Lance Herndon was a self-made millionaire who had it all: a successful computer consulting business, a lavish lifestyle, and a string of beautiful women. But his life came to a brutal end on August 9, 1996, when he was found bludgeoned to death in his bed at his home in Roswell, Georgia.
The prime suspect in his murder was his former mistress, Dionne Baugh, who allegedly killed him in a fit of jealous rage after he tried to end their affair. According to his Wikipedia profile, this is the tragic tale of Lance, how he rose to fame and fortune, and how he fell victim to a scorned lover.
A Rising Star in the Tech World
Lance Herndon was born in 1955 in Atlanta, Georgia, to a middle-class family. He attended Morehouse College, a prestigious historically black institution, where he studied computer science and mathematics. He graduated in 1977 and started working as a computer programmer for IBM. He soon realized that he had a knack for entrepreneurship and decided to start his own company, Access Inc., in 1986.
Access Inc. was a computer consulting firm that specialized in providing software solutions to various clients, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and educational institutions. Herndon was the founder and CEO of the company, and he quickly made a name for himself in the tech world.
He was hailed by the Clinton administration as one of the top 100 young entrepreneurs in the country, and he was featured in magazines such as Black Enterprise and Ebony. He also became a prominent member of Atlanta’s social elite, mingling with celebrities, politicians, and other influential figures.
Herndon’s net worth was estimated to be around $20 million, and he enjoyed a lavish lifestyle. He owned a mansion in Roswell, a suburb of Atlanta, where he lived with his mother and his daughter from his first marriage. He also owned several luxury cars, a private jet, and a yacht. He was known for his generosity and philanthropy, donating money to various causes and organizations, especially those related to education and the African-American community.
Lance Herndon BIO/Wiki
| Name | Lance Herndon |
|---|---|
| Born | 1955 in New York City, New York |
| Died | August 9, 1996 in Roswell, Georgia |
| Cause of death | Blunt force trauma to the head |
| Occupation | Founder and CEO of Access Inc., a computer consulting firm |
| Net worth | Estimated at $20 million |
| Education | Morehouse College, City University of New York |
| Marital status | Divorced three times |
| Children | One daughter from his first marriage |
| Murder suspect | Dionne Baugh, his former mistress |
| Murder trial | Convicted in 2001, acquitted in 2003 |
Dionne Baugh: A Troubled and Obsessive Mistress
Dionne Baugh was born in 1969 in Jamaica, where she grew up in a poor and abusive family. She moved to the United States in 1989, where she married a man named Anthony Baugh and had two children with him. She worked as a customer service representative for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), where she met Lance Herndon in April 1996.
Herndon was a frequent rider of MARTA, and he was attracted to Dionne’s exotic beauty and accent. He approached her and asked her out, and she agreed, despite being married. They soon began an affair, and Herndon showered her with gifts, money, and attention. He also helped her get a better job at his company, Access Inc., where he hired her as a receptionist.
Dionne became obsessed with Herndon, and she wanted him to leave his wife and marry her. She also became jealous and possessive of him, and she resented his other girlfriends and ex-wives. She started to stalk him, spy on him, and harass him with phone calls and messages. She also lied to him about being pregnant with his child, hoping to trap him into a relationship.
Herndon soon realized that Dionne was in trouble, and he tried to break up with her. He also fired her from his company, and he asked her to return the gifts and money he had given her. He even called the police on her, accusing her of stealing his laptop and breaking into his house. Dionne, however, refused to let him go, and she continued to pursue him and threaten him.
The Murder of Lance: A Crime of Passion
On the night of August 8, 1996, Lance Herndon went out with his girlfriend, Kathy Collins, to a nightclub in Atlanta. He left her around midnight, saying that he had to go home and get some rest. He drove to his mansion in Roswell, where he went to his bedroom and fell asleep on his waterbed.
Around 4:10 a.m., Dionne Baugh sneaked into his house, armed with a large crescent wrench. She climbed onto his bed, straddled him, and smashed his head with the wrench several times. She then got off him, took a shower, unplugged the clocks in the bedroom, and left with his clothes and laptop. She also turned over a picture of Collins that was on the nightstand.
The next morning, Herndon’s mother, who lived with him, noticed that he had not woken up. She went to his bedroom and found him lying on his bed, covered in blood. She called 911, and the police arrived at the scene. They determined that Herndon had been murdered, and they launched an investigation.
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The Arrest and Trial of Dionne Baugh: A Case of Circumstantial Evidence
The police had no witnesses, no fingerprints, and no DNA evidence to link Dionne Baugh to the murder of Lance Herndon. However, they had a lot of circumstantial evidence, such as:
- The silver gum wrappers that were found near the garage, which matched the brand that Dionne chewed.
- The laptop that was missing from Herndon’s house, which was later found in Dionne’s possession.
- The DNA that was found under Herndon’s fingernails, which contained traces of both Herndon and Dionne.
- The testimony of Herndon’s friends, family, and employees, who described Dionne’s obsessive and violent behavior towards Herndon.
- The testimony of Dionne’s ex-husband, who revealed that Dionne had confessed to him that she had killed Herndon.
Based on this evidence, the police arrested Dionne Baugh and charged her with murder, theft, and burglary. She pleaded not guilty, and she went to trial in 2001. Her defense team argued that she was innocent, and that she had been framed by someone else who had a motive to kill Herndon. They also claimed that the DNA evidence was unreliable, and that the confession to her ex-husband was coerced.
The Retrial and Acquittal of Dionne Baugh: A Twist of Fate
In 2003, Dionne Baugh got a second chance to prove her innocence, when a new trial was granted to her by a federal judge. The judge ruled that her original trial had been unfair, because the prosecution had withheld some evidence from the defense, such as:
- The fact that Lance Herndon had financial problems and was being sued by some of his clients and creditors.
- The fact that Herndon had enemies and rivals in the tech industry, who could have had a reason to kill him.
- The fact that Herndon had a history of domestic violence and abuse, and that he had been accused of raping one of his ex-wives.
The judge also ordered that the DNA evidence be retested, using more advanced technology. The new test showed that the DNA under Herndon’s fingernails did not match Dionne’s, but belonged to an unknown male.
With this new evidence, Dionne Baugh went to trial again in 2003. This time, her defense team argued that she was a victim of a miscarriage of justice, and that she had nothing to do with Herndon’s murder. They suggested that Herndon was killed by someone else, possibly a hired hitman, who had left the DNA behind.
The jury, this time, was persuaded by her argument, and they found her not guilty of all charges. She was released from prison, after spending seven years behind bars. She maintained her innocence, and she expressed her relief and gratitude for being exonerated.
The Mystery of Lance’s Murder: An Unsolved Case
The acquittal of Dionne Baugh left the murder of Lance Herndon unsolved. The police had no other suspects, and no new leads. The case was closed, but not solved. The identity and motive of the killer remained unknown.
Herndon’s family and friends were devastated by the outcome of the second trial. They believed that Dionne Baugh was guilty, and that she had gotten away with murder. They also felt that Herndon’s legacy had been tarnished by the allegations of his financial and personal troubles. They wanted justice for Herndon, and closure for themselves.
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Content Source:- Wikipedia.org
