LaNell Barsock’s life ended tragically at the age of 29, at the hands of Larena Austin, a person she considered a friend. On June 16, 2012, Austin took Barsock’s life by shooting him at close range and tried to hide the grim truth from the police as long as possible.
Life interrupted
LaNell Barsock, a registered nurse living in Palmdale, California, has lived a life of promise (via True Crime Daily). In 2012, she was romantically involved with two different men and connected with Larene Austin through Craigslist. The two began an open romantic relationship that quickly progressed (via Spiky TV). Austin expressed his desire to move in with Barsock after only a few weeks of dating, prompted by her financial difficulties and unemployment.
Seeking revenge
When Barsock decided to end their relationship, Austin’s emotions turned to revenge. One fateful day, while sewing a weave into her ex-girlfriend’s hair, Austin used a pillow to muffle the sound and fired a 9mm handgun at Barsock (via True Crime Daily).
Shifting the blame onto innocent parties
At first, Larene Austin’s plan seemed to involve putting LaNell Barsock’s lifeless body in her car, stealing her valuables and hiding the evidence in the desert (via True Crime Daily ). However, when Austin couldn’t move the body, she shifted the blame to Louis Bonheuer, one of Barsock’s guys. She wrote a note that was meant to appear to be from Barsock, explaining that she was leaving Bonheuer for another man she was dating. The message read: “Dear Louis, I’m leaving you for another guy I was dating. Don’t try to find me.”
In a state of panic, Larene Austin rushed to the local police station, claiming to have heard Barsock and Bonheuer arguing (via The Cinemaholic). Then she brought the police back to the scene of the crime.
The web of fraud is unraveling
After examining the scene, police quickly realized that Austin’s story was inconsistent with the evidence. Efforts were made to clean up the blood, and Barsock’s lifeless body was moved from one room to another, leading investigators to suspect foul play and staging. In a significant omission, Austin left behind black gloves bearing her fingerprints and forgot to pick up several hairpins, directly pointing to her presence at the crime scene. Her motivation was not only to end Barsock’s life, but also to get revenge for Barsock’s choice of Bonheuer over her.
Escape to Belize
Larene Austin wrote a fake message from LaNell Barsock to her boyfriend Louis Bonheuer, in which she falsely stated that she was leaving him, all in an attempt to shift the blame (according to True Crime Daily). However, Bonheuer quickly provided an alibi by producing two receipts from his trip to Los Angeles on the day of the murder. He was away from Palmdale at the time of the crime. Barsock had another boyfriend who could also provide an alibi, eliminating both as potential suspects. Therefore, Larene Austin emerged as the prime suspect.
According to The Antelope Valley Times, when Austin realized that Barsocka’s boyfriends would not be framed for the crime, she fled the country. Her case was featured on an episode of “America’s Most Wanted” in 2012, which eventually led to her arrest in Belize.
According to Leagle, Austin was sentenced to prison terms ranging from 50 years to life for the murder of LaNell Barsock.
Lost innocence and life behind bars
The tragic story of LaNell Barsock serves as a grim reminder of how betrayal and revenge can lead to devastating consequences. LaRene Austin’s actions not only took Barsock’s life, but also resulted in her imprisonment, a clear illustration of the destructive power of unresolved anger and revenge.