Lori was an adopted child. Thelma and Herald Soares had taken her in after her parent’s divorce in 1987. The family had met in Brazil and, after the adoption, they relocated to Orem, Utah.
Mark and Lori were high school sweethearts. They found each other in Orem High School they loved each other and Lori’s family often looked at the two and wondered how they had gotten so lucky. Mark was like a son to them. They were both LDS both had gone on a mission. They waited for each-other to be married in the Bountiful Temple.
It is unclear that that Lori knew but his father said in an interview that he was actually discharged from his mission because he slept with a girl on his mission.
Lori had told her best friend that she was 5 weeks pregnant she also confided in some family and work friends they were all happy for her knowing that her and Mark have been trying to have a baby. Her mom was a little concerned knowing that they were now going to move soon to North Carolina to be closer to Mark’s Medical School they had gotten an apartment just 3 miles away from his schools so he could ride his bike back and forth to school. Her mom was concerned about her having a baby because they were moving and she was the only one working but happy all the same.
Lori went missing on July 19 2004,
Mark called her mom saying she went jogging this morning like she normally did but she hasn’t come back. He said they wouldn’t do anything for 24 hours. He said that he didn’t go running with her because he was going to go biking later that day and he felt so guilty that he didn’t didn’t go with her.
A woman who was also near the grove said she saw Lori jogging that day.
24 hours later A search party was formed but there was no sign of her or anything that belonged to her.
At this time her husband Mark was the only person of interest. Which in any spouse cases the spouse is always suspect #1
Theories are being thrown around. Both Mark’s family and Lori’s family deny any theories that Mark may of harmed Lori he loved her and was excited to move with her.
There was also theories that she was kidnapped by someone while she was up jogging.
Those were the two that were getting thrown around. There were 3 other people who went missing the same time as her around the same location. Which made people to believe there was a killer on the loose.
2 days after she disappears the cops are called to a hotel where Mark is running around naked screaming at the top of his lungs. Threatening suicide. His family thinks he was taking the blame of not going on the run with her to heart is blaming himself. His brother checked him into a metal psycractic
At this time Police get a warrant and search Loris house they also find out that Mark wasn’t accepted into school nor did he even apply to go to school. Their theory is that Lori found this out and confronted him about it and he killed her. They found a hunting knife by his bedside which he said he used in case of a burgerly. They also found a lot of things in boxes as well as a new mattress box when asked about this he said Lori had her period a few weeks ago and it was soiled so they bought a new one.
What do you think happened?
The Story: While in the mental hospital Mark confessed to his brothers that he killed his wife with a 22 revolver while she was sleeping in her bed. He then proceeded to cut up the mattress top and dispose of her body in a local dumpster and the mattress top in another. He then went to a local gas station where he was seen around 1am on surveillance buying cigarettes and constitutionally looking at his shaking hands. He then proceeded that morning to buy a new mattress. The shop owner can confirm that he bought a new mattress from them.
He then went ahead and called his mother in law saying he was concerned that his wife hadn’t come home or gone to work since that morning run she took. He goes to tell his mother in law that he already called the cops and they said that they would not do an investigation until 24 hours after she is missing. Lori’s mom wasn’t going to wait 24 hours and her, Mark and their friends and family started a search party.
Two days after is when Mark was reported screaming naked at a hotel but what the investigators found interesting was that he was wearing flip flops according to them that isn’t a sign of insanity and that was what he was trying to put a claim as insanity for killing his wife.
When he went to court he claimed he never said this information to his brothers but little did he know that the police had been digging through the land field with Cadaver dogs and sifting through 4 tons of trash. They were able to find some of Lori’s remains. and the mattress. They were never able to confirm or deny the fact that she was pregnant. They only found some of her remains and weren’t able to confirm this. Her OBGYN claimed she never saw him this doesn’t mean she didn’t see someone else but I wanted to note that this was something that couldn’t be confirmed.
At that time the lowest conviction for Murder was 5 years to life in prison for murder Mark was sentenced to 30 years in prison which I don’t think is enough for taking a life. He will be eligible for parole in 2025 Which sadly is going to hit us sooner than we think. Her mom started a fund to petition that the minimum for taking a life be raised. it is now called Lori’s law it changed the minimum from 5 years to 15 years to life.
Lori’s parents stripped her last name during her funeral her mom said We just felt that Mark obviously didn’t want her anymore”, . Lori’s married name was replaced with the Portuguese word “Filhinha”, which translates to “little daughter.”
