The Misery Machine - The Case of Valerie Tieman

Starting point is 00:00:00 Valerie Joy Harmon was born on December 31, 1981 in Salem City, Virginia, to parent Sarah Jean Sampson Harmon and Jean Allen Harmon. She had an older brother named Darrell and later a younger brother named Greg. Her family moved to Greenville, South Carolina when Valerie was just four months old. She grew up in Greenville and later graduated from Hampton Park Christian School in 2000. She went on to study cosmetology at the Bob Jones University in Greenville. Throughout her life, she loved theater and music. She performed in It's a Wonderful Life at the local theater and would do makeup and wigs for other performances there.

Starting point is 00:00:42 Valerie went on to work in salons and spas, helping other people look and feel good. She eventually gained a career doing hair and makeup for photo shoots, weddings, and pageants. She also posed for her own photos, showing off her dark brown hair and brown eyes. Valerie had a flare for drama and could play the piano and flute. She enjoyed a cup of black coffee in the morning, practicing M.MA, and watching Anne of Green Gables,

Starting point is 00:01:08 one of her favorite movies. Valerie didn't always have an easy life. She survived cancer, which required multiple surgeries, and her marriage of 10 years ended when her husband was unfaithful to her. Despite these challenges, Valerie was known for her outgoing personality, friendly smile, and her faith. was devoutly Christian, loved sharing her passion for Jesus with others. Her Facebook posts were often filled with tributes to God, such as, My Worst Day with God is still a thousand times better than my best day without him. Thank you, God, for your unlimited grace. Valerie got a second

Starting point is 00:01:41 chance at love when she met Luke William Teeman, a U.S. Army soldier from Maine. The two were married on June 8, 2014. He wore his uniform, and she wore a flowing white one-shouldered dress. A couple moved to Maine but also continued to spend time in South Carolina. According to friends, the couple were head over heels in love. While Luke was away for his military work, Valerie would sing to him over the phone. Their song was, wishing you were somehow here again from the Phantom of the Opera. When Valerie went out to karaoke nights with friends, she would often sing that song and dedicate it to Luke.

Starting point is 00:02:15 Now, Luke and I actually went to school together for a short bit. He graduated from Messalonsky High School in 2002 where I spent a portion of my senior year. Now, like many fresh graduates that year, he went on to serve in the army during the war in Iraq. He did three tours in three different combat zones before being honorably discharged. According to friends, he had sustained a head injury from a mortar strike and often wore a hat to cover a visible dent in his skull. It is possible that he may have suffered from PTSD from his military time. Like Valerie, Luke had been also previously married. He had four children from his ex-wife.

Starting point is 00:02:56 However, due to incidents of DV during their marriage, he was court-ordered not to have any physical contact with his children. About three months after Luke and Valerie were married, Luke was arrested for criminal mischief on September 5, 2014. He had consumed too much alcohol after the first. the couple had a fight, and he was feeling upset. In the middle of the night, he took a hatchet and attacked in a closed trailer outside of a gun shop in Winslow, Maine. He initially evaded police, but he was eventually apprehended. He was sentenced to 48 hours in jail and $100 in restitution.

Starting point is 00:03:32 Meanwhile, Valerie became involved in their new community in Maine. The couple moved to an apartment in Waterville in May of 2015. They attended the Faith Evangelical Free Church in Waterville. where Valerie took a job as a housekeeper. She also rekindled her love for the theater, joined the recycled Shakespeare Company. She made many close friends and enjoyed attending dinner parties with the other cast members.

