyone had spoken to her, which was extremely uncommon.
The neighbor agreed and that evening goes to check on her, and when they arrive at the
home, they peered into the window and were met with the most gruesome sight.
(08:05):
Lanisha's beaten lifeless body was laying on the floor, and her baby girl two-year-old
Lyric was on top of her, seemingly trying to wake her mother up.
There were boxes of band-aids scattered around her mother's body and several band-aids on
Lanisha.
It seemed Lyric was trying to patch up her mother's wounds.
(08:26):
And at this point, Lanisha's neighbor is completely mortified and immediately calls
911.
This was heartbreaking from the beginning for a multitude of reasons, but reading that
two-year-old Lyric is putting band-aids on her mother's lifeless body because she thinks
(08:47):
that it's going to make her feel better or she's patching up the Owies or the Boo-Boo's
completely shattered my heart.
It's extremely sickening to think that not only would somebody murder Lanisha, would
allow her young children to witness it, then behind for days at the scene.
(09:11):
So that night, Monday, August 14th, it's around 10 p.m. and the police arrive fairly
quickly on the scene.
And they're also met with the gruesome sight.
Immediately walking in, they find Laneshia, motionless on the floor and two-year-old Lyric
next to her.
In the next room over, they find seven-year-old Kenneth barely clinging a life in the back
(09:34):
bedroom.
He had been brutally attacked.
In an interview with WGNO News, Kenneth remembers parts of that horrifying night in this clip.
I knew something was wrong.
I couldn't tell it, but I knew something was wrong.
I told my sister to hide, and then they just came in the door and started beating my mom
(10:01):
and started beating me.
By the time emergency responders arrived, 21-year-old Laneshia Crowder was pronounced
dead at the scene.
Her son Kenneth was severely assaulted and left for dead with several head wounds.
He was barely alive at this point and was airlifted to a nearby hospital where he fought
to survive for the coming weeks.
(10:24):
Two-year-old Lyric was unharmed.
Investigators searched the premises for any evidence or clues, but surprisingly they didn't
find much.
One key they did notice was strangely nothing was stolen from the home, and the most shocking
part of it all, there were no signs of forced entry.
(10:45):
Police believed that the attack wasn't premeditated, but rather a crime of passion or rage.
And it was pretty obvious the killer was very angry, because it's extremely rare to become
so mad you beat a mom to death in front of her children, as well as beating a child to
a pulp.
The brutality of the assault indicated deeply personal motives.
(11:10):
The one thing police did find was a weapon.
But it's unclear if the weapon found was officially ruled as being the weapon that was responsible
for Laneshia's murder and its attack.
We just don't know.
And when I was doing research for this case, there is so little, I mean anything involving
(11:33):
this case, and that's mainly due to police holding in a lot of information because the
investigation is still open.
But in an interview with investigator Holze, who was one of the original investigators
on the Crotter case, she confirms what investigators were thinking in this clip.
We think that it wasn't a planned out thing.
(11:55):
More than likely it probably was a heat of the moment kind of deal.
The level of violence used against Lanisha and her son suggests that the perpetrator
or the perpetrators were intent on silencing them permanently.
Eric was interviewed almost immediately, but as suspected, due to her age, she wasn't
(12:15):
able to help much.
To this day, and with what we know, no arrests have been made.
The question I have is why.
This case was so hard to report on because unlike other unsolved stories I've told,
there really isn't a working theory in this case.
We usually see one or two at minimum, but what I've told you thus far is majority of
(12:40):
what the public already knows.
Which is insane because I haven't filled you in on much of anything.
Like, I really didn't even have source material for this episode because Lanisha's case wasn't
reported on as much as I would have hoped.
I'm talking the same few articles regurgitating the same information because that's all they
(13:03):
have and majority of the interviews and articles I did find are over a decade old.
Also there is little news coverage on this case and because of that, public interest
was at an all-time low.
This case really slipped through the cracks because of this and while I partially blame
the biases of mainstream media for not picking up this story, I also believe the investigators
(13:29):
working this case would have been better off feeding some information to the community.
I think some bait would have been better than none, especially at this point.
That's just my opinion though.
And don't get me wrong, I get it.
Trying to maintain the integrity of the case because let's face the facts, it's an open
(13:50):
case still and investigators are still trying to figure things out and work it.
That's sometimes how you catch killers, you withhold some information from public knowledge
and the killers will essentially tell them themselves and say something that you haven't
released and that's how you move forward in the case.
But I think in this circumstance because it's been over two decades, investigators
(14:15):
gotta give a little to get a little.
I mean, release some breadcrumbs to the public.
