MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: Amanda Wienckowski
When 20-year-old Amanda Wienckowski vanished one night in Buffalo, her mom, Leslie, refused to sit back and wait for answers. She begged police to listen and even parked outside the house where Amanda was last seen — for weeks — hoping her daughter would walk out the front door. What followed would test every ounce of a mother’s strength: a case full of contradictions, silence from the system, and a fight that would stretch on for more than a decade. This is the story of a mother who wouldn’t let the world forget her daughter — no matter how long it takes for justice.
Listen in the Crime Junkie Fan Club
Unlock this episode & hundreds of other ad-free episodes across the Audiochuck network. Join the Fan Club now for more exclusive content like this & more.
One of the Facebook messages that Antoine sent to Leslie in 2011.
Credit: Buffalo Police Department
Additional Info:
Assembly Bill 8986
You can track the status of Assembly Bill 8986 at this link: https://legiscan.com/NY/bill/A08986/2025
- You can also comment on that site or find a local legislator to champion Leslie’s request for a 20-year extension to Article 78.
- Find the NY State Assembly Directory here: https://nyassembly.gov/mem/ and please include the bill number when reaching out
Sexual Assault resources
You can find Sexual Assault resources by texting HOPE to 64673 for RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline.
Substance Use Treatment
If you or a loved one wants to explore treatment for substance use, you can seek help by calling 211 in the United States.
We’d love to speak with you and see how we can support.
If you’re a law enforcement agency or family member of one of the people we mentioned in this episode, or if you’re looking for more coverage on a case, please reach out. You can email us at:
Episode Source Material
-
Original reporting by Rachel Ryan, Courteney Stuart, and Sam Anderson.
-
Buffalo Police Department Records
-
NBC New York: NY Makes It a Felony to Unlawfully Dispose of a Body. Published Oct. 2 2013. Accessed November 11, 2025. https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/new-york-corpse-concealment-law-felony/1293325/
-
New York State Senate: Amanda Lynn’s Law Passes in Senate and Assembly. Published Dec. 10 2015. Accessed November 11, 2025. https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2015/robert-g-ortt/amanda-lynns-law-passes-senate-and-assembly
-
New York State Senate: PEN § 195.02 – Concealment of a Human Corpse. Published Nov. 27 2015 (statute updated). Accessed November 11, 2025. https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/195.02
-
The Buffalo News (Buffalo, NY): Second autopsy on Wienckowski shows beating, strangulation, by Lou Michel. Published November 23, 2011. Accessed June 16, 2025 https://buffalonews.com/news/second-autopsy-suggests-strangling-lawyer-releases-details-from-wienckowski-exams/article_3ce9e149-ab81-5cf4-9165-2d4d9e06b2e8.html
Suggested Episodes
MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: Gwen Hasselquist
In March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, the mysterious death of a mother of two is ruled a suicide. But her loved ones believe there’s more to her death than meets the eye. And as soon as we looked into her case, the cracks in the official ruling started to show.
MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: Jeannette Bishop May & Gabriella Guerin
In 1980, the ex-wife of a British aristocrat and her Italian friend vanish from a small ski resort town during a snowstorm in the mountains of central Italy, and investigators have a simple theory – they got lost and had some kind of accident. But when mysterious messages arrive, clues lead them on a decades-long deep dive into the art world jet set, the mafia underworld…and even the Vatican.
MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: Dave Bocks
When a man goes missing in 1984, the search for him starts quickly. Especially since he disappeared during his overnight shift at a nuclear production facility.
Join our Fan Club to listen ad-free!
Unlock ad-free listening for this episode & hundreds of episodes across the Audiochuck network.
Join the Fan Club now for early access, exclusive content, & more!