Starting point is 00:03:58 Valerie and Luke eventually moved in with Luke's parents at 628 Norwich Walk Road in Fairfield, a small town next to Waterville. We don't know when it started, but at some point, Luke began chasing other women. In August of 2016, a friend, Torrey York, confessed to Valerie that Luke had been hitting on her for a while. Luke had told Tori that he and Valerie were thinking of getting

Starting point is 00:04:19 a divorce. Tori said Luke stalked her for months, following her around, calling her kids, and trying to get her to go out with him. For several months, Luke would send messages to Tori via Facebook or text, often all night long. Tori made it clear that she would not go out with him because he was married and she knew his wife. Tori remembered he was just weird, and I kept telling my sister-in-law I have a bad feeling about this guy. Tori found out that Luke was having an affair with another woman she knew, and that's when she decided to tell Valerie about it on August 25th. Valerie was initially skeptical, but eventually believed Tori about the affair.

Starting point is 00:04:57 Now, the other woman in question was Billy Joe Goodwin of Norwich Rock. She also reported being pursued by Luke. She met Luke because he knew her niece, and on August 21st, the two began chatting on Facebook. August 24th, Billy Joe wrote on her Facebook that she and her niece were at the minister, pool in Waterville. Luke showed up at the pool after seeing her post. He hit on her and told her that his wife had run off with another guy. Their relationship became physical that same day, and he moved in with her just two days later on August 26. Billy Joe said, I've never had

Starting point is 00:05:31 somebody treat me so nice in my life, like perfect. We'll be back in just one minute. Please stick around for the following ad. It not only supports the channel, but it also supports charities on our area. This week's episode has been brought to you by our friends at Proxima Design, specializing in custom handmade cat toys and accessories right here on our own state of made. From Catnip tacos to watermelon slices, Proxima Design has you covered. They even sell deluxe catniped crinkle bats and coffin kickers for your feline familiar.

Starting point is 00:05:59 Best of all, a portion of proceeds go to help cats in need, like Miss Marbles, who was recently diagnosed with diabetes. Ready to treat the Tority tap your tuxedo baby in your life? Then click the link in the description and tell them sticky scent you. Thanks. Back to the episode. While Luke was off chasing other women, Valerie's family in South Carolina were beginning to worry because they hadn't heard from her in a while.

Starting point is 00:06:22 On August 25th, the same day that Tori told Valerie about the affair, Valerie's mother, Sarah Jean called her to see if she had phoned her brother for his birthday, and there was no answer. And Sarah Jean realized that the last time she had contact with Valerie was a Facebook message on August 18th. Luke later sent his mother-in-law a text saying that they were good. Love her so much, he texted. Despite Luke's assurances, Valerie's parents continued to worry as time passed with no word from her.

Starting point is 00:06:52 In September, they reached out to Luke who told them that Valerie had left him on September 8th, and he hadn't seen her in some time. They finally called the Fairfield Police Department on September 9th to report Valerie missing. The police went to Luke's parents' house, where Valerie and Luke had been living, but they were told by Luke's parents that the couple no longer lived there. Police then contacted Luke, who was cooperative. He called the Fairfield Police on September 12th to tell them the last time he had seen Valerie was August 30th. He said the two had argued because she wanted to move out and leave him.

Starting point is 00:07:25 He offered to buy her some food so he took her to Walmart and Scout Hegan. She didn't want to go inside so he left her sitting in his red Chevy Silverado pickup truck. He took the keys with him so that way she wouldn't drive off. He came back a short while later. she was gone. He texted her in an attempt to locate her, offering to take her back, but he got no response. The Fairfield Police Department and the main state police put out a missing person report on September 15th. They reported that Valerie had been missing for two weeks, was last seen at the Walmart and Scout Higin. She was described as 5 foot 7 inches tall weighing 165 pounds with short brown

Starting point is 00:08:00 hair and brown eyes. Luke shared the news story about Valerie being missing on his own Facebook page, as well as a picture of the missing person flyer. He commented under one of the stories, Good news, I just finished today's search with a couple of fine detectives, and one of the last places I saw her, we found a set of, no later than a day old, women's footprints that matched her shoe pattern and shoe size. They were with another set of male boots in Scowhegan, Maine. We took photos and we'll continue surveillance.

