In the quiet suburbs of Knoxville, Tennessee, the life of 57-year-old David Leath, a popular local barber, came to a sudden and violent end on March 13, 2003. He was found in the bedroom of the home he shared with his wife, Raynella Dossett Leath, with a single gunshot wound to the head. This white male, who had recently been diagnosed with early-onset dementia, was initially thought to have taken his own life, a narrative put forth by his wife who claimed he was despondent over his health.
However, the scene in the couple's bedroom soon began to tell a different story to investigators. The medical examiner ruled David Leath's death a homicide, sparking a lengthy and complex investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal gunshot. It was discovered that three shots had been fired from the. 38 caliber Colt revolver found at the scene, a detail that seemed inconsistent with a suicide. Prosecutors would later argue that Raynella, a former nurse, had drugged her husband before shooting him and staging the scene to look like he had ended his own life.
The investigation into David Leath's death also cast a new light on the death of Raynella's first husband, former Knox County District Attorney Ed Dossett, who had died in 1992. Initially ruled an agricultural accident where he was trampled by cattle, a renewed investigation revealed suspiciously high levels of morphine in his system. This led to accusations that Raynella had a hand in both her husbands' deaths, earning her the moniker of a 'black widow.'
Raynella Dossett Leath was eventually charged with the first-degree murder of David Leath. Her legal journey was a tumultuous one, involving multiple trials. The first trial in 2009 ended with a hung jury, unable to reach a unanimous verdict. A second trial in 2010 resulted in a conviction for premeditated first-degree murder, and she was sentenced to life in prison. However, this conviction was later overturned due to the misconduct of the presiding judge, who was struggling with a drug addiction.
In 2017, Raynella faced a third trial for the murder of David Leath. In a stunning turn of events, the judge directed a verdict of acquittal, stating that the prosecution had failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove her guilt. After years of suspicion, trials, and time served in prison, Raynella Dossett Leath was released. The charges related to the death of her first husband were dropped following her conviction in the Leath case and were not refiled after her acquittal. The ashes of David Leath were laid to rest on the seventh anniversary of his death, leaving behind a case filled with lingering questions and a daughter who continues to believe her father was murdered.
