Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Larry Isenberg’s death initially seemed like an accidental drowning until an investigation into his killer Lori Isenberg, now serving time in prison, proved otherwise. The case features on Oxygen’s Dateline: Unforgettable in an episode titled “Kill Switch” on Thursday, August 1, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET.
The synopsis reads, “Keith Morrison revisits a story where he says unusual would be putting it mildly; at first it appeared to be a drowning accident during a romantic sunset cruise; but soon Idaho investigators suspected something more sinister.”
Larry Isenberg’s now-convicted killer, Lori, claimed that they were sailing in Lake Coeur d’Alene to watch the sunrise when the former drowned. The incident occurred on the morning of February 13, 2018. As authorities searched for Larry, Lori faced multiple counts of forgery and grand theft for stealing money from her employer, North Idaho Housing Coalition. Once they found Larry’s body, an autopsy confirmed he died of diphenhydramine toxicity after overdosing on the antihistamine Benadryl.
Authorities then learned of Lori Isenberg’s suspicious activities in the time after Larry’s death. These included changing his will, liquidating their joint accounts, and transferring their joint community properties to herself. She was already serving time in federal prison when prosecutors charged her with Larry’s murder. Lori later entered an Alford Plea on a second-degree murder charge.
Larry Isenberg’s killer: Where is Lori Isenberg now?
According to the Idaho Department of Corrections, Larry Isenberg’s killer Lori Isenberg is serving time in the Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center. Lori, full name Laurcene Barnes Isenberg, received a minimum of 30 years in prison after entering an Alford Plea in 2021. The count was second-degree murder. She will become eligible for parole on February 22, 2050.
Oxygen reported that Lori Isenberg was already serving a federal sentence when she faced charges in Larry’s murder. In 2019, Lori pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and one count of theft from a federal program. She received a five-year prison sentence for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from her employer, North Idaho Housing Coalition (NIHC). Her daughters were also involved in the crime and received probation and house arrests.
Then, in February 2020, prosecutors charged Lori with first-degree in Larry Isenberg’s death as his killer. According to The Spokesman-Review, Larry’s son, Dean Isenberg, claimed, “When it was impossible to hide these actions [the embezzlement] any longer, she killed him.” Dean had also told detectives that Larry would have divorced Lori if he had known about the embezzlement.
Reportedly, Lori Isenberg initially claimed Larry fell overboard their boat while they were sailing in Lake Coeur d’Alene. She alleged he fell off the boat and drowned while trying to fix the faulty motor. Lori called 911 two hours after the accident. During an initial search, authorities failed to find Larry, but they continued their attempt to find him.
Meanwhile, days after Larry Isenberg’s apparent drowning, authorities arrested Lori on embezzlement charges. She faced multiple counts of forgery and theft for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from NIHC. Not long after, authorities found Larry’s body floating in the lake. After an autopsy found that he died of diphenhydramine poisoning. Reportedly, he had over 7,000 nanograms of the drug in his system at the time, which is 70 times more than what doctors recommend. Additionally, the report showed no signs of drowning.
By the time the autopsy report came out, Lori Isenberg was already on the run. She eventually surrendered to authorities in July of that year. In early 2019, Lori and her daughters from previous relationships pleaded guilty to the embezzlement charges. Lori, who was also a suspect in Larry Isenberg’s murder, received a five-year sentence.
During an investigation into Larry Isenberg’s murder, investigators found incriminating evidence against Lori. Sportskeeda reported that she had liquidated all their joint accounts and made handwritten changes to Larry’s will. These changes reallocated 80% of his assets to Lori’s biological children and left very little for the victim’s children. Moreover, authorities found sinister internet searches such as water currents, drowning, boating rentals, and boating accidents that she made before Larry’s suspicious death.
In addition, Lori Isenberg sent an email to NIHC, promising to return all the money she had stolen. She sent the email one day after Larry Isenberg’s death. It read, “As you know by now, Larry and I had an accident yesterday.” She begged for their forgiveness and promised to pay them back. “I can pay all of it back as soon as I can sell my home,” she said at one point.
Lori Isenberg eventually admitted that she was responsible for Larry’s death. She claimed to have made a poisoned drink for herself in an attempt to commit suicide. Lori claimed that it was Larry who drank it and died.
Oxygen’s Dateline: Unforgettable looks into Larry Isenberg’s death and the case against his killer this Thursday, August 1.
