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

My comments in green

otto said:

I agree that there are various ways to interpret his decision to look for her and the cabin but, given everything else that we know of Kent, I can understand it. On the one hand, we have to wonder why, if he knew that he could be murdered (per his letter), he placed himself in a situation where the murder could be easily carried out. On the other hand, given that he was inexperienced with women, could sense that something was off and couldn't get a straight answer out of Mechele, it's understandable that he wanted to see with his own eyes what was truly going on.

RBBM I can understand why he would go out to Hope not only once, but twice. As you said, he didn't have a lot of experience with women. Here he is, he is getting these seriously mixed messages from Mechele (emails stating how much she wanted a life with him vs. disappearing act(s) and blowing off the visit with his dad). Think of all the battered women--and men--who return over and over to their abuser, in the hopes that they will be able to work it out. Essentially, Mechele's treatment of Kent was at best emotionally and mentally abusive. At worst it was murderous.


Mechele and John set a trap for him, he saw it, and still he walked straight into it. Although jurors said that this was obvious during the trial, I do wonder if another jury will see it as clearly if they do not have access to the letter, and are not allowed to know about John Carlin's conviction. Carlin's trial included a lot of information about Mechele, and vice versa. Do you know how much information about John can be included in a re-trial of Mechele? Although his conviction can't be mentioned, can all the other information about the gun and the big picture be introduced at trial?


RBBM Good question that I do not know the answer to. I wonder, too, if Kent's parents can testify regarding the letter or if all mentions of the letter are off limits. I understand the argument that she can't face her accuser, but one would think that there would be exceptions in cases where the accuser can't be faced because the defendant killed them...it's like a Catch-22 almost.

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darnudes said:

What on earth do you think Kent learned or how did he learn it, that one or all of them wished to do him harm? Have we ever known this and I've forgotten?

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I don't think we've known this. I've wondered about if he saw something on someone's computer or fax machine. Perhaps there were awkward pauses/looks/stopping-of-conversation-upon-his-entering-a-room amongst them all and he realized he wasn't in on something and went from there. Maybe he just realized that Mechele was becoming more distant as his bank account dwindled and/or he had an epiphany about the life insurance policy.

IIRC, it's been alleged that Kent tried to gain information from a nearby mental health facility that Mechele was allegedly getting counseling from and John IV had allegedly spent a short stint as an in-patient for depression and/or anxiety (?) If all that is true, then that paints Kent as perhaps overly suspicious/paranoid.

Of course, it's only paranoia when people aren't out to kill you

otto said:

Thanks for the article. I have to wonder if Mechele had taken the time to get to know Kent ... whether she knew that he came from money. I think a second trial should do more to establish what kind of person Kent was, as the first trial half painted him as a homosexual, obsessive loner with no social skills and pretty much no personality.

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You are welcome.

I doubt she did take the time to get to know him. IMHO, she was/is basically a con-woman and Kent was a mark. In an email from Carlin to Mechele, Carlin refers to a previous conversation/email where Mechele told Carlin that he (Carlin) was a "mark she got close to." I'm pretty sure it's safe to assume she uttered that same line to Kent. and Scott. and Barrow guy.

I assume that the new prosecutor is working hard to strengthen the case and solidify some things, while emphasizing others. I agree that part of that should include a determined effort to "humanize" Kent more than in the previous trial. And that idea that he was gay but completely obsessed with Mechele at the same time is so ludicrous and, if brought up, needs to be seriously questioned.

otto said:

I think conversations with his father, and other family (maybe) made it clear to him that no one gives a life insurance policy as a wedding present. Mechele apparently claimed that the policy was a gift from her grandfather. I suspect that is when Kent transferred the beneficiary to his parents. That may have been the beginning of suspicions, or maybe Mechele was becoming more secretive ... hard to say. I wonder if there is more in his letter to his parents about what initially made him suspcious.

