CONVICTION OVERTURNED AK - Kent Leppink, 36, murdered, Hope, 2 May 1996

marilhicks said:

He’s not only a prince, but a saint to be able to proclaim how wonderful she is in spite of her infidelities with a former lover (bringing her daughter along) and with a family friend. I see him as a one of her victims - bankrupted, a million in debt and cuckolded to boot. I also think he honestly believes she is innocent of the murder.

Thanks for the links. Here’s one I found interesting.

http://s2.excoboard.com/exco/archive.php?ac=t&forumid=124593&date=05-16-2009&t=1703625-1

Highlights of the trial are presented (news reports) along with a transcript of the CBS documentary.

There’s not much new for those familiar with the case but there is a nugget here and there. For instance, the prosecutors wanted to put an unnamed woman on the stand who claimed to have seen Mechele and Carlin steal money from Leppink’s wallet while he was in the shower!

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I hadn't seen that info -- thanks!!
Very interesting!

Linehan was released on bail late last night.
Apparently an unnamed benefactor from "the lower 48" donated the $25,000 necessary to pay the bail bondsman. I was sort of expecting some video coverage of her exiting the jail or something-- but apparently this happened with little fanfare.

ADN: Linehan Out On Bond

I believe with every fiber of my being that this woman is guilty and I hope her new found freedom is short lived.

Since the only four posts of Rolena's which are left here are aimed at, or in response to, my postings, I'm going to respond. I am not arguing and am simply going to answer her inquiries in case anyone else was wondering the same things she was. Hope that makes sense.

rolena said:

Yes, if she were dangerous or circumstances were different, probably all Alaskans would agree with you. The reasoning some have expressed in their local board posts though isn't quite that simple. It is a position a lot of people would argue with, but what I've read is that those who've included something like that in their arguments do so because there isn't enough evidence against her, there wasn't before and now there is even less, the state already spent God knows how much money on trying to get her and failed, so since she is no threat to Alaskans and doesn't even have any ties to here, it is more waste to pursue prosecuting her.

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Again, I will repeat that it's not only my opinion, but also that of the SA, that there is sufficient evidence to re-try her. Her conviction was overturned, but the indictment still exists.

While the politics, law, and processes of Alaska's courts may be considered unfair by some, IMO a more appropriate venue for those arguments would be through the Alaska legislature process.

rolena said:

What aspect of the "laptop" evidence is an issue for you? Can you explain in a little more detail what you've read that you find compelling about it?

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I believe I was pretty clear about my concerns with the laptop, as I stated in my posts, here:

flourish said:

Can you address the laptop computer issue? Why go to such pains to erase someone else's computer if you've nothing to hide or worry about?

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and here:

flourish said:

If my friend supposedly had himself killed, and I'm being questioned about it, I would probably want the cops to examine said friend's computer so they could find evidence about the assisted suicide. Destroying the computer seems counterintuitive for an innocent party, IMO.

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Mechele seemed to go out of her way to ship Kent's laptop to her sister immediately after the murder, wanting the laptop wiped. I find that hinky to the nth degree.

rolena said:

Are you not aware that Wikipedia is open to the public to write on and edit? Anyone can post an article and can make edits. That's why there is incorrect information in the article you refer to.

It isn't the gospel.

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I am well aware of the strengths, weaknesses, and limitations of Wikipedia. Hence the additional link which was provided in my original post, but Rolena snipped it out when quoting my post when she posted the above question. Please see my original post, in its entirety, below:

flourish said:

According to the pro-Mechele blog, which I'm trying to not click on but did anyway, this was a "female-related" issue and she's healing well.

I hope they don't offer a plea bargain...so far they've stated they're going back to trial...I don't know the specific laws about that who process anyway

Yeah, the sister thing is sooo disturbing. According to Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechele_Linehan

and this article:

http://www.ktuu.com/global/story.asp?s=7096234

the sister testified at Carlin's trial, then took off and hid in the Czech Republic until after Mechele's trial, when she was held in an Atlanta jail for a week.

Yeah, that doesn't really cast an innocent light on Mechele. At all. Not sure how anyone gets past this part.

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Thank you for your time.

flourish said:

...
Mechele seemed to go out of her way to ship Kent's laptop to her sister immediately after the murder, wanting the laptop wiped. I find that hinky to the nth degree.

...

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I agree! If one just wanted to innocently wipe out their computer, wouldn't they just go to CompUSA or some other business which specializes in that sort of thing? I think it's odd Mechele busted all the way to Utah for some routine harddrive maintenance :waitasec:

Thanks for flushing out the info in your previous posts! Without rolena, it seems we're all essentially situated on the same side of the fence-- I wish we had a counterpoint to work from.

