In late July 2021, a domestic incident in La Porte, Indiana, resulted in the death of 34-year-old Randy Allen inside the Maple Tree Apartments he shared with his wife, Thessalonica Allen, and her two children. The argument reportedly began after Randy saw a social media post on his wife’s computer and escalated into gunfire. Children in the home told investigators they heard a loud bang and found Randy bleeding and pleading for help; their mother allegedly instructed them not to call 911 and sent them back to their rooms. An autopsy found a single gunshot to an arm that entered the torso, struck the spinal cord, left him immobilized, and caused fatal blood loss.

What followed was an extensive attempt to conceal the death. Prosecutors say Thessalonica woke her under-16 children that night to assist and later purchased cleaning supplies and an ax, dismembering Randy’s legs when his body would not fit in a tote. The dismembered remains were later found in a closet in one child’s room. Thessalonica allegedly contacted an ex-partner, showed him the body, and asked for help disposing of it; he instead alerted police.

Did anyone in La Porte know the Allens well enough to shed light on what led to that night?