The Neighbour From Hell: ‘Dateline’ uncovers unravels the chilling crime that shocked a community
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: When Lauren Giddings was murdered in the quiet town of Macon, Georgia, it unraveled a chilling tale of betrayal and horror. A dear former Mercer University student, the disappearance of Lauren sent her friends and family on a vigorous search that finally would lead to uncovering the gruesome crime.
Now, 'Dateline: Smoking Gun' will leave nothing out in this case of neighbor Stephen McDaniel, who knew Lauren and had ulterior motives. Events leading up to the investigation that ensued and details of the shocking crime are woven together in this graphic episode that left a scar on the town. Through police insight, expert testimony, and first-hand accounts from those who knew Lauren, the episode develops how such a normal neighbor could commit such an unimaginable act and change so many lives forever.
Who is Stephen McDaniel?
Stephen Mark McDaniel was born in 1985 and came into the limelight after committing the murder of his neighbor and classmate from Mercer University, Lauren Giddings, in Macon, Georgia. McDaniel and Giddings were neighbors, living next to each other; they knew each other somewhat well, having been classmates at school.
On June 26, 2011, McDaniel committed the heinous crime of breaking into Giddings' apartment in the early morning by using a master key. He then attacked her while she was sleeping and eventually strangled her to death. After murdering her, he dismembered her body with a hacksaw and disposed of her remains in a dumpster and other locations. The majority of Giddings' remains were never found.
How did Stephen McDaniel know Lauren Giddings?
Both Stephen McDaniel and Lauren Giddings studied at Mercer University, which is located in the city of Macon, Georgia. They attended the same university and thus shared the same academic environment. This provided ample opportunities to meet on campus. Moreover, McDaniel and Giddings stayed in the same apartment building, whereby the advantage of proximity gave way to becoming more acquainted with each other. They were not in close relations due to age difference but McDaniel later revealed stalking Giddings for months before plotting her murder.
In the months leading up to Giddings' death, McDaniel had been acting suspiciously as if he were obsessed with her. Investigators learned that he had been conducting Internet searches about Giddings and made videos of her secretly. That kind of obsessive behavior would show he was keeping close tabs on her when there was no close relationship between them.
When did Lauren Giddings go missing?
Lauren Giddings was last seen on June 26, 2011, one of those days that had started just like any other for her as a recent law school graduate. However, after that date, she never came back home or communicated with her friends and family, raising the concern of her loved ones. She was reported missing four days later, on June 30, 2011, when friends and family realized they hadn't heard from her and were unable to find her in her apartment.
In the initial investigation, the police found her dismembered torso in a dumpster near her apartment complex, confirming the worst fears of those searching for her in the most tragic way. It was this that finally directed investigators to focus their attention on the neighbor, a former classmate of Giddings who had disturbingly obsessed over her: Stephen McDaniel. His subsequent arrest and confession to the crime led to his conviction, a sad ending to find Lauren.
Why did Stephen McDaniel kill Lauren Giddings?
Stephen McDaniel harbored an obsessive crush on Lauren Giddings, which escalated into a violent desire to possess and control her. The neighbors and former classmates at Mercer University, McDaniel had been observing and collecting information about Giddings for an extended period of time.
In the early morning hours of June 26, 2011, he let himself into her apartment while she slept using a master key. He intended to overpower her and leave her no chance to resist him. After he strangled her to death, he grossly mutilated her body as a means to destroy evidence of the crime. Investigations also established that McDaniel had videotaped Giddings without her knowledge, had followed her, and therefore his crime was premeditated. This obsession ultimately led to the terrible end of Lauren.
Police found Lauren Giddings’ dismembered body in his apartment
Lauren Giddings, 27, was reported missing on June 30, 2011, after failing to show up to work. Concerned friends and family called the police, which kicked off an investigation into her disappearance. Cops searching the area in theúsqueda for her found her torso- wrapped in plastic- in a dumpster across from Mercer University, where she went to school.
Evidence was found in McDaniel's apartment-a hacksaw among other things he used to dismember her body-that linked him to the murder. Moreover, videos found on his computer depicted him stalking Giddings and thus had been watching her obsessively for quite a long period of time. Soon after, it was determined that McDaniel was connected with the crime; he was arrested and convicted of her murder in due course.
Stephen McDaniel pled guilty in 2014
Stephen McDaniel pleaded guilty to the murder of Lauren Giddings in 2014, as part of a plea bargain that enabled him to avoid trial. He agreed to reveal how he carried out the crime in return for his plea of guilt.
Following McDaniel's guilty plea, detectives had collected a plethora of evidence against him, including videos of McDaniel stalking Giddings and forensic evidence from his apartment. Under the agreement, he was serving a life sentence with the first possibility of parole after 30 years.
Uncover Giddings' tragic murder in 'Dateline: The Smoking Gun' on Thursday, October 31 at 8 pm on Oxygen.