Also, FWIW, I think Mechele's sister conducted herself admirably throughout this process. Despite some popular media coverage to the contrary, she did cooperate with authorities and testify when property subpoenaed (at Carlin's trial). Her sister put her in a rather untenable situation, IMO.

The ADN has updated their most recent story on Linehan's release and identified the benefactor who supplied the $25,000 necessary to secure bond. Brian Watt is a CFO from Pennsylvania. From the article:


Watt has never met the Linehans or been to Alaska, he said. He became interested in the case after watching a TV show about it. He then started researching it. "The narrative that was being told, in the media, on blogs, and reader commentary on the Internet, took on a life of its own. It appeared to me to be impossible for Mrs. Linehan to escape that pre-assembled story," he said.
...

The prosecution's version of events outshined the truth both in the courtroom and outside it, Watt said.

"It was as if the Internet hyenas had gathered at the watering hole, and they were going to rip the flesh from her bones, no matter what she said or did," Watt said.


As I recall, Watt posts with some frequency in the comments on the Free Mechele site and other blogs which discuss the case.

Thanks Nancy. I guess there is a sucker born every minute and Mechele seems to have a direct line to all of them. While I do think some things have been sensationalized, I also think there is more than adequate evidence of her participation in this murder. If they cut a deal with her and give her time served, I will have a cow.

Belinda said:

Thanks Nancy. I guess there is a sucker born every minute and Mechele seems to have a direct line to all of them. While I do think some things have been sensationalized, I also think there is more than adequate evidence of her participation in this murder. If they cut a deal with her and give her time served, I will have a cow.

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lol! have a cow! I haven't heard that one in ages love it.

I've thought about the prospect of a deal too. If she got off with time served that would be FAR too lenient, IMO. I think I remember reading that she was initially offered a 12 year deal but opted instead to go to trial. I can't remember where I read that though, so this might not be true.

I hope the State takes it to trial. I think she's guilty (of 1st degree murder, I'm not entirely certain), but I would like a chance to see this play out at trial. I hope the retrial is televised-- I wonder if that's a possibility.

The internet has been AFIRE with various pro-guilt verdict commenters who have purported to know Linehan or have interactions with her in jail etc. If there's any veracity to their statements, I hope the prosecution is investigating new potential witnesses and will bring them out at the retrial.

Brief video accompanying KTUU story contains soundbites from various players regarding bail issue. Notably, Linehan's current bail bondsman inadvertently likens Linehan to Charles Manson. That probably didn't go over well. :snooty:

nancy botwin said:

I agree! If one just wanted to innocently wipe out their computer, wouldn't they just go to CompUSA or some other business which specializes in that sort of thing? I think it's odd Mechele busted all the way to Utah for some routine harddrive maintenance :waitasec:

Thanks for flushing out the info in your previous posts! Without rolena, it seems we're all essentially situated on the same side of the fence-- I wish we had a counterpoint to work from.

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That's because logic forces one in the direction of her possible guilt. I suspended judgment until I read everything available on the case. Mechele's supporters are unimpressive in their lack of substantive arguments for her innocence - just vague statements of support or positing the incredible suggestion that Leppink had himself killed. I thought Rolena's comments were the first I'd seen that presented a logical argument for the other side. However, I wasn't able to digest her posts before they were pulled.

Because of the notoriety the case has received since the first trial, there has been time for hard positions to be developed on both sides. I think this will have an effect on the retrial (if it takes place).

nancy botwin said:

Brief video accompanying KTUU story contains soundbites from various players regarding bail issue. Notably, Linehan's current bail bondsman inadvertently likens Linehan to Charles Manson. That probably didn't go over well. :snooty:

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Whoops!!!.......open mouth.........insert foot!!!!............


(I can't say I'm terribly impressed with the ex-strip club owner either, but then these people are just typical of Mechele's associations......not much has changed from what I can tell.

As the old saying goes...."you are who your friends are......." very appropriate here, I would say.

I do have to admit that Rolena's (or whatever her name was) "hard stance" made me very much more interested in the facts of this story and I really do want to know much more. I must admit that really, for the most part, all I knew before about this story was from the Dateline and 48 Hours news programs.

Just a few questions for all of you who are light years ahead of me....

1. where do you guys find all of this information? It's amazing when you look at everything contained in this thread....that's why I feel like I should just read and keep quiet...I really need to learn so much more on this. I have googled these topics but apparently I am missing the boat here. Have you guys saved volumes of this info from the beginning of this case?

