In December 2013, Dr. Laura Lisa Sweetman, a pediatric neurologist at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, was found unresponsive inside her home in Gilbert, Arizona.
She was discovered in her bathtub. There were no clear signs of forced entry. And the official ruling?
Undetermined.
But for those who knew Laura, nothing about her death made sense.
In this video, we break down the case of Laura Sweetman, a story that remained largely hidden for over a decade, and the questions that still haven’t been answered such as why were there signs of unexplained trauma on Laura’s body? Why did neighbors report a suspicious vehicle outside her home weeks before her death? Why were key people in her life never fully investigated? And why did the case go inactive just months after her autopsy?
At the time of her death, Laura was in the middle of a contentious separation from her husband, David Sweetman, with an active order of protection in place. Friends say she was afraid and believed she was being watched. Meanwhile, investigators documented an unusual scene inside the home, conflicting medical findings (including possible signs consistent with drowning), a toxicology report that left critical questions unanswered, and multiple individuals who were with Laura in the days before her death but were never deeply examined.
Years later, Laura’s name resurfaced during the investigation into the 2020 murder of Nicholas “Nick” Cordova, where David Sweetman was also present at the scene. Yet, Laura’s case was never re-opened.
In this episode, Ashley Flowers and Brit Prawat revisit Laura Sweetman’s story, the investigative gaps, and the systemic failures that may have allowed this case to fade into silence.
What really happened to Laura Sweetman?
Laura’s case is no longer being investigated by law enforcement. If you know anything about the 2013 unattended death of Laura Lisa Sweetman in Gilbert, Arizona, please reach out to us at tips@audiochuck.com and a reporter will be in touch with you.
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Key Episode Moments:
00:00 Intro
02:37 Laura & Dave’s Marriage
06:52 The Secret Second Family
09:31 When Laura Called Police
18:48 Fear, Surveillance & Suspicious Car
28:25 Laura’s Body Is Found
29:55 Dave’s Reaction Raises Questions
35:15 The Last Person to See Her Alive
40:38 Autopsy & Toxicology Questions
1:04:39 Call for Answers & Outro
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Crime Junkie is created and hosted by Ashley Flowers.
About Ashley Flowers
Ashley Flowers is the top female podcaster in the U.S. and the host of Crime Junkie, the #1 podcast among women and the #1 true crime podcast globally. As the Founder of Audiochuck, she has built a top-tier podcast production company that has garnered over 2.6 billion downloads, captivating audiences with its gripping storytelling through 10+ chart topping podcasts. Ashley and her team are dedicated to creating responsible true crime content that respects victims and their families.
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@kallmekris The Most CONTROVERSIAL Case In US History | OJ Simpson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JhksB7R8HY
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Watch Crime Junkie true crime podcast dedicated to covering the cases we just can’t get out of our heads. Every Monday, host Ashley Flowers on SloppBoxx.Com.
He is creepy – ugh. He is a career murdered. Insurance murder scammer.
So 2 things stick out to me from this video. 1) I don’t know about everyone else but when I take a bath, the tub is filled as much as possible. The detail about there not being alot of water I find odd. Unless she did fill the tub and it just happened to have a slow leak I’m like hmmm not much water..,weird. Then I think maybe she was actively filling the tub when she started experiencing a medical emergency but then I’m like I don’t think if that was happening her first thought would be to turn off the tub. I think if that situation happened she would have been found with the water still running and her home be experiencing flooding. The other thing I would have wanted to know was if her hair was still at least damp, I don’t know why but I feel like that might give us a better timeline. And then there’s 2) was there only just enough water in that tub for someone to be able to submerge her? unless someone that intimately knew her knew that she took baths in not a full tub I think the detail about the amount of water is way more important to this story. Or maybe my questions or concerns don’t matter at all.
Girl on left has the most annoying way of speaking. Replace her asap
Same my father had a heart attack and his heart shows no damage at all per all the testing as of now. He is still alive but his heart is 100 percent healthy as of now
I LOVE when Brit gets animated about the cases cause me too girl!🤣🤣
And you lost me at political rant
47:33 it’s interesting that they say she suffered a heart attack because women are usually written off when they are experiencing a heart attack because the symptoms are sometimes different in women and do show up on test the same as for men