A man has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison after brutally killing and mutilating his girlfriend, leaving her body to decompose on the porch of their shared home.
A Grisly Discovery in Billings
In 2024, police in Billings, Montana, were called to a residential property after neighbours reported a foul odour. Upon arrival, officers made a horrific discovery: the remains of 52-year-old Genna Rae LaCombe, a beloved mother-of-two. Her body was wrapped in blankets, towels, and a shower curtain, and had been left on the porch for several days.
Inside the apartment, police found Shane Levi Cole Roberts, then 46, hiding in a closet with a dog. He was immediately taken into custody. A subsequent coroner's report revealed LaCombe had suffered multiple stab wounds, with one injury so severe it nearly severed her head completely.
A Callous Motive and Chilling Evidence
Roberts recently pleaded guilty to deliberate homicide and was sentenced to 85 years in prison following a four-hour hearing. During the proceedings, prosecutors presented damning evidence, including the killer's motive.
Investigators found photos on Roberts's mobile phone showing his girlfriend's bloodied body in a bathtub, dated roughly nine days before she was found. Police also recovered two bloodied knives, a hatchet, and a hammer from the scene.
In a phone call from Yellowstone County Jail, Roberts admitted to his mother that he had killed LaCombe, coldly stating she "pushed him too far." The pair had been in a relationship for approximately two years and shared the flat where the murder occurred.
Sentencing and a Mother's Legacy
While a forensic psychologist noted Roberts suffered from substance abuse and major depressive disorder, the evaluation concluded he was fully capable of understanding his actions during the offence. Prosecutors and the defence had agreed to a 70-year term, but Judge Colette Davies added an extra 15 years.
"I'm told that you loved this woman," Judge Davies told Roberts. "But this is not love. This is abomination."
According to her obituary, Genna Rae LaCombe is remembered as a devoted mother talented in arts and crafts, with a passion for cooking family meals and filling her home with 80s music. Her death leaves behind two grieving children.
