How Burger King Employees Caught America's Most Wanted Serial Killer: The Ohio Family Massacre
The rural tranquility of Liberty Town, Ohio was shattered on a seemingly ordinary February afternoon. What began with a desperate 911 call led authorities to discover two horrific crime scenes just five miles apart. At the first location on Vigo Road, officers found Rick Adams and Tammy Potts Williams grievously injured outside their mobile home—Rick unconscious with gunshot wounds to the head, and Tammy with her throat slashed and body badly bruised.
The situation became even more disturbing when a second crime scene was reported on Bowman Lane. There, investigators discovered the bodies of Leann Marie Potts and Thomas "Tom" Steven Miller, a couple who had recently applied for a marriage license and were planning their future together. The brutal nature of these attacks and the revelation that the victims were siblings raised alarming questions about who would target this family with such extreme violence, transforming a quiet Ohio community into the setting of an unimaginable tragedy.
Key Takeaways
Four family members were victims of brutal attacks at two separate locations in rural Ohio, with evidence suggesting targeted violence.
First responders discovered Rick Adams and Tammy Potts Williams critically injured outside their mobile home, while Leann Potts and Thomas Miller were found deceased at a second location.
The investigation uncovered suspicious evidence including blood-stained vehicles, zip ties, and shell casings that would become central to unraveling the case.
The 911 Call and Initial Discovery
On a cold February afternoon in 2019, Doris Jones arrived at a mobile home on Vigo Road in Liberty Town, Ohio, to check on her niece Tammy Potts Williams and Tammy's boyfriend Rick Adams. What she discovered would forever haunt her. Outside the trailer lay two bodies - both victims brutally attacked and barely clinging to life.
Immediately, Doris called 911. "Someone's come up here and beat these people. They're about dead," she frantically told the dispatcher. The urgency in her voice prompted a swift response from law enforcement and emergency services.
First responders arrived to find a horrific scene. Rick Adams, 50, lay unconscious with two gunshot wounds, one directly to his head. Nearby, Tammy Potts Williams, 51, had suffered even more grievous injuries - her throat had been slashed, and her body was covered in bruises indicating a violent struggle.
Officers secured the crime scene while paramedics rushed both victims to Ohio Health Grant Medical Center, though their chances of survival appeared slim. During the initial investigation, officers heard reports of possible sounds coming from inside the trailer. With weapons drawn, they conducted a thorough search but found no one inside.
A silver sedan with blood spots on the driver's seat and steering wheel was discovered parked near the scene. The vehicle didn't belong to either victim, immediately becoming a crucial piece of evidence in the investigation.
As detectives processed this first crime scene, they received another disturbing call. Lauren Potts, an 18-year-old concerned about her mother Leann Potts (Rick's sister), had gone to check on her. "We went out there and had knocked on every door, every window," Lauren later explained. "I looked in. I said there's a body in the kitchen."
This second location was on Bowman Lane, just 5 miles from the first scene. Officers immediately responded and discovered another gruesome tableau. Inside, they found a man who had been beaten and shot multiple times. The kitchen table held zip ties and a single 32-caliber shell casing.
The violence at both scenes was overwhelming. What initially appeared as random attacks soon revealed a disturbing connection - the victims were related. Rick Adams was the brother of Leann Potts, 46, who along with her fiancé Thomas "Tom" Steven Miller, 63, had been the victims at the Bowman Lane location. The couple had recently applied for a marriage license and were planning a Caribbean vacation before their wedding.
These brutal attacks targeting multiple members of the same family suggested something far more calculated than random violence. The investigation was just beginning, but already it was clear this case would test even the most experienced law enforcement officers.
Investigation Begins
On a February afternoon in 2019, a routine visit turned into a nightmare when Doris Jones discovered her niece Tammy Potts Williams and Tammy's boyfriend Rick Adams severely injured outside their mobile home on Vigo Road in Liberty Town, Ohio. Both victims lay bleeding on the ground, barely alive. Doris immediately called 911, her voice filled with panic as she reported the assault.
Law enforcement and medical personnel arrived quickly at the scene. Officers secured the area to preserve evidence while paramedics rushed to help the victims. Rick Adams had sustained two gunshot wounds, including one to the head, while Tammy's throat had been slashed and her body was covered in bruises, suggesting she had fought desperately for her life.
