Who had a motive to stage this farm accident? On August 1, 2017, 60-year-old Lori Lynn left her home in Ravenna, Ohio, to pick up her mother, Wanda Pullin, at their family property on Shannon Road in Liberty Township. She planned to take her mother to the Trumbull County Courthouse to complete some paperwork related to property records. However, upon arriving, Lori found her mother was not at home, and after briefly leaving, she returned later that day.
Her car was observed on security cameras pulling in and parking behind a barn, in an area covered in glass and construction debris, which struck her family as highly unusual. The following day, her brother and ex-husband found her body face-down on a small tractor, partially submerged in one of the property ponds. The initial assessment by authorities was that Lori had accidentally driven into the pond, leading to her death.
The investigation took a significant turn in 2018 when Trumbull County Coroner Humphrey Germaniuk changed the cause of death from accidental to homicide, stating that the scene appeared staged. The coroner further revealed that Lori had no water in her lungs, indicating that she likely died before entering the water. The staged nature of the scene, along with her expertise in operating heavy machinery—having worked as an equipment operator for decades—convinced both the coroner and her family that Lori's death was not accidental but rather a deliberate act. Despite these findings, the case faced multiple investigative challenges, including claims that key pieces of evidence, such as the tractor Lori was found on, were not properly processed for DNA evidence and were later scrapped.
The family has since hired a private investigator and former FBI agent, Bob Friedrick, to help bring attention to the case. They have also taken legal action against Liberty Township officials, citing negligence and mishandling of evidence, though the federal lawsuit was eventually dismissed. Family members have launched a website, "WhoKilledLoriLynn.com," to solicit tips and bring public attention to the unsolved homicide. Despite these efforts, the case remains unsolved, and Lori's daughters continue to seek justice, emphasizing the need for any new information that could lead to identifying her killer. The family believes someone might know more about what happened and are encouraging those with information to come forward.
The situation has left a lasting impact on Lori Lynn's family, who describe her as the backbone of their family, a woman who enjoyed only one year of retirement before her life was tragically cut short. Her daughters, Samantha and Corrie, have expressed their deep sorrow and determination to find justice for their mother, emphasizing her role as a caring leader and role model in their lives. The investigation remains open, with hopes that renewed attention might finally solve this tragic case.