The community, neighborhood, neighbors, and I mean, just because as I say every case,
we don't know it.
That doesn't necessarily mean investigators don't know they might have not released that
part to the public.
But I'm assuming that not much has been done because we know nothing.
(14:41):
We know what happened that night.
A little bit after, but even then really nothing.
Like I said, there's not even a theory to go off of in this case.
Sometimes there's a theory and I know normally you look at the boyfriend or the significant
other boyfriend was incarcerated at the time.
So if not him, then who and why she was described as a lovely person.
(15:09):
Who were her enemies?
Have we talked to all coworkers?
I don't know.
I feel like the public doesn't know enough, which in return can create the snowball effect
and have people start calling with tips or something strange that they heard or you know,
what I mean, it's a small community too, which makes all of this even more strange.
(15:34):
So I definitely feel that police should loosen their grip a bit, give a little bit to the
public in order to try and get some information, especially considering it's already been a
couple of decades.
And to my knowledge, Kenneth and Lyric still live in the area and just think we have no
(15:57):
justice not only for his slain mother, but for the brutal attack on Kenneth.
And to go a little deeper, put yourself in their shoes for just a moment and think about
how traumatizing it is to live in a small city and think is the person I'm walking
past the person that murdered my mother?
(16:21):
Is that the person that beat me nearly to death?
It is so disheartening to think about what these children and her mother have had to
go through over 20 years.
It's just incredibly frustrating and I wish nothing more than justice for the Crowder
family.
(16:42):
Now fast forward and while the Crowder family's world lay in ruins, the rest of the world
kept moving forward.
Over the course of several months and numerous life-saving surgeries, Kenneth fought to survive.
Though he was eventually released from the hospital, he continues to live with the lasting
(17:02):
effects of the savage assault.
Taler Lyric was temporarily taken by CPS because they didn't know if the killer or killers
were going to come back and try and finish the job so this was for her own safety.
And while she was with CPS and Kenneth was in the hospital, their guardianship was pending.
(17:24):
Now luckily, eventually, Lilisha's mother Doris took in Kenneth and Lyric, raising them
as her own.
She was there for it all.
It was tough for the family emotionally, financially, physically, and mentally, but
they got through it as they always do, together.
The grim reality of the loss of a daughter and mother weighed heavily on everyone.
(17:49):
And when asked in an interview, Doris stated, quote,
Despite their tragic past, both children pushed forward and the family stayed close knit and
(18:23):
prevail.
Kenneth, despite his multiple injuries, including serious head trauma, graduated from high school
at the age of 22.
And from what I've last read, he's still doing okay.
Lyric, now 27, became a mother herself.
On an interview with USA Crime in 2015, one of the only national media coverage Lenisa
(18:48):
received, which, yes, was 15 years after the murder, Lyric shared her final thoughts on
her mother's murder as a taller who witnessed it all.
(19:09):
Over the years, Doris has had unsettling encounters with people she believes might know what happened.
She essentially stated sometimes she gets around people and based on the questions they
ask or gossip she hears, she feels like they may have been there.
And I don't blame her.
Carrollton is a smaller city, so word travels fast and there are several signs that point
(19:33):
to the killer being local to the area.
There's not any theories in this case because a lack of information the police have shared
with the public.
Which as I stated earlier, I get there purposely doing this because the case is still open,
but wow, it's almost been 25 years.
(19:54):
Some information would be great to get the ball rolling again.
Now the last tiny bit of this case are the memories from Kenneth and Lyric from that
night.
Now, remember, Kenneth was 7 and Lyric was 2 when Lanisha was murdered.
While Kenneth was definitely old enough to recall what happened because of the brutal
(20:18):
beating and the severe head trauma, he lost a lot of his memory and regained it over time.
Both of them have recalled what happened that night in our pretty firm in their memories.
Now they both say that there was multiple attackers and they've even provided a description
(20:39):
of them all.
Now, the descriptions haven't been released publicly and I've scoured the internet for
them, listened to different YouTube videos and read it, threads, and have read different
blog postings, everything.
I haven't found any of those descriptions, but I do know from an interview with Kenneth
(21:03):
and Lyric, they do mention that they remember exactly how the perpetrators looked.
And they do say that there was multiple attackers, which totally makes sense because one person
being able to murder a mom and then murder a son and then just leave, it just feels a
little unlikely, not that it couldn't happen, it just feels like they would have really
(21:27):
had to be all over the place with three people in the home.
It essentially would have been one, one and a half against one and it just, they would
have been more likely in my opinion to be caught.
So three attackers definitely seems plausible as they could have bombard at the house.
