In the summer of 1967, the life of 22-year-old Deanna Buse was tragically cut short in a senseless act of violence that marked the beginning of a deadly crime spree. On August 18, the young woman from Monroe, Washington, was driving near Echo Lake when she was cruelly deceived by two 18-year-old men, Thomas Eugene Braun and Leonard Eugene Maine. The pair flagged her down, pretending there was an issue with her tire.
When she pulled over to investigate, they seized their opportunity, forcing her into their vehicle at gunpoint.
With one of the assailants driving Buse's own car, they transported her to a desolate, wooded area near Echo Lake. There, she was forced to remove her clothing before being shot multiple times. Her body was left in the woods, not to be discovered until her killers, apprehended for later crimes, confessed and led authorities to the location. Buse was the first victim in a violent rampage that would span three states.
After murdering Deanna Buse, Braun and Maine stole her car and headed south to Oregon. Their path of violence continued when they encountered Samuel Ledgerwood, whom they also killed to steal his vehicle. They then set Buse's car ablaze and proceeded to California. In California, they abducted a young couple, Timothy Luce and Susan Bartolemei. They robbed and shot Luce, killing him, and after assaulting Bartolemei, they shot her and left her for dead. Miraculously, she survived and was able to provide crucial information to law enforcement that led to the capture of her attackers.
The multi-state manhunt for Braun and Maine ended in Jamestown, California, where they were found with their last victim's car and arrested. Following their capture, they were extradited to Washington to face charges for the murder of Deanna Buse. Both were convicted for their roles in the crime spree. Thomas Braun was initially sentenced to death, though this was later commuted to a life sentence; he died in prison from cancer. Leonard Maine received a life sentence and also died in prison.