Starting point is 00:08:29 We were talking about bringing in a canine for tracking. Pray we find her. Luke's posts over the next few days, to be in response to rumors of his involvement. One post just said, Proverbs 17-4, wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip. Liars pay close attention to slander. He also posted comments asking for prayers to find Valerie soon. On September 19th, Luke agreed to be interviewed by Samantha York from Channel 6 New Center, Maine. They met outside his parents' house on Norjwalk Road in Fairfield. During the interview, he claimed that Valerie planned to take her own truck, leave, and never come back.

Starting point is 00:09:08 He repeated the story about them going to Walmart together and finding her gone. He said, I just want her back. Her family wants her back. I've done everything possible. He said that he had been spending time helping his family split firewood, and he had also been searching with law enforcement. He said he'd also been doing his own private searches since he was pretty good at recon and tracking. I haven't been, I've been drinking water.

Starting point is 00:09:40 Military trains you can save alive. So I've just been helping my folks out, moving wood, splitting wood. And I've done my own private searches. He said he went to the local homeless shelter and was also trying to get enough money to get a tracking dog to come search for Valerie. He also thought it was possible that Valerie could be camping. When asked of this disappearance was in character for Valerie, he said... I thought I knew her until the last couple of weeks.

Starting point is 00:10:16 She started saying some things, but I'm not going to say anything bad about her. I don't want her to feel scared. I don't want... Like, no one's going to be after her. No one cares what she's done. Samantha asked if there was anything he wanted to say to Valerie if she was. was watching. Luke looked at the camera and said, You are loved and your family needs you and come back.

Starting point is 00:10:45 The police checked Valerie's cell phone records and determined that the last call she ever made was to Luke on August 24th and lasted 13 minutes and 33 seconds. They also checked the video surveillance of the Walmart parking lot where Luke claimed to have last seen Valerie. They were able to determine that his truck had not been at that Walmart at all during the time period when he said, that they had been there. On September 20th, Maine State Police executed a search warrant at 628 Norwich Walk Road in Fairfield, the home where Valerie and Luke lived with his parents. They were assisted with main game warden search dogs trained to find human cadavers. In less than five minutes, Warden Alan Curtis and his black lab named Sig located a body in a shallow grave about 200 to 300 feet into the woods behind the house. As they approach,

Starting point is 00:11:30 Canine Sig indicated the presence of a decomposing human body. Warden Curtis could see black fabric and part of a shoe or boot visible about 250 yards down an ATV trail. The police initially declined to confirm that the body was Valerie, but later made the positive identification after DNA analysis. Investigators determined that Valerie had died on August 25th the day after she used her cell phone for the last time, and the same day that her friend Tori told her about Luke's affair with another woman. This was also the day after Luke had met Billy Joe at that pool party. The same day Valerie's body was found, a detective noticed Luke's truck leaving the parking lot of the Scowhegan Walmart. Finding this strange

Starting point is 00:12:13 and noting that Luke had a suspended license, he decided to pull him over. He asked Luke to come to the state police barracks to talk. Luke said he had just gone to the Walmart because that was the last place he'd seen Valerie. This time he told him. He told him to told the officer that he and Valerie had gone to stay with a friend in Norge walk because his sister was coming to visit his parents. When the police asked to talk to these friends, Luke changed his story and said that Valerie had never been to that house. He said it was actually the home of a rebound girl. He told them he started seeing the other woman after Valerie started seeing somebody else. He also said he decided it would be better not to tell Valerie's parents that she was missing

Starting point is 00:12:53 to save them the worry. The detective asked if Valerie had taken any of her belongings, and Luke replied that she must have expected to be coming back because she pretty much left everything. On Wednesday, September 21st, Luke's mother messaged him saying she was going to take him to the Togis Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Augusta to see a crisis counselor. However, that same day, Luke was arrested about 10 a.m. by state police detectives who located him on Kennedy Memorial Drive in Waterville, near a hotel where he had spent the night. He was taken to the Kennebec County Jail in Augusta. Luke's friends were incredulous at the news of his arrest.

