In the late summer of 2016, the life of 34-year-old Valerie Tieman was cut short in Fairfield, Maine. Her disappearance was first noted not by her husband, but by her parents, who lived out of state and reported her missing on September 9, 2016. What followed was an investigation that unraveled a web of deceit spun by her husband, Luc Tieman, ultimately leading to the discovery of a clandestine grave and a heartbreaking story of betrayal.
Initially, Luc Tieman, an Army veteran, told
police a story of a mundane shopping trip. He claimed he and Valerie went to a local Walmart on August 30, and when he came out of the store, she had vanished from their truck. As investigators began to probe, his narrative shifted. He later concocted a story that his wife had a drug problem and he had watched her overdose on heroin. He claimed he buried her out of a sense of panic and a desire to give her a "proper burial."
The truth, however, was far more sinister. On September 20, 2016, investigators discovered Valerie's body in a shallow grave in the woods behind the home of Luc Tieman's parents, where the couple had been living. An autopsy revealed that Valerie had not died of a drug overdose, although she had ingested some painkillers. The actual cause of death was two gunshot wounds, one to her head and another to her neck. The discovery of her body and the conclusive findings of the medical examiner led to the arrest of Luc Tieman the following day.
Further investigation and the subsequent trial brought more disturbing details to light. It was revealed that Luc Tieman had been having an affair and that messages about his infidelity had been sent to his wife. Buried with Valerie's body were a collection of peculiar items: a wedding band, a Mason jar with flowers, a bag of potato chips, a bottle of Gucci "Guilty" cologne, and a handwritten note. The note, signed with a nickname Luc Tieman said his wife used for him, had an apologetic tone. Ultimately, a jury found Luc Tieman guilty of murder, and he was sentenced to 55 years in prison for the death of his wife, a woman described by friends as vivacious and always looking on the bright side of everything.
