Katharina Buczek
In 2011, twenty-six-year-old Samantha Folsom of Lewiston, Maine, was attempting to turn her life around.
According to her parents, Jon and Joline Turner, she was a remarkable young girl who could have accomplished anything.
“She was a wonderful child, never in any type of trouble whatsoever. She was also a protector of the underdog,” Joline said.
Following high school, though, Samantha’s path reportedly took a turn. And Joline claimed it was around the same time that a young man, Jesse Folsom, entered her daughter’s life.
“It’s what you call a mother’s instinct. I knew that he was not right for her,” Joline recalled.
Joline’s first suspicions were confirmed after discovering bruising on her daughter’s arms. Apparently, Samantha had attempted to cover the marks by wearing long sleeve shirts in the height of summer– something that her mother immediately noted as strange.
Then, following the realization, Joline confronted both Samantha and Jesse about the suspected abuse. Neither of the pair tried to deny it, though, and Samantha’s parents stepped in.
Her father, Jon, worked with Jesse three to four nights a week– helping the young man earn his G.E.D. Afterward, he also aided Jesse in beginning a career in the army.
So, after a lot of time and effort, it appeared that Samantha and Jesse’s relationship was improving. In fact, Joline believed they were going to get a fresh start.
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