From Aspiring Marine to Serial Killer's Prey: The Story of Trineisha Dené Colomb

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23 year old Trinisha Danai
Colombe, a promising young

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soldier with aspirations to join
the Marines, was abducted from

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her home in Lafayette, LA on
November 21st, 2002.

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Her car, purse and keys were
found abandoned near the

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cemetery where her beloved
mother had been laid to rest

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just seven months earlier.
Three days later, a hunter made

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a gruesome discovery in the
woods of Scott, LA, Danai's

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lifeless body.
The scene was similar to that of

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the other victims of the Baton
Rouge serial killer, a man who

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evaded capture and terrorized
the city for months.

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But what set Danae apart was
that she was the only known

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victim outside of Baton Rouge
and the killer's usual target

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type.
She was a strong and beautiful

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African American woman.
Investigators initially

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dismissed the possibility that
Danae's murder was connected,

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but as details emerged about her
life, it became clear that she

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fit the killer's profile in
every way.

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A hunter would later recount
seeing a white Chevrolet step

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side pickup truck parked near
Denay's abandoned car at the

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time of her disappearance.
This detail matched descriptions

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of the killer's vehicle given by
witnesses in previous cases.

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It is believed that Denay may
have been visiting her mother's

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grave before being targeted by
the killer.

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Perhaps he saw her alone and
vulnerable and couldn't resist

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the opportunity to strike.
The killer was described as an

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angry and controlling white male
between 25 to 35 years old.

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But the truth?
He was a black man living with

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others and possibly working in a
physically demanding job away

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from public interaction.
He had a history of stalking and

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minor offenses, and closely
followed news coverage of his

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crimes.
But despite his calculated

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nature, he ultimately succumbed
to his impulsive urges and left

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behind a trail of bodies.
Eventually, he would be

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identified as Derek Todd Lee, or
the Baton Rouge serial killer,

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responsible for numerous murders
and rapes in the area before

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finally being brought to
justice.

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Welcome back to No Tears for
Black Girls.

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Today we delve into the
harrowing story of Trinisha Dene

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Colombe, a 23 year old aspiring
Marine whose dreams were

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tragically cut short.
Abducted from her home in

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Lafayette, LA and found lifeless
in the woods of Scott,

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Trinisha's case was initially
dismissed as unrelated to the

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notorious Baton Rouge serial
killings.

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However, as details emerged, it
became evident that she fit the

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profile of Derek Todd Lee, the
man behind the terror.

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Join us as we unravel the
complex tapestry of Lee's

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violent history, his eventual
capture, and the relentless hunt

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for justice that brought his
deadly spree to an end.

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This is the tale of Trenisha
Column and the Baton Rouge

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serial killer.
Born into a turbulent world on

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November 5th, 1968 in Saint
Francisville, Lee's childhood

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was plagued by abuse and neglect
at the hands of his stepfather

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while his mother turned a blind
eye.

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Struggling with mental
challenges, Lee was often

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ostracized and bullied by his
peers.

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But it wasn't until the age of
13 that his troubled life took a

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dark turn.
On November 8th, 1981, Lee was

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arrested for breaking into a
candy store and attacking a

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woman in front of his own
mother.

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A few years later, he found
himself in police custody again

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for suspicion of murder but
managed to evade conviction.

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He even resorted to burning his
own car for insurance money, but

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it seems like the plan
backfired.

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In 1988, Lee met Jacqueline
Sims, and they married in

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Solitude, Louisiana.
However, their relationship

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quickly deteriorated as Lee
became increasingly violent

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towards her.
In 1998, something inside Lee

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snapped, and he began a series
of violent attacks against

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women.
It all started with Randy Ma

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Brewer, whose body was never
recovered.

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Over the next six years, six
more women would fall victim to

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Lee's rage.
Despite repeatedly getting

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arrested for other crimes and
carrying out affairs behind his

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wife's back, Lee continued to
fly under the radar.

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But in May 2003, investigators
finally made a breakthrough when

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DNA evidence linked Lee to his
final victim, Kerry Yoder.

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After evading authorities by
fleeing to Chicago in Atlanta

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with his family, Lee was finally
apprehended thanks to the

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efforts of a joint FBI
Metropolitan Atlanta Police

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Force team.
As details about his extensive

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rap sheet came to light, the
Baton Rouge community erupted in

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anger over how long it took for
authorities to connect the dots

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and bring justice for Lee's
previous suspected victims.

