Man Spent 40th Birthday Tying Woman Down and Choking Her to Death in Bathtub

Leonard ‘Buddy’ Church (left) has been sentenced for the brutal murder of Jennifer Leyanna

Leonard "Buddy" Church, 43, was sentenced to 65 years in prison for the brutal murder of Jennifer Leyanna, a 41-year-old woman from Felton, Delaware. The sentencing comes nearly four years after Leyanna was last seen in October 2020. Her remains were discovered in February 2022.

According to the Delaware News Journal, Church pled guilty to the horrific crime, which took place on his 40th birthday at his Henderson residence. Church, with the assistance of Esther Wright (formerly Hurtado-Chavez), restrained, beat, and tortured Leyanna before ultimately killing her. Wright reportedly helped Church by retrieving tape and later assisting in burying Leyanna's body in the backyard.

Leyanna was reported missing in 2020. Over one year later, her remains were discovered

Leyanna's murder was motivated by Church's belief that she had stolen his wallet. Authorities reported that Church, in a drug-fueled rage, inflicted multiple injuries on Leyanna, including broken ribs, blunt force trauma to her torso and head, and a broken neck bone from a belt used to strangle her.

The case took nearly two years to break after a witness came forward, revealing the location of Leyanna's body. Both Church and Wright were arrested on unrelated charges the same day her remains were found.

During the sentencing, Judge Green-Streett addressed Leyanna's grieving family, stating, "What was done to Ms. Leyanna was wicked, depraved, tortuous, and excessively cruel." Leyanna's mother, in an impact statement, expressed the ongoing pain and unanswered questions her family endures due to the brutal nature of her daughter's death.

Church's 65-year sentence is part of a suspended 90-year term, while Wright received a 25-year sentence for her involvement in the crime.