As CrimeOnline previously reported, 16 minutes after Barbara Spear reported her daughter missing on April 25, 1994, Volusia County Sheriff’s investigators were on the ground searching for the teen. Air One, the Sheriff’s helicopter, was in the air, scanning the neighborhood for Laralee.

At 5:35 p.m., the pilot spotted a body behind an abandoned home. Officers on the ground found Laralee Spear lying on a concrete slab behind the burned-out house, about a quarter mile from her home.

Police discovered Laralee lying in a pool of her blood, shot three times in the back of the head. Her hands were bound, and much of her clothing was missing or torn away. Bruises covered her body, suggesting she had been beaten.

CrimeOnline’s cold case writer and “Zone 7” host, Sheryl McCollum, visited the crime scene with Detective Cordell Lemay with the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, to get a better understanding of the surroundings.

The Crime Scene

(The following is contributed by Sheryl McCollum)

Detective Lemay was driving, so I could totally focus on the surroundings. We turned off the two-lane Spring Garden onto Deerfoot taking the route Laralee took on April 25, 1994. Deerfoot was a one-lane unpaved sandy road. Today, only part of the road is paved.

From Laralee’s house to the crime scene, the road is the same: unpaved and sandy. As Laralee walked that day, she would have left footprints on the roadway. The killer would have left tire tracks. Law enforcement would have been able to see where her footprints ended. It would have been clear if a second set of footprints had gotten out of a vehicle, then both sets stopped.”

As the detective drove down the small beautiful tree-lined road, he suddenly said there’s her house, pointing to the left side of the road.

“The dad was an architect and designed this house. Laralee’s bedroom is on the second floor with the window facing the street,” Lemay said.

I immediately noticed that from the truck I could easily see her window. If it were nighttime and her light was on, you could see straight into her room. Could the killer have stalked her, watched her? It’s possible.

We continued our drive about a quarter mile to the crime scene. As a mother, this part was a gut punch: the killer literally drove her past her house. Her mother was waiting on her, anticipating Laralee walking in the door any minute. I can’t imagine learning that fact.

A metal gate and a sandy turnoff mark the old driveway leading to the crime scene, which is surrounded by dense trees and thick bushes. Following a small curve, Deerfoot Road disappears from view. Another road runs to the left, though it remains out of sight and silent. We continue walking until they reach a circular clearing, the former site of the burned-out house.

Detective Lemay walked about 25 feet and pointed to the ground, saying, “This is where her body was found. This spot would have been at the back of the house. Back then, you could drive all the way around the house.'”

Moving another five feet, he pointed again and noted, “Her backpack was tossed out of the vehicle around here,” which suggested the driver likely threw the backpack while exiting the scene the same way he entered.

Continuing straight into the park, Detective Lemay noted that back in 1994, the park was known for attracting unsavory characters. He suggested that while it was a shorter route to the crime scene, the killer would have had to drive past the scene, spot Laralee, turn around, kidnap her, and then drive back twice unnoticed, which seems improbable.

Instead, Laralee’s killer chose an abandoned house known only to locals and came prepared with a loaded gun and rope to bind her hands, indicating a premeditated plan to tie her up and murder her.

Several questions arise: Did the killer know her routine? Did he know she would be alone? Was he familiar with her from school or had he seen her at the burned house before? Was he stalking her, or had she rejected his advances? Had she witnessed him committing a crime?

I believe not only is the killer local, but I believe he lives very close to the crime scene. Extremely close. This killer went to point A to B with Laralee. He knew that the abandoned house was there. He knew at 3:30ish p.m., no one else would be there.

He knew it was secluded, covered, and hidden.

He had been there before. This was planned, but I believe by an inexperienced killer. She was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and shot multiple times. The killer risked being seen on her road, in broad daylight, with her mom watching for her, neighbors possibly outside, firing multiple shots alerting folks, leaving tire track evidence, leaving other evidence like hair, blood type, and gun evidence.

It appears the sexual assault was not completed, and this, too, leads me to believe this crime was committed by an inexperienced criminal. Maybe you are impotent. Is that why you beat her? Angry about your own shortcomings? I believe this person is 16-23. Maybe a high school dropout.

Unemployed with traditional jobs, but could be a low-level drug dealer. He uses alcohol and drugs himself. I believe he acquired the gun from his unknowing dad, stole it, or found it. I also believe he showed his friends and maybe even bragged about having it.

I believe someone knows. There was a group that all hung out at this house, smoking and drinking. The killer was among you.  He went on to drink more and more. Use drugs more and more and possibly commit other violent crimes. Perhaps he’s in prison or deceased.

I want her bra and book bag tested. I want every single piece of evidence previously tested retested. Laralee’s body was found in 50 minutes – the killer’s DNA is on some of her clothing and other items.

The lab Othram is our best chance of extracting DNA and developing a full profile of the killer. I also believe this killer went on to commit other violent crimes. But, if his DNA is not in CODIS then we explore ancestral avenues.

The reward is offered for information that leads to a conviction in the case. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Major Case Unit at 386-254-1537 or email ColdCaseUnitTips@volusiasheriff.gov.

For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.

[Feature Photo: Laralee Spear/Handout]