A man convicted of gruesomely killing his girlfriend has disclosed the chilling motive behind the heinous act as he receives a life sentence.
In 2024, residents reported an unusual odor emanating from a nearby apartment, prompting law enforcement to investigate. Upon arrival, police found the body of Genna Rae LaCombe, 52, wrapped in various materials on the porch, left to decompose for several days. Inside the residence, Shane Levi Cole Roberts was apprehended hiding in a closet with a dog.
The coroner’s report revealed that LaCombe had sustained numerous stab wounds, including one that nearly decapitated her. Roberts, aged 46, was handed an 85-year prison term after admitting to intentional homicide.
During the extensive sentencing proceeding, prosecutors presented substantial evidence, including Roberts’ callous justification for the brutal crime. Investigators uncovered photos on Roberts’ phone depicting his girlfriend’s bloodied body in a bathtub, dated approximately nine days before the gruesome discovery. Additionally, authorities recovered two bloodied knives, a hatchet, and a hammer.
Moreover, Roberts confessed to his mother from prison, admitting to the murder, alleging that LaCombe had provoked him. The couple had been in a relationship for about two years and shared a residence in Billings, Montana.
A forensic psychologist’s evaluation revealed that Roberts struggled with substance abuse and major depressive disorder. However, the assessment did not deem him mentally incompetent at the time of the offense.
Although prosecutors and Roberts’ defense counsel had agreed to a 70-year sentence, Judge Colette Davies imposed an additional 15 years, emphasizing to Roberts that his actions were far from love but rather an abomination.
LaCombe is survived by two children, as stated in her obituary, which highlighted her passion for arts and crafts, cooking, and 80s music.
In a separate case, the mother of a brutally murdered teenager, whose killer is up for parole, vows to prevent his release, as he has not disclosed the whereabouts of the victim’s head. Despite being deemed too dangerous for release following his earlier conviction, a review board will assess the possibility of parole for the offender, prompting the victim’s determined mother to advocate against his release.