5 chilling details about Lance Herndon's murder
Lance Herndon, a famous entrepreneur and CEO from Atlanta, was perhaps one of the most popular figures in the 1990s among the urban elites. Everything about this "Black Gatsby" seemed exuberant and things were probably as good as any man would want it. But his seemingly perfect life also came to an end in one of the worst ways possible- from a jilted lover.
The case dating back to 1996 still remains as intriguing today and is now all set to be the subject of NBC's Dateline season 33 episode 9, which will premiere at 9.00 PM on November 22, 2024. The synopsis for the episode reads:
"After millionaire businessman Lance Herndon is bludgeoned to death in his suburban Atlanta home, the search for his killer reveals no shortage of suspects - or secrets."
This case is riddled with many intriguing details that add up to give a full picture of the case and the events that led to the death of Lance Herndon.
5 chilling facts about Lance Herndon's murder
1) Lance Herndon was murdered by someone he knew and someone who knew him well
When Herndon was found bludgeoned to death in his bed, it was evident that someone who knew Lance had killed him. There were no signs of struggles, and Herndon was found lying naked in his bed, which seemed to hint that it was a s*xual partner who had murdered him after sleeping with him.
Moreover, the alarm clocks in his room were unplugged and it was hinted that the killer showered before leaving. All this hinted that whoever killed Herndon knew him well.
2) There were many suspects in Lance Herndon's murder but one stood out
There was no shortage of suspects after Herndon was found murdered. Not only was he an affluent personality whose lifestyle could insight jealousy in anyone, but he also had many romantic affairs and divorces, leaving a trail of heartbroken women behind.
But the one that caught the police's attention was Dionne Baugh, a married woman who had begun an intense affair with Lance months back.
3) Lance Herndon had reported Dionne Baugh for trespassing a month before his murder
Dionne Baugh reportedly came unannounced on the night of July 10, 1996, and found Lance with another woman leading to a hysterical outburst. A scared Lance called the cops on Dionne, who was charged with trespassing.
Lance had told friends that he intended to cut Dionne off completely after the court appearance on August 8, 1996. However, they never turned up to the court hearing and it was later discovered that Hernsdon was murdered the same morning.
This gave Baugh an even bigger motive.
4) Dionne Baugh's husband became key to cracking this case
The authorities were nearly certain about Baugh's involvement but could not link her to the case with many pieces of evidence. It changed when Shaun Nelson, who was divorcing Baugh at the time, claimed that she had admitted to him about killing Lance Herndon during a verbal argument.
Moreover, Baugh’s sworn statements in divorce court about Herndon contradicted her statements from earlier. All this combined led to her arrest in 1998.
5) Dionne Baugh got away with only 10 years in prison due to a technicality
While Dionne Baugh was initially sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Lance Herndon, she got lucky when the judgment was overturned due to a technicality. Her second trial also luckily ended on a hung jury. Before her third trial, she pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to only 10 years in prison.
She got out in 2011.
The upcoming episode of Dateline will cover this case in more detail.
