LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: “Watcher” is an interesting episode of ‘Dateline: Smoking Gun’ that traces the horrific story of a young woman at the hands of her neighbor named Stephen McDaniel. Lauren was a warm and promising 27-year-old young lady; However, a chilling act of violence took her away. The following episode describes how McDaniel, a next-door neighbor and classmate of Lauren, masterminded the planned murder to meticulous details and then committed a shocking crime that would eventually send shockwaves through a community.

The viewers, as the story unfolds, will learn about his dark motivations, evidence that finally led to his arrest, and further, the battle for justice that has followed in its aftermath. Through interviews and investigative reporting, ‘date line‘ shines light on not only the life Lauren lived but how her death affected her family and friends to make sure her story will not be forgotten.

Who was Lauren Giddings?

Lauren Giddings was a brilliant 27-year-old woman who had been living in Macon, Georgia. She was among those rare creatures who were very smart, nice, and studious. Having attended Mercer University, Lauren was into law, having just finished her law degree. Friends and family described her as ambitious and driven; she had a bright future ahead of her.

She lived in an apartment complex near the university and was socially likable among her neighbors. She was generally friendly, and most of the people who knew her described her as approachable because she often associated with those around her. But it was a tragic headline after her disappearance on June 30, 2011.

Her lost shook the entire community. After a very long investigation, her remains were found, and it was concluded that she had been murdered by a neighbor, Stephen McDaniel from Mercer University.

Was Lauren Giddings friends with Stephen McDaniels?

Lauren Giddings and Stephen McDaniel were not exactly the best of friends, though they did know each other. Both of them had attended Mercer University and hence were class fellows. They hardly interacted much with each other through studies, and it is said that they were never really close to each other.

After college, they found themselves living in adjacent apartments in the same complex in Macon, Georgia. However, neither proximity nor time would ever translate into a friendship. Lauren was an outgoing, forgivable woman; Stephen was more exclusive and private.

How did Stephen McDaniels plan Lauren Giddings’ murder?

The murder of Lauren Giddings had been premeditated by Stephen McDaniel, and for this, he had to perform a number of subsidiary acts that were planned. First, McDaniel had been surreptitiously observing Lauren for some time. He often would follow her around, an indication of a very unhealthy attachment to Lauren. On the night of the murder, he used a master key to enter Lauren’s apartment while she was asleep.

This access was crucial for his plan, since his act of entering her home did not raise suspicion.

On June 26, 2011, at approximately 4:30 am, McDaniel entered Lauren’s apartment wearing a mask and gloves. Once inside, he approached her while she was still in bed and strangled her to death. Following the killing, he then placed her body in the bathtub as part of his plan for later dismemberment.

Later that evening, McDaniel went back to her apartment, and with the use of a hacksaw, hacked her body into pieces in the bathroom. He then disposed of most of her remains in a Mercer University dumpster while throwing her torso in a trash can outside of the apartment complex.

The calculated way in which McDaniel decided to stalk Lauren, and the meticulous way in which he carried out the murder and dismemberment of her body, bring out how calculatedly cold and intense he was in his obsession.

How did the police find Stephen McDaniels guilty?

Examining all the evidence, including his own statements, combined with suspicious behavior, the police convicted Stephen McDaniel of Lauren Giddings’ murder. After Lauren was reported missing on June 30, 2011, an investigation emerged upon the discovery of her dismembered torso in a dumpster near her apartment.

Immediately, because McDaniel was a neighbor of Lauren’s and had gone to Mercer University with her, McDaniel became a person of interest. His strange behavior included appearing as a concerned neighbor on local news. Following the discovery of the body, McDaniel went in voluntarily to give a statement to the police station; His interrogation, though, that normally would last several hours lasted over 12 hours, and it showed discrepancies in his statement.

Searches by the police in his apartment yielded critical evidence against him, including the hacksaw he used to dismember Lauren’s body, traces of her blood, videos and photos on his computer showing how he watched her on the night she was murdered. Overwhelmed with the massive evidence presented in court, in 2014, he accepted a plea bargain for murder and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Lauren Giddings’ sister says she ‘lives on’ despite her death

In the decade since Lauren Teresa Giddings was brutally murdered at just 27 years young, both sisters have begun building their own families. Lauren’s sister, Kaitlyn Wheeler took to social media recently to remark on just how fast time has flown. She said Lauren would have six nieces and nephews today who, though they never met her, know her as “Aunt Lauren” because of the way her family has kept her memory alive. Wheeler, a mother of five, said they celebrate Lauren’s birthday and talk about her all of the time.

They also have pictures of Lauren around their homes to let the kids grow up knowing what she was, though currently the kids are only aware of her with regards to her passing away. The girls are just a bit too young to really grasp the full, harsh reality of their aunt Lauren’s horrible fate. But when the time comes for them to understand what happened to their aunt, Wheeler knows it will be a tough conversation. She can envision having to explain “why and how there’s evil in the world,” when they’re old enough to understand that their sweet aunt is gone.

Uncover Giddings’ tragic death in ‘Dateline: The Smoking Gun’ on Thursday, October 31, at 8 pm ET on Oxygen.