HENDERSON, MD – A Maryland resident, Leonard “Buddy” Church, has been sentenced to 65 years in prison for the brutal murder of a woman on his 40th birthday. The crime took place in a Delaware home where the victim, Jennifer Leyanna, was tortured and killed in a bathtub. Church, now 43, was sentenced by Kent County Superior Court Judge Reneta L. Green-Streett after pleading guilty to second-degree murder.
Esther Wright, 41, an accomplice in the crime, was also sentenced to 25 years in prison. Wright had assisted Church in restraining Leyanna and burying her body, and had pleaded guilty to charges of kidnapping and conspiracy.
The investigation into Leyanna’s disappearance began when her mother reported her missing on November 1, 2020. Leyanna had not been seen or heard from since October 9, 2020. On February 22, 2022, Delaware State Police confirmed that Leyanna’s remains were found in the backyard of a residence on Schuyler Road, Henderson, Maryland, a remote area where Church has a residence.
According to court documents, the murder occurred on October 10, 2020, in a home on Route 8 in Kent County. Church, under the influence of PCP, became irate, believing Leyanna had stolen his wallet. With Wright’s assistance, Church restrained Leyanna in the bathtub, choked her to death with a belt, and buried her body in his backyard in Henderson.
The case remained unsolved for over a year until Wright confided in someone about the location of Leyanna’s body. This individual then informed the police, leading to the discovery of her remains.
During the sentencing, Leyanna’s family delivered emotional victim impact statements. Leyanna’s mother described the experience as one of the most traumatic a person can endure, stating that there is never true closure when a loved one’s life is taken in such a brutal manner.
Leyanna’s friends and family acknowledged her struggle with drug addiction, but emphasized her love for her family. Her daughter, Natalie Dehorty, expressed her grief over losing her mother, who she described as her best friend.
Church’s attorney argued that his client was under the influence of drugs at the time of the crime and would not have committed such a violent act otherwise. Church expressed his apologies to the victim’s family.