San Diego man receives sentence for 2003 murder of wife; disposed of severed legs in trash.
A Southern California man has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for the 2003 murder of his wife, whose dismembered legs were discovered in a dumpster in San Diego. Jack Potter, 72, was convicted of the second-degree murder of his wife, Laurie Potter, after a lengthy investigation that concluded nearly two decades after her death.
Law enforcement authorities arrested Potter in May 2021, prompted by the reopening of the cold case. This revitalization was made possible by advancements in investigative genetic genealogy, a technology that was not accessible during the initial inquiry into Laurie Potter’s disappearance and subsequent homicide. Investigators believe that Laurie was killed around October 4 or October 5, 2003.
On October 5, 2003, sheriff’s deputies responded to a report from a maintenance worker at an apartment complex in Rancho San Diego, located approximately 20 miles east of downtown San Diego. The worker had discovered human remains in a dumpster. Following this grim discovery, the Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that the remains were indeed the legs of a woman, categorizing the case as a homicide. However, the exact cause of death could not be ascertained at that time.
Despite an exhaustive traditional investigation that failed to yield answers, the case remained unresolved for many years. It wasn’t until December 2020 that a breakthrough occurred; investigators successfully identified the victim as Laurie Potter after matching crime scene DNA with a national database.
Subsequent investigations provided compelling evidence linking Jack Potter to the murder. On May 12, 2021, he was taken into custody. In February 2025, following his guilty plea, he admitted to smothering his wife to death.
During the sentencing proceedings, Potter expressed remorse for his actions, asserting that he had loved his wife and lamenting that “emotions got the better” of him in that fateful moment. The case underscores the growing importance of forensic technology in solving cold cases and delivering justice, even years after the events transpired. This tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the complexities and challenges facing law enforcement in homicide investigations.
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