Starting point is 00:13:32 Christian Rodin, a friend who had lived with Valerie and Luke for almost six months the previous year, described Luke as a gentle, deeply religious Christian who went to several churches, liked to help others, and never displayed anger. According to Christian, he was saying that Val was one of the people who helped him settle down after his wartime experiences. He called her his angel. He's not the type of person who you would ever think would do this. He was one of the kindest guys I have known.

Starting point is 00:14:01 He was the type of person I could call at 4 a.m. and he would help out. Christian did say that Luke's behavior after his wife was reported missing was strange. He said, the only thing that was weird to me was that he didn't want to talk about it. That was weird because he usually told me everything. He said he didn't want to say anything bad about her in case she came back. Then four days later, told me a weird story that didn't make any sense. He also said that somebody else was in the picture. Christian's mother, Lynn, was also in contact with Luke during the days after his wife was reported missing.

Starting point is 00:14:35 She said she didn't notice much change in his demeanor. However, she did find one thing strange. He said, I couldn't understand why he hadn't reported to police that she was gone. People have fights and maybe he was taking a break is what I thought. I wasn't jumping to conclusions. I wasn't thinking anything bad, and to be honest, I am still not thinking anything bad. There has to be some reason. There has to be a reason.

Starting point is 00:15:00 Billy Joe Goodwin, the woman that Luke had met at the pool party that day before Valerie's death, also spoke with the police on the day of his arrest. They had suggested earlier that she should keep away from him because of his history of DV. She stayed in touch with Luke, but asked him to keep away until the investigation into his wife's disappearance was over. She gave the police some knives that Luke had gifted to her sons, revealed that he had contacted her the night before. According to Billy Joe, he texted me last night on Facebook that he missed my boys and saying he loved me. He never came across as upset or angry.

Starting point is 00:15:35 I never saw him in a bad mood. I never would have guessed. Even when they found the body, I thought it must have been an accident. Luke told me last night that it was a drug overdose, he said, I don't want to ruin her reputation. Valerie's parents Sarah Jean and Alan remember Luke differently. Alan said he always had a feeling that his kindness was just a facade. So they accepted him as their own for Valerie's sake.

Starting point is 00:16:00 Alan said later, always do a background check. If she was upset or crying about something, he'd just get real close and pet her like a dog. To me, now I look at it and think, that's his control. That always bothered me. Luke initially denied knowing anything about the body, found behind his parents' house, but eventually admitted that it was Valerie. He claimed that she was addicted to drugs and that he had brought home heroin for her and loaded a needle. He said that he watched as Valerie took the needle and injected herself. She then smiled at him and stopped breathing.

Starting point is 00:16:36 He did not call an ambulance for her, but figured she died of a drug overdose. He said that he later took her body outside, got some tools to dig a trench, and buried her with the help of of his older brother Sam. However, Valerie's body told a very different story. Her autopsy was performed by Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Claire Bryce on September 21st, the day after her body was found. Although the toxicology report showed that her system did contain multiple painkillers, caffeine, and other pharmaceuticals, these were not the cause of her death.

Starting point is 00:17:12 Rather, it was two gunshot wounds to the head and neck that killed her. The autopsy report also revealed details about how Valerie's body had been found. She was clad in damp clothing consisting of brown boots, bright yellow and green socks, a gray t-shirt, blue jeans, and a navy blue shirt. She had suffered a perforating gunshot wound to the right side of her head, with an exit wound in her region of her right forehead. She also had a gunshot wound to the right back of her neck with no exit wound. The medical examiner couldn't say which wound had happened first, but said that either gunshot could have killed her. Fragments of a 45 caliber bullet were recovered from her body. Investigators described the manner of her death as execution style.

