Murder of Laura Pietscher by Gary Danielle investigated on See No Evil

See No Evil is examining the murder of Laura Pietscher, who was strangled to death by Gary Tyrone Danielle somewhere between the small town of Sebring and Tampa, Florida.

On October 19, 2018, employees of a Tampa restaurant contacted the police when they found the remains of a woman lying beside a trash bin. The woman had been strangled with a ligature, and her hands were bound.

Pietscher’s remains were officially identified using her fingerprints. The victim lived about 90 miles away in Sebring in rural Highlands County, where she was a corrections officer.

Inside the bin, the cops found a purse, clothing, mail, and a wallet that belonged to Pietscher.

The investigators were able to track down Pietscher’s killer by searching for her missing truck, a 2006 Toyota Tundra pickup truck.

The cops retrieved the truck after it was involved in a robbery at a convenience store in Tampa. The police arrested Calvin Gary, who was driving the vehicle. Gary told the cops he had gotten the truck from Danielle. A search of the vehicle revealed blood belonging to Pietscher.

Evidence mounted up against Gary Danielle in Laura Pietscher murder

A further breakthrough came when the police found surveillance footage showing Danielle driving the truck a few days after the murder.

The cops took DNA from Pietcher’s fingernails, a leather strap used to bind her wrists, and a shirt found in her truck, and it all matched Danielle.

Danielle lived in Sebring but had been staying in Tampa around the time of the murder. There are unconfirmed reports that Pietscher was last seen alive in Sebring, getting into the truck with Danielle.

Gary Danielle pleaded guilty to killing Laura Pietscher

The killer was initially charged with first-degree murder. However, he agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder in exchange for a reduced sentence of 30 years. He was 50 years old at the time of his conviction.

After sentencing, Pietscher’s father, Art Pietscher, told reporters, “We were very happy that this part of it is finally over, disappointed, 30 years is not enough. Laura wasn’t even 30 when she was killed. With his good behavior, he will get off in less time than what she ever lived.”

At the sentencing, Art Pietscher paid tribute to his daughter. She was born with a short left arm and only a thumb and two fingers on her hand, but she had fought hard to overcome her disability and discrimination, explained her father.

See No Evil airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.