A man who almost decapitated his girlfriend has disclosed the dark motivation behind the brutal slaying as he is sentenced to life in prison.
In 2024, neighbors raised concerns about a peculiar odor emanating from a nearby apartment, prompting police to investigate. Upon arrival, law enforcement found the body of 52-year-old Genna Rae LaCombe on the porch, wrapped in various materials and left to decompose. Shane Levi Cole Roberts was apprehended after being found hiding in a closet with a dog.
A coroner’s report indicated that LaCombe had suffered multiple stab wounds, with one nearly severing her head. Roberts, 46, received an 85-year prison term for the homicide after admitting to the crime.
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors presented significant evidence, including Roberts’ callous motive for the heinous act. Photos on Roberts’s phone depicted his girlfriend’s bloodied body in a bathtub, dated approximately nine days before the discovery of her remains. Additionally, police recovered bloody knives, a hatchet, and a hammer.
Following his arrest, Roberts confessed to his mother over the phone from Yellowstone County Jail, stating that LaCombe had provoked him. The couple had been in a relationship for around two years and shared a residence in Billings, Montana.
A forensic psychologist who evaluated Roberts noted his substance abuse and major depressive disorder but concluded that he was cognizant of his actions at the time of the offense.
Although prosecutors and Roberts’ defense counsel agreed to a 70-year sentence, Judge Colette Davies imposed an additional 15 years, condemning Roberts’ actions as an “abomination.” Despite claims of love, the judge emphasized that the crime was not an act of love.
Genna LaCombe, survived by two children, was remembered in her obituary for her dedication as a mother and her passion for hobbies like arts and crafts, cooking, and 80s music.
In a separate incident, the mother of a teenager who was brutally dismembered and dumped in a bin vows to oppose any potential parole for the convicted killer, Stuart Diamond, who has refused to disclose the victim’s whereabouts. Diamond, deemed too dangerous for release following his conviction in 1999, faces a parole review, with the victim’s determined mother fighting to keep him incarcerated.
Jean Hartley, mourning her son’s tragic death, expressed her family’s devastation and her resolve to prevent Diamond’s release, citing the ongoing pain and fear caused by the murder. She emphasized the emotional toll on her family and her commitment to ensuring Diamond remains behind bars.
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