Murder of Sydney Loofe

Sydney Irene Loofe, who was born on August 21, 1993, in Broken Bow, Nebraska, used to play basketball and golf in school. However, her scoliosis condition hindered her from continuing her athletic pursuits.

In the days leading up to her disappearance, she confided in her family about her deteriorating mental health. They drove her to a doctor's appointment to obtain antidepressants, and unfortunately, that was the last time they saw her.

The Disappearance of Sydney Loofe

Bailey Marie Boswell was raised in Leon, Iowa. In this case she had a male accomplice, Aubrey Clifton Trail. Both had been in and out of prison.

Loofe had been chatting with someone who identified herself as Audrey on Tinder, but in reality she was chatting with Bailey Boswell.

Sydney Loofe agreed to go on a date with Bailey Boswell on November 14, 2017. Loofe was concerned about whether there would be other people on the date and asked Boswell twice, but he assured her they would be alone. The date took place in a rented basement that Boswell and Aubrey had leased for six months.

Sydney's post before her date

The following day, on November 15, Loofe went on another date with Boswell. Just before leaving for the date, she posted a photo on Snapchat with the caption "Ready for my date." . The last ping from Loofe's phone was recorded in Wilber before it shut off at 8:32 p.m.

On November 16, after Sydney Loofe failed to show up for her shift at the Menards store in Lincoln, Nebraska, her mother Susie tried to contact her via text message. When Sydney did not respond, Susie reported her daughter missing. The following day, the police conducted a welfare check at Sydney's rental home, but she was not found there. There was no evidence of a struggle or altercation, and Sydney's car, glasses, and purse were left behind.

Investigation and Discovery of Loofe's Body

Sydney Loofe had shared her plans for the Tinder date with several friends, including Brooklyn McCrystal. When Loofe went missing, McCrystal made it her mission to discover the identity of Loofe's date.

She swiped through numerous Tinder profiles until she came across the profile for "Audrey," and then swiped right. McCrystal messaged "Audrey," who responded by giving her phone number. McCrystal shared this information with the authorities.

The Saline County police were able to locate the Wilber duplex where Sydney Loofe's phone had pinged last.

Boswell and Aubrey Clifton Trail

After knocking on Boswell and Trail's apartment door during a welfare check, the police received no answer. They then used the landlord's key to enter the apartment, but the only notable thing they found was the strong smell of bleach.

Search teams, including the FBI and local police departments, discovered Sydney Loofe's dismembered body parts on December 4. The remains, along with sex toys, clothing, and other items, were found wrapped in numerous black garbage bags near a gravel road north of Edgar, Nebraska, about an hour west of Wilber.

Trial and Sentencing

After Boswell and Trial were brought in for questioning, Trial made some confessions. He recounted some of his confession but some stood to be credible.

Boswell in court

At one point, Aubrey Trail informed the FBI that he was responsible for producing films catering to specific fetishes. He received payment from individuals interested in watching such films, and he used that money to pay individuals like Sydney Loofe, fully aware that certain fetishes, such as choking, could potentially result in death.

During the trial, which took place in July 2019, three women testified that Bailey Boswell and Aubrey Trail had expressed a desire to record their victims as they were tortured and killed, with the intention of profiting millions from the sale of these videos.

The FBI disclosed that while Bailey Boswell and Aubrey Trail were incarcerated at Saline County Jail, Trail sent letters to Boswell, some of which contained ciphers instructing her on what story to tell in court. The codes were deciphered, revealing that Trail was taking full responsibility for the murder and portraying Boswell as an unwilling participant. In the letter, he also expressed his desire to have Loofe killed.

Bailey Boswell was sentenced to life and is currently incarcerated at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women in York, while Aubrey Trail is on death row at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution in Tecumseh.