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Lori Bray, who went missing on October 1, 2019, after her shift at the Cedar Ridge Casino in Laurel, was brutally strangled to death. The following day, her naked body was found in a wooded area east of Laurel on Yard Office Road, a few miles from the Yellowstone National Cemetery on Laurel Airport Road, where her abandoned car was discovered that same day.
On the night of her disappearance, Bray was seen shortly after midnight, in surveillance footage, driving away in her car with a man who was later identified as Diego Hernandez. Days later, Hernandez was charged with murder after evidence connected him to the murder and the location where the victim's body was found. He pleaded not guilty and was eventually found guilty of deliberate homicide.
The upcoming episode of ID's Murder in the Heartland will further delve into Lori Bray's case. Titled Killer Casino, the episode will air on the channel this Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at 9:00 pm ET.
Here's what the synosis says:
"Neighborly casino runner Lori Bray is found dead in the woods in the small town of Laurel, Mont.; the community must wonder if it was a consequence of her good nature at work or if someone from her past came back to bite."
Murder victim Lori Bray was last seen leaving the Cedar Ridge Casino right after midnight
Lori Bray, 57, ran the Cedar Ridge Casino located in Laurel, Montana. She was last spotted leaving the casino on October 1, 2019, shortly after midnight at 12:30 am after closing the casino for the night. She was supposed to work a shift later that day, but when she failed to show up, people were concerned. She was reported missing the following day.
On the afternoon of the same day she was reported missing, authorities discovered her abandoned car at the intersection of Laurel Airport Road and Buffalo Trail.
On October 2, a community-led rescue operation was initiated in an effort to find the missing woman. The same evening, a man driving an ATV through the woods close to the junction of Yard Office Road and Ridge Drive discovered Bray's naked body. There were multiple scratches and other wounds on her body and the cause of death was determined to be strangulation by the medical examiner.
Later, when investigators checked Bray's car, they discovered multiple scraps of clothing, some of which were covered in blood. Investigators also discovered proof that Bray's undergarments were forcibly removed.
A 22-year-old man named Diego Hernandez was arrested in Lori Bray's murder case
On the night of Lori Bray's disappearance, Diego Hernandez, according to information gathered by the police, arrived at the casino at 11:00 pm. Surveillance video showed Bray getting into her car at 12:30 am and opening the passenger door for a man who was identified as Hernandez by others present at the casino.
When questioned by the sheriff's deputies, they observed bruises on Hernandez's face, which were allegedly absent when he was visiting the casino. He also confessed to leaving the casino with the victim, claiming that she was supposed to drive him home.
Detectives carried out a search of Hernandez's home on October 4 and also collected his clothing from the night of the murder. Investigators were also able to match his shoes to a footprint found at the location where Bray's body was disposed of. On October 7, he alleged that he had a sexual encounter with the victim that night and that she left his house immediately afterwards.
Hernandez was eventually arrested on October 8 and was charged with deliberate homicide, to which he pleaded not guilty. In March 2021, he was found guilty of the charge.
Tune in to Murder in the Heartland on ID to learn more about Lori Bray's 2019 murder case.