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In the end, justice was served
as Lee was convicted for

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multiple murders and sentenced
to life in prison.

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The case of the Baton Rouge
serial killer will forever serve

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as a reminder of how even those
who fly under the radar can

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still be brought to justice.
ME Brewer's murder was just one

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in a string of violent attacks
that rocked the city.

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Authorities scrambled to make
sense of the chaos, but it

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wasn't until DNA evidence linked
Lee to the crime that they could

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finally breathe a sigh of
relief.

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However, their relief was short
lived as more victims were

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discovered, each one bearing
Lee's twisted signature.

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As the case unfolded, Lee faced
multiple charges, including

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seven counts of murder.
The families of his victims were

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shattered and exhausted, forced
to relive their loved ones

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gruesome deaths in court.
But even with overwhelming

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evidence against him, Lee's
defense team argued for leniency

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due to his low IQ.
Despite their efforts, the jury

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saw through the facade and
sentenced Lee to death.

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On death row.
Lee experienced health issues

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and ultimately died while
awaiting execution.

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His reign of terror had come to
an end, but the scars he left

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behind on his victims and their
families would never fully heal.

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And As for Lee's suspected other
victim, Warner, her story

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remains unsolved.
Yet another tragedy in this

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horrific tale.
You know, tragic memories

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scarred their minds years ago.
And today is another day that

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the family of these victims of
Derek Todd Lee will never

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forget.
The Death Row Killer died this

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morning at a Zachary hospital.
His sudden death was shocking to

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at least one family.
James Sparvaro begins our team

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coverage.
It's bringing back memories.

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It's a happy day, but then it's
a sad day because it brings up

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all the memories of what
happened 1213 years ago.

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That's how long it's been since
these men last saw a 23 year old

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Tranisha Denay Colome, Sterling.
Colome senior, her dad, and

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Sterling Junior, her brother,
are carrying mixed emotions.

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Kind of like a disbelieve
because I've been waiting for

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this for a long time, you know?
They're happy to hear the killer

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is dead, but overwhelmed to
revisit the case.

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First heard I cried and I don't
know if it was if I was happy or

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sad.
Danae, as she was best known,

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was found beaten to death in a
field near Lafayette three days

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earlier.
Lee kidnapped Danae while she

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was grieving in a cemetery over
the recent loss of her mother.

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That was November 2002.
It's been a long wait to get to

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the news today.
He's not here anymore, not here

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to harm anybody anymore.
Nobody to worry about anymore.

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You know, we can use our
taxpayer that like people would

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say, for something of better
use.

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The Colombs say like her father,
Danae was in the military,

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serving about two years in the
Army and planning to join the

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Marines.
Very outgoing she was.

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Outgoing and she she liked to
experiment and travel.

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You know, she wanted to travel
because she'd been teaching

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herself different languages.
While her killer's time on this

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earth is up, her father, her
brother, cannot call today

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closure, they say it's just not
that simple.

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It can't be a closure.
I don't see her as a closure

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because she's not with me.
I know today we're going to get

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a lot of feedback, a lot of
critics who will watch our

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coverage and say we're overdoing
it, we're giving this man too

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much attention, Family members
of a victim.

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What do you guys think about
that?

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I basically don't want to see it
anymore.

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Me personally, you know, I wish,
I wish it would just be a short

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story.
Berram is over with, even after

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all this is over it, you know,
You know, people talking.

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Oh, Derek tell you that.
Derek tell you that.

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But we still have to live with
the fact that I love when it's

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gone.
James Sparvaro, WA FB9 News.

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Of course, much of this is for
the victims.

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Tanisha Dene Cologne was the 7th
woman Lee is believed to have

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attacked.
DNA evidence linked Todd to her

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murder.
Thank you for tuning in to No

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Tears for Black Girls.
This series is skillfully

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crafted by acclaimed writer and
producer Jon Reedberg with the

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guidance of unapologetic host
Samantha Paul.

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Catch new episodes every Tuesday
and Thursday on all major

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podcast platforms.
You can listen anywhere,

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anytime, and if you truly enjoy
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star rating and positive review.
Remember to stay loved, stay

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blessed, and stay safe.