Both victims were transported to Ohio Health Grant Medical with little hope of survival. As officers searched the property, they found no one inside the trailer but discovered a silver sedan parked nearby with blood spots on the driver's seat and steering wheel—a potentially crucial piece of evidence that didn't belong to either victim.
The investigation took a shocking turn when another call came in from 18-year-old Lauren Potts. Concerned after hearing about the attack on her uncle Rick and his girlfriend, Lauren had gone to check on her mother, Leanne Potts, who was Rick's sister. What she discovered was devastating: "I looked in. I said there's a body in the kitchen."
Officers rushed to the second crime scene on Bowman Lane, approximately 5 miles from the first attack. Inside, they found a man's body—Tom Steven Miller, 63—who had been beaten and shot multiple times. The kitchen table held zip ties and a 32-caliber shell casing, suggesting a methodical assault.
The connection between the victims soon became clear: this wasn't random violence but targeted attacks against family members. Leanne Potts, 46, and Tom Miller, 63, had applied for a marriage license in January 2019 and were planning their wedding. Meanwhile, Leanne's brother Rick Adams, 50, and his girlfriend Tammy Potts Williams, 51, had been attacked at their home.
Family members described the victims as kind-hearted people. "My Uncle Rick was just the most down-to-earth person you would ever meet," said one relative. "He was purely a good soul." About Tammy, they added, "My aunt was a beautiful woman...she was a very natural woman."
The brutality of the crimes shocked even veteran law enforcement officers. One officer with 25 years of experience described it as "one of the most horrific things I'd ever seen."
As investigators processed both crime scenes, they faced troubling questions: Who would target this family with such extreme violence? What possible motive could explain the brutality of these attacks? The dual crime scenes, connected by family ties, pointed to something far more calculated than random violence.
Victims and Their Connections
Who the Victims Were
Leanne Marie Potts, born June 20, 1972, in Washington Courthouse, Ohio, worked as a paralegal at the Annaville Aral Law Office. She was also actively involved with the Loyal Order of the Moose. Thomas "Tom" Steven Miller, born July 5, 1955, in the same town, had worked at Cor Materials Technologies in Columbus for nearly thirty years. In his free time, Tom enjoyed dirt bike riding, fishing, and woodworking.
The other victims were Rick Adams, age 50, and his girlfriend Tammy Potts Williams, 51. Rick was described by family as "the most down-to-earth person you would ever meet" with "a purely good soul." Tammy was remembered as a "beautiful woman" with a natural appearance, deeply loved by her family members.
By January 2019, Leanne (46) and Tom (63) had applied for a marriage license and were planning a Caribbean vacation before their wedding, though they hadn't set a specific date. Their plans were tragically cut short when both were fatally shot in Tom's Bowman Lane home the following month.
Connections Between the Victims
The most significant revelation in the investigation was that these weren't random attacks—the victims were related to each other. Leanne Potts was Rick Adams' sister, creating a family connection between the two separate crime scenes.
Family Relationships:
Leanne Potts and Rick Adams: Siblings
Tammy Potts Williams: Rick's girlfriend
Thomas Miller: Leanne's fiancé
The attacks occurred at two locations just 5 miles apart:
Vigo Road (mobile home): Rick Adams and Tammy Potts Williams were found severely injured outside
Bowman Lane (Thomas Miller's house): Leanne Potts and Thomas Miller were found deceased
This family connection transformed the case from seemingly isolated violent incidents into what appeared to be targeted attacks against members of the same family. The proximity of the crime scenes (only 5 miles separating them) and the extreme brutality at both locations strongly suggested the crimes were linked and specifically directed at this family group.
Unfolding of the Second Crime Scene
The Follow-Up Emergency Call
While first responders were still processing the horrific attack on Vigo Road, their radios crackled with news of another emergency. Lauren Potts, an 18-year-old worried about her mother Leanne after hearing about the attack on her uncle Rick and his girlfriend Tammy, had made a frantic call to 911. She had gone to check on her mother's whereabouts at a residence approximately 5 miles away on Bowman Lane in Londonderry, Ohio.
The teenager's voice trembled as she reported what she had discovered through the window. "I looked in. There's a body in the kitchen," she told the dispatcher. This second call sent a chill through the investigation team, as it suggested a possible connection between the two violent incidents occurring on the same February afternoon.
The Bowman Lane Investigation
Officers raced to the Bowman Lane address, approaching the property with weapons drawn. Through the windows, they could see signs of violence that confirmed their worst fears. Inside the home, they discovered an even more disturbing scene than the first.
