Greg Lance
In 1998, Victor and Alla Kolesnikow, a Ukrainian couple, lived in Cookeville, Tennessee. Greg Lance, 26 at the time, was the property manager of the Ford Mobile Home Park and in the process of purchasing the park from the Kolesnikows through owner’s financing. The Horn family - consisting of Sam, Peggy and their daughter Samantha - as well as James and David Redmon, brothers of Peggy Horn, were also working to purchase the properties they lived on from the Kolesnikows.
On August 3rd, Victor Kolesnikow swore out a warrant against David Redmon. On August 4th, Putnam County Sherriff’s deputy served the warrant. On August 5th at 3:30 AM James Redmon placed a 911 call. Victor and Alla Kolesnikow were found dead in their home, shot multiple times and burnt beyond recognition.
(Left) View of the Kolesnikow property from the Horn/Redmon residences
During investigation, arson was immediately suspected and shell casings were found. A Tec 9 mm pistol was later discovered and determine to have been used in the victims’ home.
The day the gun was found, Sam Horn gave a statement to police claiming the pistol belonged to Claude Wright. While Wright was one of the last people to see Victor Kolesnikow on August 4th, he was never considered a suspect or a witness by the police.
In April 1999, a year after the crime took place, Mr. Lance was arrested for the double homicide of Victor and Alla Kolesnikow. Investigators believed that the Kolesnikows regaining the ownership of their property and preventing Mr. Lance from purchasing the park was enough for a motive - even though the Horn family and the Redmon brothers were in the process of purchasing their properties as well.
Mr. Lance with his mother, Joyce Argo (left) and daughter, Rebecca (right).
During Mr. Lance’s trial, the most damaging witnesses were former friends and coworkers. Mike Snow, a man who had recently begun working for Mr. Lance, was in jail for domestic violence at the time. From his jail cell, he told police that Mr. Lance asked him to find a hitman and then took the stand to tell the same story during trial. When later asked why Mr. Snow made the false statement that cost Mr. Lance his freedom, Mr. Snow replied, “The day I signed that statement against Greg, they let me out of jail. What will Lance’s parents do for me if I change my statement?”
Mr. Lance with his daughter. He has had to watch his daughter grow up from inside prison.
During a motion for a new trial, Mr. Lance’s attorney called one of Sam Horn’s acquaintances as a witness, Chris Henry. Mr. Henry testified that Sam not only threatened to kill him at one point, but that Sam had said the way to take care of snitches was to knock on their front door, shoot them, burn their house down, and leave. When asked if he had ever seen a Tec 9 at Sam’s house, Mr. Henry testified that he had not only seen one but he had shot Sam’s Tec 9.
Mr. Lance’s case was picked up by Rabia O’Chaudry, lawyer and creator of the Undisclosed Podcast. Rabia, along with two other attorneys, Colin Miller and Susan Simpson, investigate wrongful convictions. Listen to the podcast here.
SundanceTV also explored Mr. Lance’s innocence in their coverage of his case during an episode of the show, True Crime Story: It Couldn’t Happen Here, hosted by actress Hilarie Burton Morgan.
The Tennessee Innocence Project, along with Mr. Lance’s family, is working to clear his name. For more details and information on the investigation, trial, and post-conviction testimonies, visit the Justice For Greg website.