Who are Nathan and Denise Leuthold? Details explored ahead of Dateline: Unforgettable on Oxygen

Dateline Unforgettable Deadly Valentine investigates the murder of Denise Leuthold on February 14, 2013, in Peoria, Illinois. The shocking murder of Denise by her husband Nathan shook the quiet community of Peoria. The original Dateline Unforgettable Deadly Valentine episode aired on August 9, 2023. The NBC Dateline Unforgettable show is currently being re-aired on Oxygen.

Denise Leuthold, 39 years old and a mother of three, was found shot dead at the doorway of her home. She had been struck down by a bullet from a 0.40 caliber gun. What was supposed to be a celebration of love for her and her husband Nathan Leuthold had turned lethal. Behind the facade of their marriage, Nathan, a former Baptist missionary, had been hiding a secret — an affair with the 21-year-old Aina Dobilaite. On IMDb, the synopsis of the Dateline episode that aired on July 12, 2019 reads:

"For a day that ended so tragically, it started with roses. Nathan and Denise Leuthold had known each other since grade school. Together they built their family on faith, but suddenly one of them was dead and the other was under suspicion."

Let us delve into the details of Dateline Unforgettable episode Deadly Valentine.

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Who were Nathan and Dennis Leuthold as shown in Dateline?

Nathan and Denise Leuthold were childhood sweethearts who first met at Faith Baptist Christian School in Peoria, Illinois. The couple eventually fell in love and was married in July 1995. With three children and years of shared memories, their bond seemed unbreakable until secrets and betrayals shattered the relationship.

The couple shared a deep commitment to religion, leading them to serve as missionaries in Europe. They went to Lithuania and formed close bonds with the locals including Aina Dobilaite, a local teenager who was quite close to the Leutholds. They even sponsored Aina for college in the U.S.

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How was Denise Leuthold killed as shown in Dateline?

On Valentine's Day 2013, Denise Leuthold, 39, was shot in the head as she entered her home in Peoria, Illinois. The mother of three had just returned after meeting her parents and dropping her youngest child at daycare.

Investigators initially suspected burglary, because items like a laptop, jewelry, and a 0.40 caliber handgun were missing. However, the investigators soon found inconsistencies, such as Denise was lying on her car keys but the car had been driven to a nearby park, and the duplicate key was found in a trash can. The kitchen was also ransacked, which to the detectives was quite unusual. They realized that a crime scene was staged for them, to avert attention from the actual crime.

Forensic and Nathan Leuthold's suspicious behavior on the day of Denise Leuthold's murder made him a prime suspect, according to the episode. Nathan and Aina denied any romantic involvement during the investigation of the murder. However, the evidence suggested otherwise.

Nathan frequently visited Aina in college, and accompanied her to wax appointments and hotel stays. Aina was even suspended due to inappropriate behavior with the sponsor. All these pointed towards their involvement in the murder of Denise Leuthold. Detectives also found a note written by Denise in which she accused Nathan of humiliating her by running around with a 20-year-old.

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Nathan Leuthold sentenced to 80 years in prison for killing Denise Leuthold

Nathan Leuthold was convicted of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to 80 years in prison by the Peoria County State's Attorney Jerry Brady. The attorney clarified that on the fateful day, Nathan drove his car to the nearby park and walked to the house to wait for his wife to return. He then shot his wife, Denise, scattered the kitchen items, took the laptop, and drove the car to the park. He staged the entire crime scene to make it look like a burglary.

A fellow inmate testified that Nathan revealed to him that killing Denise was a Valentine's Day gift for Aina. However, Nathan denied the claim and insisted that he loved his wife and could never hurt her. Nathan is currently serving time at the Illinois Department of Corrections.

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