Where is Dionne Baugh now? Details explored ahead of Dateline on NBC

The upcoming episode of Dateline is all set to delve into one of the most notorious murders in the history of Atlanta, Georgia, where Dionne Baugh bludgeoned renowned businessman, Lance Herndon to death after sleeping with him in his own house. The brutality of the murder and the aftermath sent shockwaves across the elite community to which Herndon belonged.

NBC's Dateline, one of the most popular true crime shows of all time, will cover this case in detail in its upcoming episode on Friday, November 22, 2024. Titled The Killer Among Them, 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."

Though the case dates back to 1996, it remains quite as interesting even today.

Because of Lance Herndon's many connections and romantic relationships, there was no shortage of suspects in the case but the police were able to eventually arrive at Donne Baugh, one of Lance's jilted ex-lovers.

She was eventually arrested and charged. She was sentenced to life in prison on her first trial but it was overturned due to a technicality in the process. She eventually pleaded guilty to the murder and got away with 10 years of prison time before her next trial. She was released in 2011 and has maintained a low profile since then.

Who was Dionne Baugh and what did she do?

Dionne Baugh was born and raised on the island nation of Jamaica as a part of an extended family. Few from her family had emigrated to Atlanta, which harbored a large black population, and found success in various fields, especially real estate.

Dionne Baugh also had the same dream and finally got her way after marrying Air Jamaica pilot Shaun Nelson. While with Shaun in Atlanta, Dionne soon started carving her place in the world. She started working as an executive assistant at MARTA, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority and studied finance at Georgia State University. She also had a daughter with Shaun Nelson.

However, Dionne Baugh had bigger dreams than just this. She began seeing other men when Shaun was away on his airplane duties. Soon, she set her sights on Lance Herndon, perhaps one of the most in-demand bachelors in the town.

Lance Herndon was the owner of Access, Inc., a thriving computer consulting firm in Atlanta. She crashed Lance's 41st birthday party and made an impression that saw the two dating within weeks. Baugh was still married with a kid at the time.

When Nelson sensed this, he took their daughter and moved back to Jamaica. Dionne, meanwhile, continued living in Atlanta. However, she wasn't the only woman that Lance was seeing and this came to light in a very jarring way. On the night of July 10, 1996, Dionne made an unannounced visit to Lance and saw another woman. The ensuing drama saw Lance call the cops on Baugh.

He had decided to break up with her when on August 8, 1996, he failed to show up for work on time, something he never did. His mother came over soon after and tried checking for Herndon only to find her son bludgeoned to death on his bed.

Authorities discovered that he was beaten to death with a large crescent wrench. Authorities also alleged that the murderer was someone Lance was perhaps sleeping with as he was caught completely unaware and had no defensive marks on his body.

After going through an array of suspects, the police finally narrowed down on Dionne Baugh but it was initially hard to connect her to the case. After a crucial hint from Baugh's ex-husband, a shred of DNA, and inconsistencies in her story, Baugh was arrested on January 29, 1998.

Where is Dionne Baugh now?

Dionne Baugh was sentenced to life in prison on her first trial for the murder of Lance Herndon. Two years later, however, her conviction was overturned based on a technicality. Detective Anastasio's testimony in the case had allegedly biased the jury leading to a new trial.

After the second trial ended with a hung jury, she pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter before her third trial. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

She was released in 2011. Since then, there have been varying reports about her whereabouts, with some saying she still resides in Georgia while others claim she has moved out. Anyhow, she has stayed completely out of the public eye since her release from prison.

The upcoming episode of Dateline on NBC will cover this case in more detail.

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