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The Devil in Disguise: The Shocking Abduction and Murder of Leesa Marie Gray
Easy Prey
Leesa Marie Gray was born in Dorsey, Mississippi on July 11, 1983. A joyful child, she was a ray of sunshine in the lives of her parents, John and Wanda. As she grew, her vivacious personality grew with her. A promising student, she aspired to one day become an elementary school teacher. Sadly, a tragic twist of fate would put an end to her hopes and dreams all too soon when she came face-to-face with evil in human form.
On Friday, June 22, 2000, sixteen-year-old Leesa said her goodbyes and headed home after completing her waitressing shift at her uncle’s restaurant. As she was driving down a dark country road, she suddenly realized that one of her tires had gone flat. After coming to a stop, she got out to inspect the damage.
At 10:45, a military recruiter named Thomas Loden Jr. stopped to offer assistance. After proudly introducing himself as a Marine, her would-be knight in shining armor told her not to worry, he would take care of everything. Since Leesa didn’t survive the encounter, authorities would have to rely on her killer to fill in the blanks of what happened from there.
According to Loden, he had gotten straight to work changing the tire. As he and the stranded teenager engaged in small talk, he had inquired if she…
