Montgomery Community Media

A new law that takes effect Tuesday in Maryland honors the late Laura Wallen, who was killed by Tyler Tessier, the father of her unborn child. The law, Laura and Reid’s Law — Wallen planned to name her son Reid — increases the sentences for crimes against women known to be pregnant. Wallen was from Olney […]

Laura Wallen’s September 2017 murder drew national attention. Prosecutors charged Wallen’s boyfriend, Tyler Tessier, with murdering his pregnant girlfriend but were not able to charge him for killing her unborn fetus because it was 14 weeks old. Now, 17 months later, a new bill would allow murder charges for both the victim and the fetus. […]

1. Elrich Becomes County Executive Voters roared in 2016, passing term limits on County Council members and the county executive. In 2018, the voters continued to roar. First, in the Democratic primary, voters winnowed a list of 38 candidates down to four in the council’s at-large race. Next, voters chose Marc Elrich as their party’s choice […]

What do you think was the biggest story in Montgomery County in 2018? Let us know by selecting what you thought was the biggest news in the poll below. If you select “other” please leave a comment telling us what other stories you felt were important. What is the biggest story in Montgomery County in […]

Here is the full news conference in which State’s Attorney John McCarthy talks about Tyler Tessier, who was found dead in his jail cell Thursday morning from an apparent suicide. Tessier was charged in the death of Laura Wallen, whose family also spoke at the news conference.      

In the 10 minutes between receiving his breakfast Thursday morning and his next check by guards, Tyler Tessier hanged himself in his jail cell. The suicide not only ended his life but also robbed Laura Wallen’s family of a guilty verdict. Wallen, of Olney, was shot in the back of the head almost exactly a […]

The trial for the murder of Laura Wallen ended this morning as news broke of Tyler Tessier’s death. The man accused of killing Wallen was found hanging in his jail cell around 5 a.m. Efforts to resuscitate Tessier were unsuccessful. Tessier was on trial for killing his pregnant girlfriend, Laura Wallen, a year ago. He […]

Jury selection is expected to be complete Thursday morning in the trial of Tyler Tessier, accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend, Laura Wallen, a year ago. On Wednesday, about 30 potential jurors walked one at a time to the judge’s bench for one-on-one questions. Static from a sound system kept their responses from being heard […]

Here are five things you need to know for Wednesday, Sept. 5, in Montgomery County: 1. Murder Trial Continues: Tyler Tessier, accused of killing his girlfriend Laura Wallen, will face his second day of court. 2. Emergency Preparedness Fair: The community is invited to attend the fourth annual emergency preparedness fair at the Johns Hopkins […]

Jury selection will continue Wednesday in the trial of Tyler Tessier, accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend, Laura Wallen a year ago. Public defender Allen Wolf has 20 strikes from the jury pool. Prosecutors have 10. Jury selection is expected to be completed Wednesday, and opening statements could begin Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning. Tessier […]