The name Dr. John Boyle usually triggers one specific, chilling image for true crime fans: a jackhammer in a Pennsylvania basement. Most people know the story of Collier Landry, the 11-year-old son who stood on a witness stand in 1990 and looked his father in the eye, helping send the prominent Mansfield osteopath to prison for murdering his mother, Noreen. It's the stuff of cinematic legend. But there is a quieter, often overlooked part of this tragedy that people search for constantly. They want to know about Dr. John Boyle daughter—specifically, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth was only three years old when her world imploded on New Year’s Eve in 1989. While Collier became the face of the trial and later a filmmaker and advocate, Elizabeth’s path was very different. She wasn’t a biological child; she had been adopted by John and Noreen just months before the murder.
Imagine being three and witnessing the unthinkable. According to court records and police testimony from Detective Dave Messmore, little Elizabeth told investigators she saw her father strike her "mommy" in the head and wrap her up. It's a detail that gets lost in the technical talk of dental records and concrete slabs, but it is the most heartbreaking piece of the Boyle family puzzle.
The Separation of the Boyle Siblings
When the cuffs finally went on Dr. John Boyle, the "family" didn't just lose a father and a mother. They lost each other. Basically, the system did what it does—it processed them. While Collier was eventually placed in foster care and later adopted by a family after a failed attempt by Detective Messmore to take him in, Elizabeth was whisked away into a completely different life.
She was adopted out.
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Honestly, it's one of the most tragic "collateral damage" aspects of the case. Collier has been very open in his documentary A Murder in Mansfield and his podcast Moving Past Murder about the fact that he has no contact with Elizabeth. He hasn’t seen her since 1990. She was essentially scrubbed from the family narrative to give her a chance at a normal life, away from the "Boyle" name that carried so much weight in Ohio.
People often ask: "Where is Dr. John Boyle's daughter now?"
The truth is, she likely doesn't go by that name anymore. She’s a woman in her late 30s now, living a life that is—by design—private.
The Other Daughter: A Half-Sister Born from Betrayal
There’s actually more than one daughter in this story, which is where things get even more complicated. While John Boyle was planning the murder of his wife, he was also planning a new life with his mistress, Sherri Lee Campbell.
Sherri was pregnant during the trial. In January 1990, just weeks after Noreen was buried under that basement floor in Erie, Pennsylvania, Sherri gave birth to a baby girl. This child is Collier and Elizabeth's half-sister.
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If you've watched the footage of the trial, you see the "other woman" sitting there. It’s jarring. This second daughter grew up knowing her father only as a man in the Marion Correctional Institution. Collier has mentioned in various interviews, including on the Soft White Underbelly YouTube channel, that he has no relationship with this half-sister either. The fracture was just too deep.
Why Elizabeth’s Story Still Matters
We focus on Collier because he’s the one who spoke. He’s the one who kept the memory of Noreen Boyle alive. But Elizabeth represents the silent victims of domestic homicide. She was a toddler who lost her adoptive mother to the hands of her adoptive father, then lost her brother to the foster care system.
Some people argue that her privacy is the ultimate mercy. By being adopted into a new family and likely changing her name, she escaped the "son of a murderer" stigma that Collier had to fight through for decades.
- The Witness: Elizabeth was technically a witness, though her age made her testimony complicated.
- The Adoption: Because she was adopted so close to the crime, her legal ties to the Boyle estate were severed quickly.
- The Disappearance: She didn't "disappear" in a sinister way; she was simply moved to a safe environment where the media couldn't find her.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Case
You’ve probably heard people say the kids were "taken care of" by relatives. That's a myth. The Boyle side of the family largely turned their backs on Collier because he testified against his father. He was ostracized. This meant that there was no "family unit" left to keep Elizabeth and Collier together.
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Dr. John Boyle, who is now in his 80s, has continued to seek parole. Just recently, in late 2025, his latest attempt was denied. The parole board cited the "extreme brutality" of the crime. For the children involved, every one of these hearings is a reminder of the day their lives were split in two.
Actionable Insights for True Crime Followers
If you are following the case of Dr. John Boyle and his children, there are ways to engage with the story that actually support the survivors rather than just consuming the tragedy.
- Support Victim Advocacy: Collier Landry’s work isn't just about his own story; he works to help others navigate "Moving Past Murder." Support organizations that focus on children left behind after domestic homicides.
- Respect Privacy: While it's tempting to search for Elizabeth or the half-sister, remember that their anonymity is a survival tool. The best way to "find" them is to respect the silence they’ve chosen.
- Watch the Documentary: A Murder in Mansfield (directed by Barbara Kopple) is the gold standard for understanding the family dynamic. It shows the raw, unedited confrontation between son and father.
- Listen to the Podcast: Collier's podcast is a deep dive into the psychology of a narcissistic parent. It’s helpful for anyone who has dealt with family trauma, not just true crime fans.
The story of Dr. John Boyle’s daughter is one of total erasure—a girl who was once a Boyle, then a witness, and finally a stranger to her own brother. It serves as a stark reminder that when a crime like this happens, the "body in the basement" is only the beginning of what is lost.