A man lay motionless on the floor, having suffered multiple gunshot wounds and severe beating. Blood splatter covered the surrounding area, indicating an extremely violent struggle had taken place. As officers cleared the residence room by room, they found evidence suggesting premeditation—zip ties were discovered on the kitchen table alongside a single 32-caliber shell casing.
Further investigation revealed the male victim was Thomas "Tom" Miller, age 63, a nearly three-decade employee of Cor Materials Technologies in Columbus. The home belonged to him, and he had been in a relationship with Leanne Potts, 46, who was the sister of Rick Adams from the first crime scene.
The officers soon made another grim discovery—a second victim was found in the residence. This individual appeared to have been bound with zip ties and was partially undressed, raising concerns about possible sexual assault before the murder. The brutality exhibited at both crime scenes left even veteran officers deeply disturbed.
"In my 25-year career in law enforcement, I've never seen anything of that magnitude," one officer later stated. "That was probably one of the most horrific things I'd ever seen."
Evidence Collection and Analysis
The investigation began with a frantic 911 call reporting victims with life-threatening injuries outside a mobile home on Vigo Road in Liberty Town, Ohio. First responders found Rick Adams unconscious with two gunshot wounds, including one to the head. Nearby lay Tammy Potts Williams with a slashed throat and multiple bruises. Officers immediately secured the perimeter, declaring it a crime scene.
Paramedics rushed both victims to Ohio Health Grant Medical Center, though their chances of survival appeared slim. Law enforcement conducted a thorough sweep of the trailer after a neighbor reported hearing noises inside, but found no additional victims or suspects.
During the initial evidence collection, investigators discovered a silver sedan parked near the crime scene. The vehicle contained blood spots on both the driver's seat and steering wheel. This automobile didn't belong to either victim and remained unidentified by local residents, marking it as a significant piece of evidence.
The investigation took a dramatic turn when authorities received another emergency call. Lauren Potts, an 18-year-old concerned about her mother Leanne Potts (Rick Adams' sister), had visited her mother's residence on Bowman Lane—approximately 5 miles from the first crime scene. Looking through the windows, Lauren made a horrifying discovery: "There's a body in the kitchen."
Officers responding to Bowman Lane found a man, later identified as Thomas "Tom" Steven Miller, beaten and shot multiple times. The scene showed clear signs of a violent struggle. Investigators documented several key pieces of evidence:
Blood spatters across the floor
Zip ties on the kitchen table
A 32-caliber shell casing in the corner
The connection between victims quickly became apparent—they were family members. Leanne Potts (46) and Tom Miller (63) had recently applied for a marriage license and were planning their wedding. Rick Adams (50) was Leanne's brother, and Tammy Potts Williams (51) was Rick's girlfriend.
The coordinated attacks suggested someone deliberately targeted this family. The brutality of the crimes—gunshot wounds, throat slashing, severe beatings—indicated extreme violence. The presence of zip ties at the second scene also suggested the possibility of restraint during the attack.
Law enforcement officials with decades of experience described these crime scenes as among the most horrific they had encountered. The methodical documentation of both scenes provided crucial physical evidence for investigators to pursue leads and identify potential suspects.
Community Impact and Reactions
The brutal attacks in Liberty Town, Ohio shook the entire community to its core. Law enforcement officials were visibly affected by what they encountered, with one 25-year veteran officer describing it as "one of the most horrific things" they had ever witnessed.
Family members of the victims expressed deep sorrow and disbelief in the wake of the violence. One relative described Rick Adams as "the most down-to-earth person you would ever meet" and "purely a good soul." The same family member remembered Tammy Potts Williams as "a beautiful woman" who had been present throughout most of their life.
The attacks against the two couples left neighbors on high alert. Residents in both areas became more vigilant, with one neighbor quickly alerting authorities to potential noises inside the mobile home during the initial investigation. This community awareness proved valuable as officers worked to secure the crime scenes.
The investigation prompted substantial police presence in both Liberty Town neighborhoods. Officers cordoned off large areas at both crime scenes, creating a stark visual reminder of the tragedy for local residents. The discovery of an abandoned silver sedan with blood spots near one crime scene further heightened community concerns about safety.
Local organizations where the victims were active members felt the loss deeply. Leanne Potts had been an active member of the Loyal Order of the Moose, while Thomas Miller had spent nearly three decades employed at Cor Materials Technologies in Columbus. Their sudden deaths left noticeable voids in these communities.
