A man has been sentenced to life in prison for the brutal killing of his girlfriend, who was found nearly beheaded in their shared apartment in Billings, Montana in 2024. The victim, 52-year-old Genna Rae LaCombe, was discovered wrapped in blankets, towels, and a shower curtain on the porch after neighbors reported a foul smell emanating from the residence.
Shane Levi Cole Roberts, 46, was apprehended by police hiding in a closet with a dog. A coroner’s report revealed that LaCombe had sustained multiple stab wounds, with one nearly decapitating her. Roberts pleaded guilty to deliberate homicide and received an 85-year prison sentence.
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors presented evidence of Roberts’ callous motive for the crime, including photos on his phone depicting the victim’s body in a bathtub days before its discovery. Roberts confessed to his mother from jail, attributing the killing to LaCombe pushing him too far. A forensic psychologist diagnosed Roberts with substance abuse and major depressive disorder but determined he was still accountable for his actions.
Despite a proposed 70-year sentence, Judge Colette Davies added 15 years, expressing disbelief at Roberts’ claim of love for LaCombe. LaCombe, survived by two children, was remembered for her artistic talents and love for cooking and 80s music. Meanwhile, a separate case involves a mother’s fight to keep her son’s killer, Stuart Diamond, behind bars after a brutal crime in 1999.
Jean Hartley, the grieving mother, vowed to prevent Diamond’s release, citing the devastation caused by her son’s murder and the ongoing fear of encountering the perpetrator. Diamond, previously deemed too dangerous for parole, faces a review panel decision on potential release, prompting the mother to advocate against his freedom.