5 chilling details about Eric Copple's crime

Eric Copple, the fiancé of one of the victims' friends, confessed to the murders in 2006. His case has been featured in several true crime documentaries, such as Mean Girl Murders. These shows focus on crimes where the killer is someone close to the victims, such as a friend, relative, or partner.

These stories show how trust and relationships can turn dangerous when broken, as in Copple's case. On the night of October 31, 2004, the quiet town of Napa, California, witnessed a double murder that shook the city.

Two young women, Leslie Mazarra and Adrianne Insogna, were found stabbed to death in their home. The murders took place on the morning of November 1, 2004, the day after Halloween night. There were no signs of forced entry, leading police to suspect that the killer knew the victims.

Their third roommate, Lauren Mianza, somehow escaped the attack. She jumped out of a window and called the police for help. For nearly two years, no one knew who the real killer was. The case remained a mystery. This special episode shows the full story of the Napa murder case and how Eric Coppel finally came forward and confessed to his crime.

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5 key facts about Eric Copple's crimes

1) Uninvited Entry

Police assumptions (Representative image via Pexels)

According to the Napa Police Department, Eric Copple broke into the home without permission, but the door was not broken down. This led police to suspect that he either had a key to the house or knew how to break in silently.

To avoid the third roommate noticing, he allegedly grabbed a knife from the kitchen, crept into the room, and assaulted both women as they slept, according to CBS News.

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2) The Surviving Roommate and DNA Evidence

Eric Copple's crimes (Representative image via Pexels)

According to the Napa Valley Register, Lauren Meanza heard the screams and ran out of the house and called the police. Police recovered blood and cigarette butts from the scene, which were DNA tested. Although the DNA initially did not match any criminal databases, the evidence was preserved and the case was solved in 2006 when Copple voluntarily gave in his DNA.

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3) Attended mourning ceremonies after the crime

Eric Copple's crimes (Representative image via Pexels)

According to ABC News, Copple not only attended Leslie Mazarra's funeral but also participated in tribute programs and consoled the families of the victims. He did all this deliberately so that he would not be suspected. Investigators said that this was a well-thought-out strategy to keep him out of the scope of suspicion.

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4) Surrendered under pressure from his wife

Eric Copple's crimes (Representative image via Pexels)

Lily Prudhomme, Eric Copple's wife, gradually began to suspect her husband because his actions seemed strange. After the incident, Eric became very quiet and tense. He often appeared sad or upset and became uncomfortable when the murder was mentioned. The strangest thing was when he quickly married Lily just a few months after Leslie Mazzara's death.

Lily did not understand this haste, because Eric was not usually like this. In addition, he often read newspapers and news reports about the Napa murder case, but avoided discussing it.

Lily felt as if he was afraid of something or was hiding something. Gradually, when the suspicion deepened, Lily herself told him that if he was hiding something, it would be better to tell the truth. Seeing his words and behavior, she herself urged Eric to go to the police and confess the truth.

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5) Confessed in court without a reason

Eric Copple's crimes (Representative image via Pexels)

According to reports, Copple's legal team said in court that he had been struggling with anger and emotional turmoil for a long time. He said that his internal tensions were the reason for the murders. But he never explained why he killed Leslie and Adrienne.

This ambiguity made the case more frightening because no concrete reason for the murders was found.

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Years later, the case continues to be mentioned in true crime studies and TV shows. The man who not only won the trust of the victims' closest relatives but also remained uncaught for two years makes the case one of California's most shocking murder cases.

To find out more about this case, watch Mean Girl Murders' episode, which is available for streaming on HBO Max, Discovery+, and Philo.

Edited by Bharath S