They Were Afraid Of Him... #truecrimestories #truecrimeshorts #crimejunkies #podcast | Forensic Files

They were afraid of Dave because the prevailing theory among those who knew Laura seemed to be that somehow, some
way, Dave was involved in her death. They didn't have proof, of course, or they would have gone to police with
that. But what they had were decades of stories about a man who scared them >> [music]
>> and who was scaring Laura right before her death. So, to understand that fear, and before
I ever get into how Laura died, I need to take you all the way back to the 1980s when Dave and Laura first started
dating as teenagers at Fallbrook Union High School in California. As a junior in high school, Laura was a
Future Homemakers of America and part of the swim team and the yearbook club, and
Dave was a varsity football player in the grade above her. This is like a real all-American California dream kind of
couple. Now, after graduating, Laura went on to get her master's in biochemistry.
[music] She went to med school, completed her residency in pediatric neurology, and then worked at Phoenix
Children's Hospital. And Dave became a small business owner. Now, they got married and around 2004, they had the
first of their three sons. So, from the outside, everything seemed picture-perfect.
But people who knew Laura knew that that was not the case.

People close to Laura Sweetman say they were afraid to speak out after her death.

Many believed Dave Sweetman may have been involved—but had no proof. What they did have were years of stories and concerns about behavior that they say frightened both them and Laura, especially in the time leading up to her death.

To understand that fear, you have to go back to where their relationship began—high school in California—and how a seemingly picture-perfect life unfolded behind the scenes.

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Brief Summary

Laura's seemingly perfect life hides dark suspicions about her husband Dave's involvement in her death.

Key points

The Fear of Dave. People feared Dave due to his rumored involvement in Laura's death.
A Picture-Perfect Life. Laura and Dave's life appeared perfect from the outside, but it was not.

Episode quotes

They were afraid of Dave because...

Introduction to the fear surrounding Dave's involvement in Laura's death.

WatchApr 18, 2026

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