Lawrence Scott Dame, known as Larry, was born in 1972 in Minnesota, where he grew up with five siblings. His early life was marked by a series of troubling signs that hinted at the darkness that would eventually consume him. As a young boy, Larry was expelled from the Catholic high school that all his siblings attended—a turning point that would set him on a path of self-destruction.
Early Troubles and Descent
Larry's parents enrolled him in a public school after his expulsion, while his siblings remained in the Catholic school. It was in public school that Larry's life began to spiral out of control. He fell in with a bad crowd, and his father received letters almost daily, reporting that Larry had skipped school. His grades plummeted as his drinking escalated, and eventually, he dropped out of school altogether.
In 1995, Larry was arrested for assault after slitting a man's throat during an argument. This was not his first encounter with the law—he had been previously charged with property damage and had multiple parole violations. Larry was sentenced to four years in prison.
Release and the Struggle to Stay Sober
In 2000, at the age of 28, Larry was released from prison and moved back in with his parents in Lino Lakes, a suburb of Minneapolis. Initially, it seemed that Larry was trying to turn his life around. He found a job loading trucks for Sisco Minnesota and, according to some sources, even managed to move into his own place. However, this newfound stability was short-lived. By September of the same year, Larry had lost his job, and his drinking had escalated to consuming two liters of vodka a day.
Larry confided in his family that the reason he drank so much was to drown out the voices in his head—voices that he would later claim drove him to commit horrific acts.
The Final Straw
In October 2000, Larry's downward spiral reached a critical point. He was arrested for stealing his sister's car but was released from jail on October 18th. Larry’s brother-in-law, Todd Mimbach, picked him up from jail and, following police advice, took Larry to Mercy Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. Despite Larry’s claims of hearing voices and his recent suicide attempt, the hospital determined that he was not a danger to himself or others and released him.
Todd and his wife, Donna, were left with no choice but to bring Larry into their home, despite Donna's deep unease. Donna called the police, pleading for them to take Larry back into custody, but they were unable to do so without evidence that he was a threat.
A Horrific Tragedy
On the night of October 18, 2000, the unthinkable happened. Larry attacked Donna, Todd, and their three children—John, 12, Amber, 9, and Daniel, almost 2—while they slept. Armed with a hammer, he bludgeoned each victim before slitting their throats. The only exception was Donna, who died from a single blow to the head. The brutality of the attack was staggering, and the fact that the family was likely asleep during the attack offers some small solace that they may not have suffered long.
Todd’s co-workers, concerned when he did not show up for work, requested a welfare check. The police arrived to find the bodies of the entire family, brutally murdered in their own home.
The Aftermath
Larry was arrested two days later on October 20, 2000. He confessed to the murders, explaining that the voices in his head had convinced him that his family was plotting to kill him, and that he needed to strike first. Despite this, Larry was found competent to stand trial. The prosecution argued that his efforts to clean up the crime scene and dispose of the murder weapon—driving over five hours to Rockford, Illinois—proved that he knew right from wrong.
Larry was convicted of five counts of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He has since attempted to appeal his convictions multiple times, all unsuccessfully.
Conclusion
Lawrence Scott Dame’s tragic story is a haunting reminder of the devastating effects of untreated mental illness. Despite his claims of hearing voices, his actions show a calculated effort to cover up his crimes, leading to his conviction. While some might label him a serial killer due to the number of victims, his crimes are more accurately described as familicide, with the added horror of sororicide—the killing of one’s own sister.
Today, Larry remains incarcerated at MCF Oak Park Heights Prison in Stillwater, Minnesota, serving out five life sentences for the brutal murders of his sister’s family.
Leave a Comment