Woman’s legs found in dumpster in 2003 cold case, CA cops say. Husband sentenced
A man accused of killing his wife and tossing her dismembered legs in an apartment complex dumpster in 2003 has been sentenced, California prosecutors say.
Jack Potter, 72, was sentenced to 15 years-to-life in relation to the death of his wife, Laurie Diane Potter, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office said in a May 2 news release.
“This was a brutal, calculated murder that shattered the lives of Laurie’s loved ones, who then had to endure nearly 20 years of unanswered questions and unimaginable grief,” District Attorney Summer Stephan said in the release.
During his sentencing hearing, Jack Potter said he let his “emotions get the better of me that one time,” the Los Angeles Times reported.
“I don’t know why,” he said, the newspaper reported. “It just happened and I’m sorry.”
Remains found
San Diego County deputies responded to a Rancho San Diego apartment complex the afternoon of Oct. 5, 2003, deputies said in a May 2021 news release announcing Jack Potter’s arrest.
An apartment maintenance worker found what was later confirmed to be a pair of human legs inside a dumpster, according to deputies and prosecutors.
No other remains were found at the scene, deputies said.
The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the legs belonged to a woman but could not determine her cause of death or her identity, deputies said.
Her death was ruled a homicide, according to deputies.
After investigators “exhausted all traditional avenues of identifying the woman,” her name remained a mystery for nearly two decades, deputies said.
Investigative genetic genealogy leads to ID
Then, in June 2020, investigators set their sights to investigative genetic genealogy in hopes of identifying the woman, marking their first case to use such methods, deputies said.
Genetic genealogy uses DNA testing coupled with “traditional genealogical methods” to create “family history profiles,” according to the Library of Congress. With genealogical DNA testing, researchers can determine if and how people are biologically related.
Investigators used “DNA from the legs” in their search to identify the woman, prosecutors said.
This led them to the woman’s adult son, and through DNA testing, the woman was identified as Laurie Potter, deputies said.
“This case was unlikely to have ever been solved without the use of investigative genetic genealogy,” Lt. Thomas Seiver told KSWB in May 2021.
Laurie Potter’s past
After identifying the remains, the sheriff’s office cold case team began digging into Laurie Potter’s past, deputies said.
They learned the 54-year-old lived in Temecula and was married to Jack Potter in 2003, according to deputies.
She “previously lived in the Rancho San Diego apartment complex,” prosecutors said.
Laurie Potter was never reported missing, Seiver told KSWB.
Her family believed she was still alive somewhere, Undersheriff Kelly Martinez told KGTV.
Further investigation found “substantial and convincing evidence that Jack murdered Laurie,” deputies said.
He was arrested on a murder charge at his Rancho Cucamonga home on May 12, 2021, deputies said.
Jack Potter pleaded not guilty shortly after his arrest, KNSD reported.
Grand jury indictment
Potter was indicted by a grand jury in August, prosecutors said.
At the time, “jurors heard how (Jack) Potter became obsessed in 2003 with a woman he met at a strip club — who shared the same first name as his wife,” prosecutors said.
Weeks after his wife’s remains were found in a dumpster, “(Jack) Potter opened multiple credit accounts and made extravagant purchases, including a new pick-up truck, Hummer SUV, and a ski boat,” according to prosecutors.
In addition to giving his new girlfriend the Hummer and boat, Jack Potter also rented her a Corona Hills apartment and gave her a credit card with a $30,000 limit, prosecutors said.
“In the years that followed, (Jack) Potter maintained the deception,” prosecutors said.
He went on to open credit cards under his dead wife’s name, file documents with family court “claiming he had contacted Laurie about the proceedings—years after she had been murdered,” prosecutors said.
He took all the profits from selling their Temecula home through family court, prosecutors said.
Guilty plea
A month before his trial was set to begin, Jack Potter pleaded guilty to a second-degree murder charge in February, prosecutors said.
In his plea, Jack Potter said “he smothered his wife to death,” prosecutors said.
“Today, we honor Laurie’s memory and stand with her family in their long-awaited moment of justice,” Stephan said of Jack Potter’s sentencing.
Rancho San Diego is about a 15-mile drive east from downtown San Diego.
This story was originally published May 5, 2025 at 3:37 PM with the headline "Woman’s legs found in dumpster in 2003 cold case, CA cops say. Husband sentenced."
