The Terrifying Story Of Laura Wallen

The true crime podcast 'TruRed CRIME' presents the harrowing story of Laura Wallen, a 31-year-old social studies teacher at Wild Lake High School in Columbia, Maryland, who vanished on September 5, 2017, just before the start of the school year. Pregnant with her boyfriend Tyler Tessier’s child, Laura was last seen on Labor Day weekend during a mysterious trip to a remote field in Damascus, Maryland. Her family and community launched a widespread search, with her sister Jennifer Coddy being one of the last to communicate with her. Despite conflicting statements from Tessier, who claimed she had left him angry and that he was supposed to meet her at a mall café, police soon suspected his involvement. A breakthrough came when a driver’s license and cell phone were found in a dumpster near Gramercy Place Apartments, and surveillance confirmed Tessier was with Laura at a Safeway store just days before her disappearance. After a 10-day search, detectives discovered a shallow grave on a farm property where Tessier had access to a slaughterhouse and four .22 caliber rifles. He was arrested and confessed to shooting Laura in the back of the head—executing her like an animal—after she threatened to expose his secret relationship with another woman, Christina Wagner. Tessier later admitted he shot her again to ensure she was dead. The case took a tragic turn when Tessier was found dead in his jail cell just hours before his trial was set to begin, having committed suicide. His death sparked outrage from Laura’s family, who described him as a lifelong liar and absentee figure. In her memory, her parents established a scholarship fund and successfully advocated for a new law protecting pregnant women from murder, which was signed into law two years after her death. The episode serves as both a memorial and a warning about the dangers of emotional manipulation and domestic deception. The story underscores the profound impact Laura had on her students, colleagues, and community. Her students remembered her as a nurturing, dedicated educator who went above and beyond. Vigils were held, flyers were distributed, and the school community rallied around her family. Her posthumous Teacher of the Year award was accepted by her parents, a bittersweet tribute to a woman whose life was cut short by betrayal and violence. The podcast emphasizes how Tessier’s lies and dual relationships created a web of deception that ultimately led to murder. The episode ends with a call to awareness, urging listeners to remain vigilant and recognize the red flags of emotional abuse and control in relationships.