Dateline: Deadly Valentine - A complete overview of Nathan Leuthold's murder trial, explored

Dateline: Deadly Valentine is a chilling entry that follows the tragic murder case of Denise Leuthold, a wife and mother, who was gunned down in her Peoria (Illinois) home on Valentine's Day 2013. Denise was married to Nathan Leuthold, her childhood sweetheart.

The couple hailed from a strict religious background and now worked as missionaries. They had spent a year in Lithuania, living and helping local families and teens. They were especially attached to a young teen woman named Aina Dobilaite, who was their sponsor student and eventually became a part of their family.

As shown on Dateline, Denise Leuthold was shot in the head, just as she returned home after dropping off her youngest child at daycare. While her husband, Nathan Leuthold, claimed that it was a burglary gone wrong, the Peoria authorities found incriminating evidence against him. It was even revealed that Nathan was involved in an illicit affair with their sponsor student, Aina.

Here's how Nathan Leuthold was found guilty at his murder trial.

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Dateline: Deadly Valentine- How did Nathan Leuthold become the primary suspect in his wife's killing?

As shown in the Dateline episode, Nathan Leuthold made the authorities believe that his wife's murder was a burglary gone wrong. In addition to many things missing from the household, the police also found open kitchen cabinets and pulled drawers, proving Nathan's claims. However, when the Peoria authorities learned that the killer had used a Glock 40 to shoot Denise, the same gun that Nathan Leuthold owned and now claimed was missing, their focus shifted to the husband.

A quick sweep of Nathan Leuthold's Internet search history also revealed disturbing searches like “How to muffle a gun,” “lethal injection,” and “hitting someone over the head to knock them out''.

Additionally, the authorities found a hidden note from Denise, which read:

“Why do you want to humiliate me by running around with a 20-year-old.''

This confirmed their suspicions that Nathan Leuthold had killed his wife to pursue his illicit affair with his 20-year-old sponsor student.

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Dateline: Deadly Valentine- The jury found Nathan Leuthold guilty of his wife's murder

According to the Dateline episode, Nathan Leuthold's trial began in July 2014. This is when his alleged mistress and 20-year-old Lithuanian sponsor student was granted immunity in exchange for her testimony on the stand. Aina Dobilaite confirmed her affair with Nathan and revealed that she had taken multiple trips with him to Europe, during which the suspect paid for her spa treatments and even bought her an expensive jacket.

She even read out an email sent by Nathan Leuthold, which became an important piece of evidence against him:

‘I let you down and I’m sorry. I’m not going to make excuses, that would not be fair to you...There is nothing more important to me than you in this relationship. I am so blessed to have you in my life and I know it, ‘“

Additionally, a chilling testimony from a fellow inmate shed more light on the case. Peoria County State’s Attorney Jerry Brady revealed how Nathan had confessed to his wife's killing to his inmate:

“This was his Valentine’s Day present to Aina and that is despicable.''

Nathan refuted Brady's claim and his romantic involvement with his sponsor student. However, on July 21, 2014, the jury found Nathan Leuthold guilty of his wife's murder after a 90-minute trial. While the Dateline suspect’s attorney, Hugh Toner, tried to prove the prosecutor's theory faulty, ''very involved circumstantial evidence'' helped Brady to win the case against Nathan.

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Dateline: Deadly Valentine- Justice was served to Nathan Leuthold

On September 10, 2014, Nathan Leuthold was finally sentenced to 80 years in prison for the brutal slaying of his wife on Valentine's Day. The judgment was passed by Peoria Circuit Judge Kevin Lyons, who called the culprit's actions and his inappropriate affair with the sponsor student 'gut-wrenching'.

While Denise Leuthold's family was finally content to see her killer behind bars, they were devastated by Nathan's actions and how he kept everyone in the dark about his dual and deceitful life. Nathan Leuthold was 39 at the time of his conviction and is currently serving time at the Illinois Department of Corrections

You can stream Dateline: Deadly Valentine on Peacock.

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