News of the attacks spread rapidly through the small town. The particularly violent nature of the crimes—with two victims suffering gunshot wounds to the head, one victim having her throat slashed, and another found bound with zip ties—created a wave of fear unlike anything the community had experienced before.
The realization that these weren't random acts of violence but targeted attacks against siblings intensified public anxiety. Many residents questioned who could commit such cruel acts against people described by their family as kind and loving individuals.
The proximity of the two crime scenes—just five miles apart—created a geographic zone of distress. Residents throughout Liberty Town and neighboring communities remained on edge as investigators worked to determine whether the perpetrator remained in the area.
These crimes occurred in February 2019, shattering what should have been a happy time for the victims. Leanne and Tom had recently applied for a marriage license and were planning a Caribbean getaway before their wedding, making the tragedy all the more poignant for those who knew them.
Victim Backgrounds
Leanne Potts
Leanne Marie Potts was born on June 20, 1972, in Washington Courthouse, Ohio. She worked professionally as a paralegal, spending a portion of her career at the Anaville Law Office. Beyond her professional life, Leanne was an active community member, participating in the Loyal Order of the Moose.
By early 2019, at age 46, Leanne had applied for a marriage license with her partner, Tom Miller. According to close friends, the couple was planning a Caribbean vacation before their wedding, though they hadn't yet set a specific date for the ceremony.
Thomas S. Miller
Thomas "Tom" Steven Miller was born on July 5, 1955, in Washington Courthouse, Ohio. He built a steady career at Cor Materials Technologies in Columbus, Ohio, where he worked for nearly 30 years.
In his personal time, Tom enjoyed several outdoor hobbies including dirt bike riding and fishing. He also had a passion for woodworking. At 63, Tom had applied for a marriage license with Leanne Potts in January 2019, just a month before their lives were tragically cut short in his home on Bowman Lane.
Rick Adams and Tammy Potts Williams
Rick Adams, age 50, was Leanne Potts' brother. Family members described him as "down-to-earth" and "purely a good soul." He lived with his girlfriend, Tammy Potts Williams, in a mobile home on Vigo Road, approximately five miles from Tom Miller's residence.
Tammy Potts Williams was 51 years old and characterized by family as "a beautiful, natural woman." On that fateful February afternoon, Tammy's aunt Doris Jones discovered both Rick and Tammy grievously injured outside their trailer. Rick had suffered two gunshot wounds, including one to the head, while Tammy's throat had been slashed and her body was covered in bruises.
Emergency responders transported both victims to Ohio Health Grant Medical Center with little expectation of survival. Their attack occurred the same day investigators would discover the bodies at the Bowman Lane location, suggesting a targeted assault against members of the same family.
Implications and Theories
The brutal attacks against the four family members present investigators with several troubling questions. The calculated nature of these crimes targeting siblings at two separate locations suggests a deeply personal motive. The presence of zip ties at Tom Miller's residence indicates possible premeditation and planning, rather than a spontaneous act of violence.
Blood evidence discovered in the silver sedan near Rick and Tammy's mobile home provides a potential link between the crime scenes. This vehicle, belonging to neither victim, could represent the killer's transportation method between the two attacks. The proximity of the crime scenes—just 5 miles apart—further supports the theory that these incidents were connected and potentially carried out by the same perpetrator.
The timing of these attacks appears significant. Leann Potts and Tom Miller had recently applied for a marriage license and were planning their future together. This major life event might have triggered someone with a grudge against the family or someone opposed to their relationship.
The extreme brutality exhibited—gunshot wounds to the head, a slashed throat, severe beatings—suggests intense anger or hatred toward the victims. This level of violence typically indicates a personal connection rather than a random criminal encounter. Investigators must consider whether:
The attacker had a prior relationship with one or more victims
Financial motives might be involved (inheritance, insurance, property disputes)
A family secret or grudge could have precipitated such violence
Drug involvement or other criminal activities might have placed the family at risk
The partial undressing of one victim and presence of zip ties points to possible sexual assault, adding another disturbing dimension to these crimes. This element might help establish the perpetrator's profile and criminal history.
Given the family connection between victims, investigators will likely examine recent conflicts, financial records, and relationship histories. The brutality witnessed at these crime scenes ranks among the most horrific many law enforcement officers had ever encountered, suggesting a killer with extreme rage or possibly a psychopathic personality.
