Introducing "Blood and Water"

Blood and Water, a new true crime podcast from ABC Audio and 2020, tells the harrowing story of Leslie Prier, a mother and part-time office worker from Chevy Chase, Maryland, who was brutally murdered in her home on May 2, 2001. The episode opens with Stephanie Ramos, the host, setting the scene: a seemingly idyllic suburban life shattered when Leslie fails to show up for work. Her boss, Brett Reedy, grows concerned and visits her home, where he discovers a gruesome crime scene filled with blood, signs of attempted cleanup, and a mysterious open basement door—only to find it was the family dog. The discovery of Leslie’s body in the shower, with evidence of blunt force trauma and a scalding hot water attempt to erase traces, marks the beginning of a decades-long investigation. Suspicion quickly falls on her husband, Sandy Prier, who appears eerily calm and offers inconsistent explanations. Despite no signs of forced entry and a lack of clear motive, Sandy becomes the prime suspect. The episode builds tension through personal recollections from Leslie’s daughter Lauren, who describes a loving, close relationship with her mother, and from Brett, who recounts the visceral horror of the scene. The autopsy confirms homicide, not accident, and the case becomes a cold case that haunts the community. The episode ends with the chilling realization that justice would be delayed for over 20 years—until advances in forensic technology would finally reveal the truth. The narrative is both intimate and suspenseful, blending personal grief with the slow unraveling of a mystery that defied logic.