Man Sentenced to 90 Years for Murder After Human Remains Found in Backyard

A man will likely spend the rest of his life in prison for the torture and murder of a woman four years ago, while his co-defendant will spend 25 years in prison.

Leonard “Buddy” Church, 43, pleaded guilty to the murder of Jennifer Leyanna, a 41-year-old woman from Felton, Delaware. The judge sentenced him to 90 years, suspended to 65 years, after which he would spend 25 years on parole.

Esther Wright, 41, had pleaded guilty to charges of kidnapping and conspiracy relating to her death, telling authorities Church committed the murder because he believed Leyanna had stolen his wallet, and admitted she helped bury the body, per court documents obtained by local newspaper The News .

The sentencing took place on Wednesday, August 28, in Kent County Superior Court, according to the outlet.

The murder is believed to have taken place on October 10, 2020, on Church’s 40th birthday.

Court documents by the outlet alleged that Church, aided by Wright, restrained Leyanna in a bathtub using tape, beat her, and tied a belt around her neck, causing various injuries that led to her death.

After the murder, Church and Wright transported Leyanna’s body across state lines to Church’s residence in Henderson, Maryland, where they buried her remains, court records reportedly state.

According to the outlet, Leyanna’s body was discovered after Wright confided in someone who then reported the body’s location to the police. The remains, found in Wright’s backyard were positively identified through forensic analysis, according to prior reporting from the outlet.

The News reports that Church’s lawyer said he was under the influence of “mind-altering, crazy-making” PCP and meth at the time of the murder, and that were it not for the drugs, it never would have occurred. Authorities were unable to confirm whether Church was under the influence at the time of the murder as he was not arrested at the time.

Wright’s attorney argued she too was a victim of Church’s violence. Wright told the judge she was “truly sorry” for her role in the crime.

“My mother was nowhere near perfect, but she was mine. She would do anything for me. She was my best friend. You took that from me,” Leyanna’s daughter Dehorty said in a statement in court, according to The News .

Leyanna, who reportedly dealt with substance use disorder, had been reported missing by her mother on November 1, 2020, after she had not been seen since October 9, according to a police statement. Leyanna’s mother created a page on Facebook in hopes someone would report her daughter had been found. For over a year, the family didn’t know where she was, the Facebook posts indicate.

“Please, if anyone knows where my Jenn is please come forward and tell me. I miss her so much,” Jennifer’s mother wrote on Facebook on September 17, 2021.

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