What you should know about Cynthia Baumgartner Roth and what happened to her

A YOUNG mother of two boys drowned in a lake on July 23, 1991 while she was on a raft with her husband.

But her husband’s cool demeanor after her death led police to believe he was involved.

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Who was Cynthia Baumgartner Roth and what happened to her?

Cynthia Baumgartner Roth was a widow with two boys when she met Randy Roth, whom she married in August 1990.

The new family of four took a day trip to Lake Sammamish in Washington, and Cynthia and Randy decided to paddle a raft to deeper waters while the kids played on the shore.

Soon after, with Cynthia’s unconscious body in tow, Randy rowed back to shore, where lifeguards tried in vain to bring her back to life.

Randy claimed a wake knocked the raft over on Cynthia, who he said was suffering from leg cramps.

Cynthia was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, but lifeguards noticed Randy’s strange behavior while trying to help his wife.

They reported that he leisurely paddled back with her without yelling for help and then proceeded to deflate and fold the raft while they worked on Cynthia.

Who is Randy Roth?

Randy Roth was known as a misogynist from an early age, and many broken engagements and marriages followed him.

He was once engaged to a young woman named Terri Kirkbride, who left him when she found another woman’s handbag in his house.

Then he married the other woman in this scenario named Donna Sanchez.

He divorced Donna shortly after the birth of their son, although his reasoning is not known.

In March 1981, Roth married his second wife, Janis Miranda.

Janis and Randy went hiking as a couple at Beacon Rock, a high bluff in Washington, on their first Thanksgiving.

Janis fell to her death, but instead of alerting her friends and family, Randy arranged for her body to be cremated the next day and had her life insurance policy in his name the next morning.

According to those who helped find Janis’ body, it would have been virtually impossible for her to fall from where Randy said she slipped.

Randy’s third wife, Donna Clift, was also a divorced young mother with life insurance.

Shortly after an argument, Donna claims that Randy took her rafting down a river where he tried to steer her raft into a pile of sharp rocks.

She divorced him immediately after the trip.

There was another woman between his third wife and Cynthia, but Randy proposed to her and called off their engagement after learning that she had previously had cancer and had not qualified for life insurance.

Then there was Cynthia’s fall out on Lake Sammamish.

After years of assaulting what appeared to be young women with life insurance policies, Randy was found guilty of first-degree murder in Cynthia’s 1992 case.

He never faced a jury over Janis’ death, although suspicions remain.

He was sentenced to 50 years in prison for murder and an additional year for theft related to insurance fraud.

He was convicted of two counts of first-degree theft and pleaded guilty to second-degree theft in April 1994.

He is reportedly eligible for parole in 2029.

He is serving his sentence at Stafford Creek Corrections Center in Aberdeen, Washington.

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How can I watch A Rose for Her Grave: The Randy Roth Story?

A new film from Lifetime covering the story will debut on Saturday, February 18, 2023 at 8pm ET.

The synopsis for the film reads, “After the death of her husband, single mom Cindy (Laura Ramsey) finally finds love again with mechanic Randy Roth (Colin Egglesfield), but their marital bliss soon turns dark when she discovers a different side to Randy.”

“Despite pleas from her best friend Lori (Chrishell Stause) to leave their marriage, Cindy never gets that opportunity after she drowns with Randy and the kids while on a trip to a lake.”

“Unemotional after Cindy’s death, Randy orders her immediate cremation, takes custody of Cindy’s children, and attempts to collect her life insurance.”

“Determined to honor Cindy and find out the truth, Lori uncovers more of Randy’s past and discovers that Cindy may not have been the first woman to be murdered at his hands.”