MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: Laura Sweetman
In December 2013, 42-year-old Laura Sweetman was found dead in the bathtub of her home in Gilbert, Arizona. Despite numerous red flags identified during early interviews, her death was ruled undetermined and the case was quietly closed.
More than a decade later, our team has uncovered critical details that were overlooked, raising questions about whether the investigation was prematurely closed.
Update
Now, newly released audio, including recordings from inside the home, add a chilling new layer to the case. Listen to our latest update wherever you get your podcasts.
Laura Sweetman
Source: In Honor Of Laura Sweetman / Facebook
Dave Sweetman
Source: Facebook
Nick Cordova inside the business that he and Dave Sweetman owned.
Courtesy: Alysha Cordova
Laura working as a doctor
Source: In Honor Of Laura Sweetman / Facebook
The Sweetman family
Source: In Honor Of Laura Sweetman / Facebook
Laura working out
Courtesy: Victim Advocate
The Sweetman’s nanny, Stacey Miller
Source: Stacey Miller / Facebook
Laura with her sons
Source: In Honor Of Laura Sweetman / Facebook
Laura with her sons
Courtesy: Victim Advocate
Laura Sweetman
Courtesy: Victim Advocate
Dave and Laura Sweetman
Source: In Honor Of Laura Sweetman / Facebook
Laura running a race
Courtesy: Victim Advocate
Laura Sweetman
Courtesy: Victim Advocate
Rachel Hansen
Source: Rachel’s Rescue
Flowers in memory of Laura at her work
Source: In Honor of Laura Sweetman / Facebook
Timeline:
Laura reportedly suffers a heart attack while training for a marathon.
8:44 p.m.
Laura and Dave have a violent altercation at their home.
Laura calls the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office from a movie theater to report the assault. Authorities arrest Dave for assault and unlawful imprisonment.
Laura files for an order of protection and is granted full custody of the children.
Laura visits her cardiologist and is described as asymptomatic, with no complaints.
Dave is granted shared custody and sees the children every other week.
A neighbor reports a suspicious white Isuzu Rodeo near Laura’s home. The same vehicle is later seen parked in Laura’s driveway.
Laura goes on a date with a man named Shahin.
Laura makes plans with multiple men throughout the day. She has dinner with a man named Bruce, and Will visits Laura at her home for about an hour.
Shortly before 9:10 a.m.
Stacey enters Laura’s home and finds her unresponsive in the bathtub.
9:18 a.m.
First responders pronounce Laura dead.
Laura’s autopsy is completed, and her cause and manner of death are ruled undetermined.
Police officially mark Laura’s case inactive.
Fallbrook Union High School
Where Laura and Dave met as teenagers in the 1980s.
Laura's Practice
Where Laura worked as a pediatric neurologist.
Gilbert, Arizona
Where Laura and Dave lived together before the April 2013 domestic violence incident.
Additional Info:
Contact Us With Tips
If you have any information about the death of Laura Sweetman in Gilbert, Arizona, contact us at [email protected].
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 Nicole Kagan
- Gilbert Police Department. Incident/Investigation Report: Case No. 13-000020189. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026
- Highland Justice Court. Release Questionnaire Case No. PF2013417732001. 2013. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026
- Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office. Medical Examiner Report Case 13-07855. 2013. Accessed 15. Jan 2026.
- Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office. Toxicology Report Case 13-07855. 2014. Accessed 15. Jan 2026.
- “Laura Williams Sweetman Obituary.” The San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Jan. 2014, https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/obituaries/laura-williams-sweetman-san-diego-ca/
- “Morbid Secrets of a Forensic Pathologist.” 12 News, 18 May 2017, https://www.12news.com/video/news/investigative/morbid-secrets-of-a-forensic-pathologist/75-2605875.
- Halloran, Wendy, and Elizabeth Wiley. “Current Maricopa Co. Forensic Pathologist Was Reprimanded by Navy.” 12 News, 18 May 2017, https://www.12news.com/article/news/investigations/current-maricopa-co-forensic-pathologist-was-reprimanded-by-navy/75-436483549
- Halloran, Wendy, and Elizabeth Wiley. “Records Show Improper Conduct, Policy Violations by Maricopa Co. Medical Examiner Employees.” 12 News, 20 Apr. 2017. https://www.12news.com/article/news/investigations/records-show-improper-conduct-policy-violations-by-maricopa-co-medical-examiner-employees/75-432592837
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