Dateline: Unforgettable: What happened to Tori Vienneau and Dean Springstube?

22-year-old Tori Vienneau and her 10-month-old son, Dean Springstube, were found strangled to death over child support on July 26, 2006. Their bodies were found by Tori's sister, Tricia Castellones, at their San Diego apartment, where the mother-son duo were staying after Tori's separation from her boyfriend, Neil Springstube.

Tori had been sleeping with Dennis Potts, who was suspected to be the biological father. She had demanded a court-ordered paternity test after he submitted two failed tests. The police found no signs of forced entry.

The Dateline: Unforgettable episode Complicated, which airs on February 29, 2024, at 8 pm EST on Oxygen, showcases the cold-blooded murder of the mother and son. The synopsis reads:

"When Josh Mankiewicz gets asked about his most memorable stories, the name Dayna Herroz comes to mind. After her daughter and 10-month-old grandson were murdered, her quest for justice ends with a twist in a San Diego Courtroom."

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What happened to Tori Vienneau and Dean Springstube?

On July 26, 2006, Tori Vienneau was found strangled to death along with her 10-month-old infant son, Dean Springstube, by her friend's sister Tricia Castellones. Vienneau and her son had been residing with her girlfriend Autumn Castellones and her two children at their Southcrest apartment on South 45th Street, as per Chicago Tribune.

Tricia Castellones had slept in her room all afternoon. When she woke up, she noticed Tori sitting on the floor with her back against the couch. She came back home to find her in the same position.

When Tricia drew closer, she found a red spot on the cushion, prompting her to lift the blanket Tori had been covering herself with. Tori Vienneau was found unresponsive with her hair-straightening iron’s cord tightly wrapped around her neck.

Tricia subsequently found Dean strangled to death with a phone charging cord fastened to his playpen's rail. The first responders who reached the apartment around 8:54 pm local time took note of the fact that the scene was made to look like a case of double homicide and s*xual assault.

The cord around Tori Vienneau's neck was wrapped four times. It was tight enough to have penetrated her skin layer. One of her legs was left unclothed, her top was torn and her underwear had been pulled down, as per court documents. However, the medical examiner had confirmed that there had been no evidence of an assault.

Vienneau's autopsy report suggested that she had suffered blunt-force trauma to her left ear in addition to a deep laceration to the back of her scalp, which caused internal bleeding from her brain.

The police found no evidence of struggle, forced entry, or a break-in, leading them to believe that the perpetrator was someone known to the victims. The trauma to Tori's head seemed to have been caused by a body part, which led her to lose consciousness before she was strangled.

Meanwhile, a medical examination revealed that Dean Springstube was tied to the rail with the cord while he was standing upright. As per The Cinemaholic, he suffocated to death when he sat down, causing tension on the wire he was bound to.

The detectives found a suspect when they questioned Tori's friends and family—Dennis Mickjal Potts. Tori Vienneau had been in a physical relationship with Dennis Potts and he was suspected to be Dean's biological father. According to CBS8 News, despite two failed paternity tests, Tori had insisted on him getting a court-ordered test.

With the proof of Dennis being Dean's biological father, cellphone records, and a corrupt alibi, Dennis was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to obstruct justice, as per the San Diego Union-Tribune.