Starting point is 00:18:02 The medical examiner couldn't say which wound had happened first, but said that either gunshot could have killed her. Fragments of a 45 caliber bullet were recovered from her body. Investigators describe the manner of her death as execution style. The way that Valerie's body had been buried was particularly unusual. Her body had been wrapped in a blanket and then a body bag before being buried in the shallow grave. Under her body were a bag of ripple potato chips, an empty sweet tarts box, a plaid shirt, a blue and gold knit hat, a bottle of Gucci perfume called Guilty, a mason jar filled with flowers, a man's wedding band. and a love note. This note was written in an apologetic tone and included pet names that Luke and Valerie used together early in their marriage. It began. To my one and only joy joy, flower,

Starting point is 00:18:57 forever. The words in the note also read, I love you, Valerie Joy T, I'll love you forever. Rest in peace, my heart and Jesus. This was signed with an X and O hugs, exclamation points, and an apparent reference to Luke's nickname, Lukie the Bear. These nicknames and phrases match those in other notes found among Valerie's possessions saved his marriage mementos. A 45-caliber Citadel handgun was found in Luke's parents' bedroom along with ammunition. This gun was determined to be the weapon used in the homicide. Luke's DNA and his father's DNA were found on the weapon.

Starting point is 00:19:36 Luke later confirmed that the gun belonged to him. Blood stains were also found in the home on and inside Luke's red Chevy pickup, and on Walmart receipts found in the truck. Luke was moved to the Somerset County Jail in East Madison, where he was held without bail. His first court appearance was on September 23rd, where he did not enter a plea. His defense attorney was Stephen Smith. Assistant Attorney General Lianzinea prosecuted the case. It was during this trial hearing where the timeline of Valerie's disappearance was laid out.

Starting point is 00:20:09 She had been killed on August 25th, 15 days before her first. family reported her missing in five days before Luke claimed that she had disappeared from Walmart. Luke's arraignment was on November 18th at the Somerset Superior County Courthouse in Scowhegan. He was charged with the death of his wife on August 25th. He pled not guilty and was then led back outside to a transport van. A reporter outside asked if there was anything he wanted to say and he replied, God bless our families. God bless Donald. Trump. Luke's trial began on April 2, 2018. During the trial, he claimed that he made up the

Starting point is 00:20:49 story about Valerie overdosing because he thought police might charge his parents with her death. He said that he would not have told that lie if he'd known she'd been shot to death. He also admitted that the items found with Valerie's body were from their bedside table, including the wedding ring that he agreed seemed to be his own. However, he did not have an explanation for how they ended up in her grave. The blanket found wrapped around Valerie. body had a distinctive print. The same blanket was noted in the background of a selfie that Luke had taken with Valerie just days before their wedding. So it definitely belonged to him. Again, Luke had no explanation for how his possessions ended up buried with Valerie. Luke's defense attorneys

Starting point is 00:21:29 attempted to present his brother Sam as an alternative suspect for Valerie's death. Sam was a landscaper and his tools had been used to bury Valerie. However, these tools were kept in an unlocked shed on their parents' property, so anyone had access to them. Luke's earlier claim that Sam had at least helped him bury the body was also dismissed, because Sam had been away for that entire week. His boss had driven him to a work site in the mountains, and Sam didn't have a license to drive back. Ultimately, this attempt by the defense to drum up a second suspect was quickly shut down. Luke's defense strongly urged him not to take the stand. He had the right to remain silent, but he ignored their advice and took the stand for cross-examination. He denied,

Starting point is 00:22:11 killing his wife, but admitted to changing his story to police multiple times. He said he did so to save her parents the worry of their daughter going off with another man to do drugs. He reasoned that if she came back, it would make her look bad. Meanwhile, the prosecution told the story of how Luke was frequently on the prowl for women other than his wife. A witness testified that they'd seen him in early September, bragging, I'm newly single. Prosecution said that he met Billy Joe at the pool party, slept with her the same day, then killed his wife when she found out and confronted him. The fact that he moved in with Billy Joe right afterwards only strengthened this motive. They pointed out how Luke had made up the Walmart disappearance story for the police,