One person takes Kenneth, the other person is in a different room with Lanisha.
(21:51):
Also the fact that Lanisha was found dead in one room and Kenneth was severely injured
in another room.
So that's the last thing I have to say, these are based on the memories of both Kenneth
and Lyric.
Now here are my final thoughts on the case.
One, Lanisha most likely knew her killer or killers because there was no force entry
(22:18):
and this suggests to me that she either knew her attackers or felt comfortable enough to
open the door and the unknown attackers may have pushed their way through, I'm not sure.
Now given that Kenneth said multiple people were involved, it's possible Laneshia was
ambushed by more than one person, which also supports this theory.
(22:41):
Another part of the crime that supports this is the attackers viciously assaulting Kenneth,
most likely because they thought he wasn't going to survive.
In my opinion, this might suggest that they feared him being alive would mean that he
would be able to identify them.
Because I have a hard time believing somebody would randomly beat a seven year old to a pulp
(23:06):
and leave him for dead without touching little Lyric who was also present during the crime.
Just doesn't make sense.
I can only assume it's because Kenneth was old enough to identify them.
And the last bit of evidence we do know that supports this theory is that there was proof
the killer had a personal motive versus it just being a robbery gone wrong, which investigators
(23:32):
kind of entertained in the beginning.
Police confirmed pretty early on that nothing was stolen in the home, reinforcing the idea
that this crime was personal rather than a burglary that just went south.
And that's burglary, say that fast three times.
Now to why was there no arrest?
(23:54):
Now as I said a little earlier, Kenneth began to recover from his injuries and his memory
slowly started to come back.
He identified three people who believes were the unknown assailants responsible for his
mother's murder and his assault.
If this is accurate, why has nobody been arrested or to our knowledge even questioned?
(24:17):
Police say they have physical evidence but are choosing not to share their findings with
the community and fine.
But why has the case remained cold all these years?
If that is the case, was any DNA found on the murder weapon?
I have a hard time believing nothing or none of these questions have ever been answered.
(24:39):
And if they have, why aren't investigators giving the public something to at least bring
some attention to the case?
I can't repeat that enough.
No composite sketches, no release suspect details.
Why the silence?
Could this be due to the killers living in the community?
(25:00):
We just don't know.
And I think that's been the most frustrating part about this case is that because there's
so many unanswered questions and no theories, your mind just wanders.
Fast forward 25 years and the Carrollton community remains shaken by the murder and Laneshia's
(25:21):
high school classmates still talk about it until this day.
At a recent reunion, investigator Hulsey, who not only was working her case, but was a former
classmate of Laneshia's reminded everyone of the lingering injustice.
And still people can wrap their head around what happened that quiet August weekend in
(25:43):
2000.
Lanisha's case has never been solved and her family, her kids have never received any
resolution regarding their mother's death.
And they've had to live with the trauma of their mother being murdered right in front
of their eyes for over two decades.
(26:04):
Seven year old Kenneth being brutally assaulted and left her dead and taller lyric putting
band-aids on her mother's wounds.
Not quite understanding what events just took place.
As of the recording of this episode, we have no update in the case and no suspects or person
or persons of interest have been publicly named.
(26:27):
Laneshia was 21 when she was murdered and she would be 46 years old today.
Now here's the call to action.
Silence protects the guilty, but justice demands a voice.
Lanisha Crowder was brutally taken from this world and somewhere out there, her killer
or killers have been able to walk free more than the number of years she was alive on
(26:52):
this earth.
This isn't just another name, another case, another statistic.
This is someone's mom, someone's daughter, someone's sister, someone whose life was
stolen far too soon.
And right now, her family is left with nothing but grief and unanswered questions.
(27:14):
A reward of $8,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the
person or people responsible for Laneshia's murder.
If you have any information, please contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Region
2 at area code 706-565-7888, or reach out to the Carroll County Sheriff's Office at
(27:41):
area code 770-830-5888.
I hate that this case is still cold, but we can do our part to ensure Lanisha's story
doesn't fade away.
Her life mattered, her justice matters, and it starts with someone willing to speak up.
(28:03):
I'm sending so much light and love to the Crowder family.
Thank you for tuning in to Episode 7 of Forgotten Echoes.
Please do me a favor and show your support by following the podcast, liking, subscribing,
and sharing this episode.
If you feel so inclined to do so, please leave a 5-star review on whatever platform you're
(28:25):
listening to this episode from.
It really does help.
I'm Raven Siyad, and I'll see you next week with another case that needs to be remembered.
Stay vigilant, stay aware, and keep the echoes of the forgotten alive.
I'll see you soon.
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