ID is re-airing the Murder in the Heartland investigation into the murder of Trina Langenbrunner, who was murdered and dumped at the side of the road by Joseph John Couture near the town of Cloquet in St Louis County, Minnesota.
The 33-year-old Langenbrunner was last seen alive hitchhiking near Cloquet in the early hours of September 3, 2000. In the morning, the battered remains of the mother of three were found lying on her back on the edge of a gravel road.
Langenbrunner had suffered 29 entry stab wounds to her face, torso, and back. She was also severely beaten and had been sexually assaulted.
The victim was going through a divorce at the time, so the police paid close attention to her husband; however, he was soon dismissed as a suspect.
The case remained cold for ten years until the cops finally got a tip-off in 2010. An acquaintance of Couture claimed he had confessed to killing Langenbrunner.
The cops spoke to Couture’s ex-wife, who also said he admitted to the murder. She said he came home covered in blood on the night of the murder and threatened to kill her if she told anyone.
Cops found DNA evidence implicating Joseph Couture in Trina Langenbrunner murder
The investigators needed more evidence, which they got when they retested the DNA from the crime scene and found it matched to Couture. He was arrested in June 2012.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelA year later, Couture finally confessed to the murder. He claimed he’d encountered Langenbrunner standing in the middle of the road as he was driving and that he had offered her a lift.
The killer accused Langenbrunner of trying to force him to drive her further than he wanted. He told the cops she started shouting and screaming, and he began hitting her to shut her up.
Couture took a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to intentional second-degree murder, first-degree aiding and abetting aggravated witness tampering, and aiding and abetting first-degree arson.
The arson and witness tampering convictions related to Couture’s attempts to intimidate witnesses who testified against him. His girlfriend, Sandra Couture, aided Couture in intimidating witnesses, and she ultimately received a jail sentence of nine years.
Joseph Couture sentenced to 40 years for killing Trina Langenbrunner
Joseph Couture was sentenced to 32 years for the murder and another eight years for the arson and witness tampering. As part of his plea deal, the prosecution accepted his wish to serve his sentence outside Minnesota.
After the sentencing, Langenbrunner’s mother, Margaret Dupuis, told reporters, “I just want to thank St. Louis County and [Attorney] Jessica [Smith] and everybody that has helped with this case getting solved finding the killer of my daughter.”
This episode of Murder in the Heartland re-airs Thursday at 9/8c on Investigation Discovery.