Terror in Park Slope: The Story of Amanda Leach and Sylvia Lugo

Explicit content warning

06/23/24 • 26 min

On July 5, 1995, a disturbing 911 call was placed by a Park Slope resident, reporting that she had been assaulted and shot by a man who had broken into the apartment she shared with her girlfriend. When police responded, they could hear someone screaming inside the apartment for help, but the door was locked. It took several moments for the caller to reach the door to let them in, and what they would find inside was a horrible scene. This episode covers the vicious attack on Amanda Leach and Sylvia Lugo, that would leave Sylvia sadly deceased and Amanda looked at as the main suspect. Meanwhile the person actually responsible was left to continue to wreak havoc on Park Slope. This episode will discuss aspects of sexual violence, domestic violence and crime victimization. Please see the resources below if you or someone you know have been personally impacted by any of these.

Episode Transcript⁠

⁠⁠⁠Check out our Patreon Page!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

For all episode sources and additional information about this case, please check out our episode page following this⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LINK⁠⁠⁠.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠

Don't forget you can also follow the show on the following Social Media Platforms

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠New York's Dark Side⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@NYDarkSidePod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@NYDarkSidePod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have feedback or want to get in contact with Amanda? Reach out via email at [email protected]

If you are in need of additional support/resources or want to get involved in supporting any of the organizations discussed in this episode you can reach out to:

RAINN- 1-800-656-HOPE, online.rainn.org y rainn.org/es

Domestic Violence Hotline- 1-800-799-7223, text the word 'start' to 88788 or visit thehotline.org

National Center for Victims of Crime- victimsofcrime.org

Anti-Violence Program- ⁠https://avp.org⁠

If you are having thoughts of self harm or suicide, You can reach a specialized LGBTQI+ affirming counselor by texting “Q” to 988 or by calling 988 and pressing “3.”

The intro theme for this podcast are sections of Nightmare Machine by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), CC BY 3.0 <⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠>, via Wikimedia Commons

Episode Transcript⁠

⁠⁠⁠Check out our Patreon Page!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

For all episode sources and additional information about this case, please check out our episode page following this⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LINK⁠⁠⁠.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠

Don't forget you can also follow the show on the following Social Media Platforms

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠New York's Dark Side⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@NYDarkSidePod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@NYDarkSidePod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have feedback or want to get in contact with Amanda? Reach out via email at [email protected]

If you are in need of additional support/resources or want to get involved in supporting any of the organizations discussed in this episode you can reach out to:

RAINN- 1-800-656-HOPE, online.rainn.org y rainn.org/es

Domestic Violence Hotline- 1-800-799-7223, text the word 'start' to 88788 or visit thehotline.org

National Center for Victims of Crime- victimsofcrime.org

Anti-Violence Program- ⁠https://avp.org⁠

If you are having thoughts of self harm or suicide, You can reach a specialized LGBTQI+ affirming counselor by texting “Q” to 988 or by calling 988 and pressing “3.”

Previous Episode

The Legacy of Julio Rivera

On July 2, 1990, Jackson Heights resident Alan Sack had stopped while walking home to speak with a friend after parting ways with his life partner Julio Rivera about 20 minutes earlier near Public School 69 on 78th Street when they were approached by a panicked man yelling that a man was being murdered in the nearby school yard. The group started running in the direction of the school yard and what they would find would alter not only the lives of the group but would lead to the first prosecutions and convictions for a hate crime in New York State and spur a flurry of pro-LGBTQ changes across the state and the nation. In this episode we delve into the life and legacy of 29 year old Julio Rivera whose life was brutally taken from him in a senseless act of hate and violence. The act would unite the LGBTQ community in Queens to have the first successful march in Queens and lead to the start of the Queens pride parade that still takes place today.

Episode Transcript

⁠⁠Check out our Patreon Page!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

For all episode sources and additional information about this case, please check out our episode page following this⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LINK⁠⁠⁠.⁠ ⁠⁠

Don't forget you can also follow the show on the following Social Media Platforms

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠New York's Dark Side⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@NYDarkSidePod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@NYDarkSidePod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have feedback or want to get in contact with Amanda? Reach out via email at [email protected]

If you are in need of additional support/resources or want to get involved in supporting any of the organizations discussed in this episode you can reach out to:

Anti-Violence Program- https://avp.org

If you are having thoughts of self harm or suicide, You can reach a specialized LGBTQI+ affirming counselor by texting “Q” to 988 or by calling 988 and pressing “3.”

The intro theme for this podcast are sections of Nightmare Machine by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), CC BY 3.0 <⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠>, via Wikimedia Commons

Next Episode

What happened to Corrie Anderson, Marquita Mull, & Patricia Laemmerhirt?

On Tuesday October 28, 2008, 36-year-old Corrie Anderson would vanish without a trace. That morning she had worked her normal shift at Jamestown Community College, where she worked part time in the library, before stopping to visit her boyfriend at the car dealership where she worked. She would stop home before all signs of her vanished. There's been no trace of her since. In 2021 two sets of human remains would be found 10 yards apart of the Rails to Trails path in Portland, NY. While neither them would prove to be Corrie, they also lead to three additional mysteries. What happened to Corrie Anderson, Marquita Mull, & Patricia Laemmerhirt? And who is the Rails to Trails Jane Doe?

If you have any information about Corrie Anderson's disappearance, please call NYSP at 716-665-3114.

If you have any information about Marquita Mull or the Rails to Trails Jane Doe, please call Chautauqua County Sheriff’s office at 716-753-4973 or you can send an email to [email protected]

If you have any information about the disappearance of Patricia Laemmerhirt, please call NYSP-Fredonia at 716-679-1549.

You can join the Justice for Marquita Mull Facebook Group here: https://www.facebook.com/share/ALzGNYypVY2NMcda/

Be sure to also check out the Facebook Group WNY Missing and Unidentified Persons:

https://www.facebook.com/wnymissingandunidentifiedpersons

And a Facebook Group to help Find Corrie Anderson:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1362627964213519

Episode Transcript

⁠⁠⁠Check out our Patreon Page!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

For all episode sources and additional information about this case, please check out our episode page following this⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LINK⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠

Don't forget you can also follow the show on the following Social Media Platforms

Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠New York's Dark Side⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@NYDarkSidePod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@NYDarkSidePod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Have feedback or want to get in contact with Amanda? Reach out via email at [email protected]

If you are in need of additional support/resources or want to get involved in supporting any of the organizations discussed in this episode you can reach out to:

RAINN- 1-800-656-HOPE, ⁠online.rainn.org⁠ y ⁠rainn.org/es⁠

Domestic Violence Hotline- 1-800-799-7223, text the word 'start' to 88788 or visit ⁠thehotline.org⁠

The intro theme for this podcast are sections of Nightmare Machine by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), CC BY 3.0 <⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠>, via Wikimedia Commons