2. if Kent were to have "set them up" and killed himself, how could he have done it? His car was not found at the scene IIRC. There was no gun found at the scene. Did he possibly ask someone to kill him and then pay them off with life insurance money for killing him? (after removing Mechele as beneficiary, so kind of an after-death double cross?) I really can't get that scenario to work in my mind yet. I guess I need it spelled out for me.

As I was reading through all of this info I came up with so many questions but failed to write them down. Will try to ask them later if you guys don't mind.....I just find this case fascinating to the nth degree.

Also, I just caught the info that the computer that was "cleaned" was Kent's, not Mechele's, so that was a surprise. That definitely looks like guilt to me...I don't see how that can be construed any other way.

You guys all amaze me with your knowledge of this case and thank you so much for sharing it here. I've learned more about it in the past month than I had in that past two years!

You guys all amaze me with your knowledge of this case and thank you so much for sharing it here. I've learned more about it in the past month than I had in that past two years!

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Respectfully snipped for space.

I too am amazed at the stuff you guys get a hold of. I'm getting pretty good at finding sentencing and court information, but other than that I'm still floundering with everyone else, trying to figure out where all the information comes from. You guys are awesome researchers!

Blondie in Spokane said:

1. where do you guys find all of this information?

2. if Kent were to have "set them up" and killed himself, how could he have done it? His car was not found at the scene IIRC. There was no gun found at the scene. Did he possibly ask someone to kill him and then pay them off with life insurance money for killing him? (after removing Mechele as beneficiary, so kind of an after-death double cross?) I really can't get that scenario to work in my mind yet. I guess I need it spelled out for me.

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1. This is a good place to start:

http://www.adn.com/linehan/

The coverage is quite complete. For instance there is a very different portrayal of Kent Leppink from his friends here

http://www.adn.com/2007/10/01/117386/reason-offered-for-prints-on-weapon.html.

Mechele’s claim that he was gay is certainly questionable after reading this.

But clicking through these news stories will give you a good background on the case.

2. On the FreeMechele website you’ll find many comments suggesting the scenario that Kent set up his own suicide. It obviously makes no sense. (That site is difficult to navigate.)

Blondie in Spokane said:

I do have to admit that Rolena's (or whatever her name was) "hard stance" made me very much more interested in the facts of this story and I really do want to know much more. I must admit that really, for the most part, all I knew before about this story was from the Dateline and 48 Hours news programs.

Just a few questions for all of you who are light years ahead of me....

1. where do you guys find all of this information? It's amazing when you look at everything contained in this thread....that's why I feel like I should just read and keep quiet...I really need to learn so much more on this. I have googled these topics but apparently I am missing the boat here. Have you guys saved volumes of this info from the beginning of this case?

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This case has always really interested me-- and my initial exposure was on 48 Hours too I saw the episode and then started following it as closely as I could. And I'm a little ocd, so I saved documents and emails I found along the way-- I'm glad I did because lots of stuff has been deleted over the years. Ironically, in the begining I was leaning more toward Linehan's innocence than toward her guilt, but the more I've read, the more convinced I've become of her guilt. I think at minimum, Linehan knew what was going to happen to Kent before it happened and did nothing to stop it; or in the alternative, she found out right afterward and for whatever reason failed to tell authorities. To me, she clearly bears a degree of moral responsibility for Kent's murder-- I'm still confused as to the degree of legal responsibility. So I remain fascinated.

Blondie in Spokane said:

2. if Kent were to have "set them up" and killed himself, how could he have done it? His car was not found at the scene IIRC. There was no gun found at the scene. Did he possibly ask someone to kill him and then pay them off with life insurance money for killing him? (after removing Mechele as beneficiary, so kind of an after-death double cross?) I really can't get that scenario to work in my mind yet. I guess I need it spelled out for me.

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Like Marlihicks says, it's hard to find a plausible scenario for the arranged suicide/murder frame-up. You're right-- no car was found with Leppink's body and I think his car was found parked back at his house-- 90+ miles away. So, someone had to have driven Leppink to Hope or driven Leppink's car back to the house after his death. At the time of his death, I'm pretty sure Leppink had little money left. Linehan supporters are quick to point to the fact he was generally supported by his parents and that he had outstanding gambling debts. Linehan stated in her 1996 police interview that Leppink had made no money during the past 1-2 fishing seasons. I get the impression he was always on financially shaky ground and that courting Linehan essentially bankrupted him. And insurance beneficiary was changed from Mechele to Leppink's own family (mother, father, brother) so I don't think the killer was paid with the life insurance payout. So if Leppink had contracted his own suicide, I don't know how he could have paid that individual. IMO if Leppink had found someone shady enough to agree to kill him for a fee or for free, that kind of person would likely have had future brushes with the legal system within the last decade. Wouldn't they have offered up information to solve one of Alaska's most notorious unsolved cold cases in the hopes of getting some sort of deal? Or told someone about it in the intervening years??

