Chevy Chase, Md. — For over two decades, Lauren Preer lived with the haunting uncertainty surrounding her mother’s brutal murder. Leslie J. Preer, who was 50 at the time of her death, was found beaten in her upstairs bedroom, leaving a void in her daughter’s life that seemed endless. Lauren turned to her faith and the relentless pursuit by Montgomery County detectives, holding onto a sliver of hope that one day justice might be delivered.
Year after year, Lauren, now 46, balanced a successful career with the weight of her past. At home, she kept a 9mm Taurus pistol, and she carried pepper spray in her purse — small assurances in a world that had shown her the worst kind of violence.
The breakthrough came abruptly on a Tuesday, when Lauren received the unexpected call that would shift the course of the investigation. A detective informed her they had substantial evidence pointing to a suspect – Eugene Gligor, the very individual Lauren had shared her teenage years with, her first love.
Recounting the shock, Lauren remembers the feeling of betrayal. Gligor, now facing first-degree murder charges, was someone she had known as a warm, sensitive soul during their time together at Bethesda Chevy-Chase High School. They shared common friends, interests in music, and had been close enough to join family gatherings and vacations. To Lauren, Gligor was intertwined with memories of youthful innocence and first loves — not the brutality that claimed her mother’s life.
Their families were close, often sharing meals and holidays. Lauren’s father, however, occasionally expressed his reservations about Gligor, suspicions that Lauren never fully embraced until the investigation turned towards him.
Following their high school graduation, the pair dated long distance for a couple of years before deciding to explore other avenues of life separately. They drifted apart, only to be reunited by tragedy when Lauren’s mother did not show up for work one May morning in 2001. After her mother was found dead, Lauren suggested Gligor as a person of interest in the initial investigation, a tip that wouldn’t fully develop until years later.
After Lauren’s father passed away in 2017 from what she deems was essentially a broken heart, the case seemed to grow cold. Despite this, Lauren continued pushing for answers, maintaining communication with detectives, and never stopping her private conversations with her deceased mother during sleepless nights.
The turning point in the seemingly stagnant investigation came when advancing forensic technologies allowed for a more detailed analysis of the DNA evidence collected from the crime scene. This led to a match with Gligor’s DNA, giving police the break they had been striving for years to find.
Montgomery County police subsequently arrested Gligor, bringing a wave of mixed emotions for Lauren. Alongside her turmoil stood a community of friends and family who had supported her through the years, particularly evident during her mother’s funeral which Gligor notably did not attend.
As the trial approaches, Lauren wrestles with the image of the person she once knew with the actions he’s accused of. The pending court proceedings offer a possibility of closure, yet they stir up a maelstrom of past affections and present grievances.
For Lauren Preer, the journey through years of questioning, grieving, and hoping seems to edge towards a resolution; however, the final chapters of this distressing episode are yet to be written as she faces the man who once meant the world to her, now seated on the other side of a courtroom.