Marilyn McIntyre’s cold case was solved decades later as the killer’s death hoax unraveled

On March 11, 1980, 18-year-old Columbus, Wisconsin mother Marilyn McIntyre was discovered brutally murdered in her apartment. After returning from his night shift at a nearby paper plant, her husband, Lane McIntyre, found her body. A steak knife had been lodged in Marilyn's chest after she had been stabbed, strangled, and bludgeoned. Christopher, their three-month-old son, was safely present in his crib.

Since there were no indications of robbery or forced entry at the crime scene, it was possible that the murderer knew her. The first suspects were Curtis Forbes, the couple's friend who was upset with Marilyn McIntyre for telling his girlfriend to break up with him, and Lane because of a recent life insurance policy and rumors of marital arguments.

Despite collecting evidence like bloodstains and hair samples, the case went cold for nearly 30 years due to insufficient proof. In 2007, a family member's inquiry led to reopening the investigation, revealing new witness statements and DNA analysis. The case gained attention when Forbes planned to fake his death to evade arrest.

This story is featured in the Oxygen series Exhumed: Killer Revealed season 1 episode 2, titled Cold Case, Unearthed, which re-aired on Saturday, August 16, at 1 am ET on Oxygen.

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The murder and initial investigation of Marilyn McIntyre case

Exhumed: Killer Revealed (Representative image via Unsplash/ @ Markus Winkler)

On March 11, 1980, Lane McIntyre returned home at around 7:15 am to find his wife, 18-year-old Marilyn McIntyre, dead in the living room of their Columbus, Wisconsin, apartment. She had suffered blunt force trauma, strangulation, and a post-mortem stab wound to the chest with a kitchen steak knife. Their infant son was unharmed. Investigators noted blood in the bathroom sink, fingerprints, and unidentified hair.

Neighbors reported hearing the dog bark around 3:15 am and seeing the porch light on, suggesting the probable time of the attack. With no signs of forced entry, police believed the killer was someone Marilyn knew, as per Oxygen.

Suspicion first fell on Lane. He had recently taken out a life insurance policy on Marilyn McIntyre, and witnesses recalled arguments between them. His alibi placed him at a paper mill, though unsupervised breaks raised doubts. Another possible suspect was Curtis Forbes, a friend who resented Marilyn for advising his girlfriend, Debra Attleson, to leave him. Forbes claimed he was out drinking, but his whereabouts between 1:30 am and 4 am were unaccounted for.

He arrived at Attleson’s home around 4 am, visibly shaken. Police questioned more than 60 people, but forensic limitations left them without conclusive proof. Forbes soon fled to Florida, writing letters about his fear and confusion. With no arrest made, the case grew cold, fueling rumors that strained Lane’s reputation and family ties, as per Channel3000.

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Reopening the case and the killer's death hoax

Exhumed: Killer Revealed (Representative image via Unsplash/ @ Mufid Majnun)

In 2007, Marilyn McIntyre’s niece, Terra Doucette, contacted authorities, mistakenly reaching the Columbia County Sheriff’s Department instead of Dodge County.

That call reopened the case after nearly three decades. Detective Lt. Wayne Smith applied modern DNA testing to preserved evidence. A sink bloodstain showed a mix of Marilyn McIntyre’s DNA and an unknown contributor, excluding Lane and clearing him after years of suspicion. Focus shifted to Forbes, according to Oxygen.

Witnesses provided new details. Lori recalled Attleson mentioning a bloody shirt Forbes had asked her to wash. In a 2009 jail call, Attleson brought up the shirt, and Forbes did not deny it. Authorities exhumed Marilyn’s body in 2008, hoping to retrieve DNA from her fingernails, but decomposition made testing impossible. However, investigators publicized the exhumation to pressure the killer.

The strategy rattled Forbes, who devised a plan to fake his death by sinking a boat in Lake Michigan, using a raft to escape, and eventually relocating to Hawaii through union contacts. Police under surveillance intercepted his plans. Confronted with evidence, including witness accounts of Forbes boasting about “getting away with murder”, investigators built a strong circumstantial case. On March 24, 2009, he was arrested, preventing his escape, as per the Wisconsin State Journal.

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Trial, conviction, and aftermath

Exhumed: Killer Revealed (Representative image via Unsplash/ @ Matthew Ansley)

Forbes’ trial began on November 9, 2010, in Columbia County Circuit Court with Judge Alan White presiding. A Jefferson County jury heard seven days of testimony. Prosecutors led by Assistant Attorney General David Wambach argued that Forbes had sought intimacy that night, was rejected, and turned violent toward Marilyn McIntyre.

Evidence included the bloody shirt, his unaccounted hours, an incriminating phone call, and multiple confessions to acquaintances. The defense countered that Lane remained a suspect, pointing to inconsistent timelines. DNA evidence from the sink was ruled inadmissible because the probability match to Forbes (1 in 98) was too weak, according to Channel3000.

On November 15, 2010, after only 2.5 hours of deliberation, jurors convicted Forbes of first-degree intentional homicide. He was sentenced to life in prison, with parole eligibility in 2020, as per the Wisconsin State Journal. Now 66, Forbes remains at Redgranite Correctional Institution. In August 2023, the parole commission denied his request, with the next review set for October 2026, according to Channel3000.

The verdict brought relief but also lasting pain. Lane endured decades of suspicion, straining his relationship with his son Christopher. Marilyn McIntyre’s twin sister, Carolyn Rahn, expressed relief at finally seeing justice served, though she acknowledged the family’s deep, ongoing scars.

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