Blondie in Spokane said:

Also, I just caught the info that the computer that was "cleaned" was Kent's, not Mechele's, so that was a surprise. That definitely looks like guilt to me...I don't see how that can be construed any other way.

You guys all amaze me with your knowledge of this case and thank you so much for sharing it here. I've learned more about it in the past month than I had in that past two years!

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Yes!-- and she shipped the laptop away to her sister only AFTER investigators asked her for it and Mechele herself tried to delete things from the computer, according to testimony of investigators at trial. If Mechele really had nothing to do with any of this and had no idea what happened, wouldn't she have wanted investigators to comb through his computer to possibly find evidence to show what really happened? Especially as the investigators were clearly zeroing in on her as a suspect??:waitasec:

And thanks! I wish we had more info to look at -- there's so much more to see! I guess we'll have to wait for the retrial.

marilhicks said:

1. This is a good place to start:

http://www.adn.com/linehan/

The coverage is quite complete. For instance there is a very different portrayal of Kent Leppink from his friends here

http://www.adn.com/2007/10/01/117386/reason-offered-for-prints-on-weapon.html.

Mechele’s claim that he was gay is certainly questionable after reading this.

But clicking through these news stories will give you a good background on the case.

2. On the FreeMechele website you’ll find many comments suggesting the scenario that Kent set up his own suicide. It obviously makes no sense. (That site is difficult to navigate.)

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And I still don't understand how the gay thing even squares with the rest of the defense's theory. If Leppink was gay, why was he frequenting strip clubs and sexually obsessed with Mechele? Also, it seems Mechele made a bit of a habit telling each of her paramours that the others were gay and "not a threat." The Dateline episode featured a flowchart, complete with a big red arrow and the word "GAY," to break down how she had alternately told each man that either Hilke, Carlin or Leppink were gay at some point. :waitasec:

Hi guys! I'm back after giving myself a little break from all this. I see Mechele is out on bail. I can't say that I'm surprised. I've been catching back up and I love all your posts. They echo my sentiments exactly. I know this is a circumstantial case so it is a million times harder, but do you guys think they will retry her? Will they win? If the emails and scenario were put in front of me, as a juror I would convict her. However, what else can the prosecution do this time around? They do not have concrete evidence that she planned his death. I realize this. I wish they were able to come with some additional evidence this time around. I feel in my heart she is guilty, the circumstantial evidence points to her being "in the know". That said if they do not retry her or get a conviction this time, I feel better knowing that she did in fact have to spend 2.5 years in prison. I think she deserves the black cloud that will hang over her head for the rest of her life.


Reading the Free Mechele Blog is truly frustrating!!! I don't understand their take on the same emails and information that we have. Rolena stated that there was sooo much more, but what? Even on the site they don't talk about more information that the public is not privy to. They are just rehashing the same info and putting their unique spin on it. (which I find laughable). They go to hell and back pointing the finger at Alaska and the prosecutors for making up a sensational story to get a conviction. Well aren't they doing the same thing? They are telling a tale to show Mechele in a better light. None of their explanations make any sense. Mechele tells them one story and their stickin to it. Well I ain't buying it!!!

http://innocentmechele.blogspot.com/


This is an example of their interpretation of the same letter that we all read.....really???

nancy botwin said:

And I still don't understand how the gay thing even squares with the rest of the defense's theory. If Leppink was gay, why was he frequenting strip clubs and sexually obsessed with Mechele? Also, it seems Mechele made a bit of a habit telling each of her paramours that the others were gay and "not a threat." The Dateline episode featured a flowchart, complete with a big red arrow and the word "GAY," to break down how she had alternately told each man that either Hilke, Carlin or Leppink were gay at some point. :waitasec:

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You’re right - the gay claim doesn’t hold up in light of his behavior and especially the emails you posted recently. Kent was looking forward to having children and clearly envisioned a normal marriage - evidently not the bizarre ‘business arrangement’ she described.

Guilty or not, it’s a fascinating study in deviousness and chicanery and the idiocy of a group of sappy, middle aged men and their fantasies.

However I think the prosecution will need to come up with more evidence than is currently known to get a conviction this time. People have had a lot of time to mull over the holes in the case.

The Anchorage Daily News sat down with Mechele Linehan for a two-hour interview about her life in prison.

Now Free, Linehan Sets Up a New Life (ADN, 5-14-10)​

Photo Accompanying Article, reprinted by http://www.thenewstribune.com/, Credit: Marc Lester / © Anchorage Daily News