Katharina Buczek
After Leah Rachelle Peebles was born to her parents, Sharon McDowell and John Daniel Peebles, in 1983, she grew up alongside her two brothers in Fort Worth, Texas.
But unfortunately, Leah suffered severe trauma starting at a very young age. When she was just a toddler, a distant relative assaulted her. Then, after turning 14-years-old, she was assaulted again by a family friend.
Despite these traumatic experiences, Leah still worked to excel as a young woman. While attending Carter-Riverside High School, she solidified her place as an honor roll student. At the same time, Leah was a cheerleader, a drama club member, and a part of the yearbook staff.
Eventually, though, the childhood anguish seemingly pervaded Leah’s life. During her sophomore year, she started to abuse alcohol and drugs. Afterward, she also quit all of her extracurricular activities.
That’s why, by the time she turned 18, Leah was eager to turn her life around. She decided to enter a drug and alcohol treatment program through Fort Worth Teen Challenge– which offers residential addiction recovery treatment for women.
Then, after successfully completing the program, Leah attended cosmetology school– graduating with her cosmetology license after just 21 months before going to work for a beauty salon.
Not long afterward, though, Leah tragically relapsed again. She was also charged with minor drug-related offenses that forced her to serve two short jail sentences. And it was the second arrest that got Leah fired from her beauty salon job.
So, by May 5, 2006, she was eager to start fresh again. That’s why Leah opted to move to Albuquerque, New Mexico, with the intention of leaving her addiction behind and beginning a new chapter.
She started living with friends at 2100 Erbbe Street Northeast and was also set to start a new job at the Flying Star Cafe– a popular restaurant.
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