On November 15, 2017, Sydney Loofe left work for a Tinder date in Wilber, Nebraska. The day after, Loofe was reported missing after failing to appear for work at a local Menards store in Lincoln. Three weeks later, Loofe's dismembered remains were found along a gravel road sixty miles from her date location.
Two suspects, Bailey Boswell and Aubrey Trail, were arrested concerning Loofe's murder. The suspects' stories have changed throughout time. Initially, Boswell and Trail denied involvement in Loofe's killing, but after discovering Loofe's body, Trail confessed to the killing, while Boswell maintained innocence. The prosecution's store receipts and video evidence show the couple purchasing bleach, saws, and trash bags shortly before Loofe's disappearance. Cell tower data mapped the suspects following Loofe on the date. Trail was sentenced to death, while Boswell was sentenced to life in prison. Loofe's murder has attracted significant mainstream media attention, with news outlets publishing newer developments as the trials proceeded.
Background
Sydney Loofe
Sydney Irene Loofe was born on August 21, 1993, in Broken Bow, Nebraska. Raised in Arcadia by her parents George W. and Susie Loofe, Sydney and her family moved to Neligh around 2000. She was known for her skilled fishing. Loofe played basketball and golf while in school, but she developed scoliosis as a teenager, hindering her from playing sports. After graduating from Neligh-Oakdale High School in 2011, she worked at her local Menards store. Susie recounted her daughter suffering from anxiety and major depression. Merely days before her disappearance, Loofe discussed her worsening mental health with her family, who scheduled and drove her to a doctor appointment to get antidepressants. It was the last time that Loofe’s family saw her.
Bailey Boswell and Aubrey Trail
Bailey Marie Boswell was raised in Leon, Iowa. She was an infant when her biological father was murdered. She excelled at school athletics, topping the list of fastest runners on her relay team and scoring dozens of points in basketball games. She was offered a scholarship to play college basketball. However, she turned to substance abuse after her graduation. A 2016 issue of the local newspaper of Cameron, Missouri, shows Boswell being cited $400 for possession of recreational drug paraphernalia. A mother to one daughter, Boswell was married to Freddy Pannell. Bailey's mother Priscilla recounted that the Pannell-Boswell relationship was "physically, emotionally and sexually abusive." Pannell had a drug addiction that led authorities to revoke the parents' custody of their school-aged daughter. According to Priscilla, Pannell also beat up a pregnant Bailey before kicking her face. Priscilla went on to discuss Bailey's move to Princeton, Iowa, and her unsuccessful plan to rebuild her life. The prosecutor claimed that Boswell sought out Trail on the now-defunct sex marketplace Backpage, alleging that she was looking for a sugar daddy.
Aubrey Clifton Trail endured a difficult childhood. At the age of two, he was abused by his parents before his grandfather took care of him. Only time separated Trail from returning back to his parents' household, where he was again abused by his stepfather. He grew up in poverty, moving steadily from one foster home and juvenile facility to another, before landing in prison as a teenager for armed robbery.
Disappearance
The dates
Loofe agreed to go on a first date with Bailey Boswell on November 14, 2017. Boswell used a fake alias of "Audrey." Loofe asked Boswell twice if they would be the only people at the date, to which Boswell responded in the affirmative. The date was held in a basement that Boswell and Aubrey had rented for six months. On November 15, Loofe went on another date with Boswell. Before heading to her date, Loofe posted a Snapchat image captioned "Ready for my date." Cell tower data show Boswell and Trail's phones traveling from Loofe's rental home to Wilber. Loofe's phone last pinged in Wilber before the phone shut off at 8:32 p.m.
Loofe's disappearance
On November 16, Loofe, a store clerk at one of the Menards stores in Lincoln, failed to show up for work. Her mother, Susie texted her, unaware Sydney was on a date, but Sydney did not respond. Susie then reported her daughter missing, and the next day, the police paid a welfare check visit at her rental home. Sydney was not found in her home, but there was no evidence of an altercation, and her car, glasses, and purse were left behind. Sydney’s cat was not fed as usual.