UK Woman Murders Husband, Hides Body for 18 Years

Beddau (Wales): In November 2015, a shocking murder case captured global attention when the skeletal remains of John Sabine were discovered in the garden of his Beddau, Wales home, wrapped in plastic.

Authorities believe Sabine was murdered by his wife, Leigh Ann Sabine, who passed away in October 2015, according to BBC reports. Investigations revealed that Leigh Ann, locally nicknamed “Mad Lee,” murdered her husband and kept his body hidden for 18 years, all while abandoning her five children.

The case is explored in the documentary series “The Body Next Door,” which delves into one of the most bizarre true crime stories of the past decade.

John Sabine, a 67-year-old accountant, disappeared from his Beddau home in 1997. His wife concealed his absence, falsely claiming he had left her voluntarily. In reality, she had bludgeoned him to death with a stone frog ornament, meticulously wrapped his body in plastic and shopping bags, and moved it to various locations, including under a bed, in a garden shed, and finally, in her attic.

For nearly two decades, Leigh Ann continued to collect her husband’s pension while keeping his death a secret. Her dark secret was only uncovered after her death from brain cancer on October 30, 2015, when a friend discovered John Sabine’s mummified remains in her attic while sorting through her belongings.

South Wales Police launched an investigation, during which a postmortem by forensic pathologist Dr. Richard Jones confirmed that Sabine had died from blunt force trauma to the head. The unique pattern of his injuries matched the protrusions of a frog-shaped ornament later found among Leigh Ann’s belongings.

Photographer Juliet Eden, who met Leigh Ann a year before her death, described her as “highly intelligent, very confident, and quite mad.” Eden remarked on Leigh Ann’s flamboyant demeanor, noting how she hid in plain sight despite her dark secrets. Eden later penned a book Frog Murderer, recounting her encounters with Leigh Ann.