17-year-old man arrested after finding his wife's legs cut off in dumpster

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department deputies found two human legs on the block 1600 of Hilton Head Court at Rancho San Diego after October 5, 2003 a worker will alert them of the finding.

The authorities determined at the time that the legs belonged to a woman who had been murdered , but they were unable to identify either the victim or his killer.

The case was paralyzed for years until June 2021, a team with training in genetic genealogy began investigating it and searched for relatives with a DNA profile that matched that of the victim. He then used commercial genealogy sites to reconstruct the family tree and do a trace that led to the woman.

Months later, the researchers found the woman’s son and were able to identify “Jane Doe” as Laurie Diane Potter , from 54 years, from Temecula. Potter had never been reported missing.

“We went through her life and tried to identify with who she was and where she lived, who were friends or family during that period,” said the Unsolved murder detective Troy DuGal at a press conference.

The researchers also found that in 2003, before her murder, the woman was married to Jack Potter.

“The investigation revealed substantial and convincing evidence that Jack murdered Laurie “Said San Diego Sheriff’s Lt. Thomas Seiver.

Local authority agents found Potter on Wednesday, now from 68 years, in his house located on the block 11200 of 5th Street e n Rancho Cucamonga. The man was arrested and booked into a San Diego jail on suspicion of murder .

“ Laurie was never on the records as a missing person . Seiver said. “It is unlikely that this case would have been resolved without the use of genetic genealogy research,” he explained.

It is the first time that the homicide unit of the Department of the San Diego Sheriff uses technology to identify a homicide victim and arrest a murder suspect.

Lt. Seiver points out that the investigation is still ongoing and that would like to talk to people who knew the couple since the middle of the decade 1980.

Authorities encourage anyone with information about the case to call the Homicide Unit at 858 – 285 – 6330 or to 888 – 580 – 5200. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 797 – 565 – 8477.