Murder of Sydney Loofe

The prosecution's store receipts and video evidence show the couple purchasing bleach, saws, and trash bags shortly before Loofe's disappearance.

Loofe's murder attracted significant mainstream media attention, with news outlets publishing newer developments as the trials proceeded.

[1] Merely days before her disappearance, Loofe discussed her worsening mental health with her family, who scheduled and drove her to a doctor appointment to get antidepressants.

[5] She excelled at school athletics, topping the list of fastest runners on her relay team and scoring dozens of points in basketball games.

[4] A 2016 issue of the local newspaper of Cameron, Missouri, shows Boswell being cited $400 for possession of recreational drug paraphernalia.

[5] The prosecutor claimed that Boswell sought out Trail on the now-defunct sex marketplace Backpage, alleging that she was looking for a sugar daddy.

[7] He grew up in poverty, moving steadily from one foster home and juvenile facility to another, before landing in prison as a teenager for armed robbery.

"[13] Cell tower data show Boswell and Trail's phones traveling from Loofe's rental home to Wilber.

[17] Susie then reported her daughter missing,[18] and the next day, the police paid a welfare check visit at her rental home.

[24] Search teams led by the FBI and local police departments eventually found Loofe's severed remains on December 4 and 5.

[25] Body parts, sex toys, apparel, and other items were found wrapped inside many 30-gallon black trash bags alongside a gravel road, north of Edgar Nebraska approximately one hour west of Wilber.

[32] However, some of Trail's confessions seemed credible to authorities, such as when he tipped them about the location where he threw Loofe's smartphone, leading the police to Wilber's Czech Cemetery where indeed they found her phone, driver's license, and credit card.

[34] A day later, the duo made their first court appearance, [35] In July and August, prosecutors expressed their plans to seek capital punishment for Boswell and Trail,[36][37] both of whom pled not guilty.

[42] At the end of June, a frustrated Trail lashed out at the court and the jury, proclaiming Boswell's innocence and cursing everyone before cutting his neck with what appeared to be a razor blade.

[46] At Menards, Trail purchased "an air freshener, cotton cord, Drano, protein bars, a thermometer and lighters.

"[46] While Loofe was at work, Home Depot surveillance tapes show the duo buying a foot-long hacksaw, wire snips, drop clothes, and a sharp utility knife with backup blades.

[11][33][47] Other surveillance recordings display Boswell and Trail purchasing a tree saw, 30-gallon trash bags, and a couple gallons of Clorox bleach before and after the murder.

A manager at the Dollar General store confirmed that the barcodes for the bleach and plastic bags found near Loofe's remains matched the ones in Boswell and Trail's receipts.

[14] After these purchases, data from cell towers show the pair's phones traveling to and from the area where Loofe's body remains were found.

[14] Authorities could not identify who wore the glove or pants, although there was "limited support" for Trail's DNA on the surface of the electric wire.

[14] In July 2019, three women took the stand to allege that Boswell and Trail had desires to record victims as they tortured and killed them before profiting millions from the sales of these videos.

[31] Later that month, the FBI revealed that while the pair were housed at the Saline County Jail, Trail transmitted letters, some ciphers, to Boswell informing her of what story to tell the court.

[41] [52] After Trail confessed to strangling Loofe, the defense rested its case on presenting the couple's actions as kinks gone wrong.

[53] The defense painted Trail as a person with an impoverished and troubled childhood, someone who is assisting the police in bringing justice to Loofe's family.

[61] In February 2020, District Judge Julie Smith recused herself as she was instrumental in the recent implementation of Nebraska's execution protocol.

"[69] The Set Me Free Project, an anti-trafficking nonprofit organization, dedicated a $3,000 scholarship in Loofe's name to be granted to students pursuing careers in criminology, online safety, and social work.