Starting point is 00:22:55 and the whole time knowing that Valerie was buried in the backyard. As the prosecutor said, he showed absolutely no concern that his wife was missing. It was only after her parents reported her missing that Luke, Luke Teaman spoke with police. It was during that call that he began to spin a tale. The defense did not call on any witnesses to speak on Luke's behalf, aside from Luke himself. In a strange twist, Luke delivered his own closing statements to the jury rather than his defense attorney speaking on his behalf. He adamantly denied killing, my beautiful wife, and said that there were alternate explanations for all of the evidence against him.

Starting point is 00:23:35 He said, it would have helped if they could show a motive. He still often, no explanation for how the items from his bedside table ended up in the shallow grave alongside Valerie's body. The jury clearly felt that the motive and evidence was there because it took less than an hour to bring back a guilty verdict for Luke. He was sentenced to 55 years in prison for killing his wife. He later appealed the sentence and was denied. A man convicted of murdering his wife and burying her body behind his parents home in Fairfield has lost his latest appeal. Luke Teeman shot and killed his wife Valerie in the summer of 2016. His attorney argued before the main Supreme Court that Facebook messages between his wife and

Starting point is 00:24:16 another woman about an affair he was allegedly having should not have been admitted. The state used those messages to show the status of the couple's relationship at the time of the murder. The law court ruled against the Tiemann yesterday. Luke is currently serving out his sentence at the main state prison in Warren. A memorial for Valerie was held at the Fairfield United Methodist Church on Sunday, October 2, 2016. A group of about 40 friends and community members gathered to comfort each other and pray together. They sang Amazing Grace and their voices echoed through the wooden rafters of the church.

Starting point is 00:24:53 A friend with Valerie's theater group said, Everyone that knew Valerie knows that her flame was a flame of light, providing illumination to those around her, and lighting a path of faith and joyfulness. Another friend described her as the brightest spark you could ever imagine. Valerie's friend Emily Fournier said that she and Valerie had been cast as sisters in the play, and the two had formed a bond closer than friends. They would refer to each other as sisters.

Starting point is 00:25:23 Emily said, I never had a sister growing up, and now I have one in heaven. Val was the most vivacious person that I have ever met. In keeping with Valerie's Christian convictions, Valerie's friends urged people to keep Luke Teaman's family in their prayers and not to forget that they are mourning a loss as well. As one friend said, Her heart was full of love and praise of God on her lips in everything she did. Valerie's funeral was held on Saturday, October 1st at the Faith Baptist Church in Taylor, South Carolina.

Starting point is 00:25:57 She was laid to rest at the Greenville Memorial Gardens. Her gravestone is etched with praying hands and musical notes. It also has a vase to whole flowers. And it reads, Valerie Joy Harmon, December 31, 1981, to August 25, 2016. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. Colossians 316. Valerie's parents Sarah Jean and Alan Harmon,

Starting point is 00:26:24 remember their daughter as someone who loved being around people and gave off a bubbly personality wherever she went. Her dad remembers she would go to bed early and wake up happy. That was her thing. They keep an old voicemail from Valerie just to hear her voice. It says, just calling you back. We're driving back from the beach. I left my phone in the car, so I'll try to call you all back later.

Starting point is 00:26:48 Love you guys. Yeah, I'll call you all back later. Okay, bye. This message was left by Valerie just one month before her death. Her dad went on to say that murderers are the worst kind of thief. They steal something that can never be returned or replaced. We know we will see our daughter again when we get to heaven. We have been robbed of her sweet love and fellowship here on earth.

Starting point is 00:27:13 So many things have been taken from us. For that, we will always have a raw ache in our hearts.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Valerie Tieman

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