A California man who discarded his wife’s legs in a dumpster before assuming her identity to open credit cards and sell their home has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for her murder, San Diego County officials confirmed Friday.
Jack Dennis Potter, 72, pleaded guilty in February to the second-degree murder of his wife, Laurie Diane Potter, who was 54 at the time of her death. Her partial remains were found nearly 22 years ago in a Rancho San Diego dumpster, but her identity remained unknown for more than a decade.
The discovery was made by a maintenance worker on Oct. 5, 2003, who called authorities after finding two human legs. Despite efforts at the time, the victim could not be identified, and the case went cold. It was reopened in 2020 by cold case detectives, who used new DNA technology to trace the remains to Laurie Potter.
Detective Troy DuGal, who led the investigation, noted that no missing persons report had ever been filed. “Nobody knew except for one guy,” he said in a 2021 briefing. Investigators believe Potter was the only person who knew what happened to his wife during the 17 years the case remained unsolved.
Authorities said Potter killed Laurie amid an infatuation with another woman he met at a strip club—who was also named Laurie. Following the murder, he fraudulently opened financial accounts in his wife’s name, purchased luxury items, and sold their home, pocketing the proceeds.
Investigation reopened after new DNA technology linked body to victim
In addition to buying a pickup truck and a ski boat, Potter used the funds to lavish gifts on his new girlfriend, including a Hummer SUV, an apartment, and a credit card with a $30,000 limit. He also filed for divorce from Laurie Potter after her death, a move that authorities say helped conceal the crime.
The case broke in 2020 after DNA extracted from the remains was used to locate relatives, ultimately confirming the legs belonged to Laurie Diane Potter. That led investigators back to Jack Potter, who was arrested in 2021.
On Friday, he was sentenced in a San Diego County courtroom and will be in his 80s even if he serves the minimum term of the sentence. Prosecutors said the sentence marked the end of a decades-long deception.
Cold case detectives credited advances in forensic genealogy for helping bring closure in a case that had no known witnesses or missing persons report.