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To my knowledge, the entire letter has never been released, and I, too wonder about what's in the rest of it. I agree that his father telling him that no one gives a life insurance policy as a wedding gift likely played a big part in his realizations.

txsvicki said:

Have you ever read any of the things that Carlin's late wife's children have to say about him and what they supposedly believe he did to their mother? I'm not sure if we can repeat things read at online newspaper comment sections or not, but he didn't seem to be a very good guy at all and very capable of a murder plot either alone or in cahoots with another. I feel sorry for her husband. He's a cute guy, and would look much better without all the stress he was under.

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Dang it, don't you hate it when you have a post all typed out and then you hit "submit" and a server somewhere goes down so you lose your post?

I have heard some of the things you refer to, but, yeah, since there's never been a court document or mainstream-media article about it, we haven't discussed it here. However, people can feel free to google and read to their heart's content

I feel bad for Mr. Linehan, although, obviously, since I think she's guilty, I have to wonder about his...apparent ability to continue to stick by her all this time, particularly after the affairs were out in the open public. It speaks positively about his character that he has the capacity to continue to be so generous, loyal, forgiving, patient, and unendingly supportive. However, one has to wonder about his self-esteem and denial, etc.

I worry the most about their daughter. I imagine that her ideas about authority and the justice system have to be seriously effected by all that has happened. I hope that she is provided with any appropriate mental health services that she needs now or in the future. I don't have any doubt that Mr. Linehan will do whatever is in his power to help his daughter cope.

Okay, this time, I'm copying my post before hitting "submit!"

otto said:

I haven't, but I would like to. I understand that his wife died of cancer, and that he was living off a legal settlement. I have no problem believing that he saw Kent's insurance policy as his next source of income, even if he shared it with Mechele. I hope police looked at the money trail for the purchase of the insurance policy (initial cost was between $2-3000). If John paid anything into it, it would show a joint plan. During John's last interview with Dateline, it seemed like he was going to break and tell the story bit by bit, and I suspect he would have spilled it all if Mechele got off.

Those last remarks he made about throwing the gun in the dumpster and burying it in the yard make me think the gun isn't too far from the house. I think that was John starting to drop clues, and starting to point fingers at Mechele.

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IIRC, Mechele paid the initial cost and/or payments by check with her and Kent's joint checking account. I wonder why her "grandpa giving the gift" didn't send a check to the insurance company himself? :floorlaugh::innocent:

Yes, in one of John's interviews, he says something like, "you got the right plan, but the wrong guy," indicating that Mechele had gotten someone to kill Kent, but it wasn't John.

While there has been some speculation that John III was covering for John IV, citing John IV as the shooter. I have no idea if there is anything to back that up at all. Mechele's supporters go on and on about shoe sizes, so I wonder the shoe sizes of all the parties we know about, male and female, and any other men Mechele may have been...with. You never know...

Nancy2441 said:

I just stumbled upon this thread last night. It will take me awhile to read through all the posts. I saw this case on 48 Hours. I have been really intrigued ever since. I think Mechele is one of the scariest sociopaths I have ever seen. The fact that she was able to highly manipulate so many men (including her Dr. husband) is testament to what a dangerous individual she really is. IMOO

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:Welcome1::welcome:

Agreed. She's certainly an "unusual person."

otto said:

I too view Mechele as a very dangerous woman, a woman with an oblivious husband ... one that is in a great deal of denial regarding his wife. I think on a rational, logical level the husband has to know, but on a personal, emotional level he is so sucked into the clutches of the black widow that he cannot see clearly. I have wondered if the good doctor would have been a casualty after Mechele got her business off the ground ... I suspect he would have had an unexpected, suspicious, premature death within about 2 years of her financial success.

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RBBM Very well put, otto.

It had never occurred to me that Mr. Linehan might have ultimately perished unnaturally. Actually, I think she would have continued to live as they had been, and she would have affairs that he would either not know about, choose not to know about, and/or forgive her for. He's the "medical" component to the business, if I recall and understand correctly, so she still needed him around, IMO. And who knows--perhaps she not really a sociopath and actually loves him. :bateyes::shakehead:

:whip::whip::whip:

Flourish, thanks for all the information on this case.

What was the business she was starting??

I think there's a good possibility she was also sleeping with John IV. I always wondered what his true motives were for testifying against dad and MEchele.

Nancy2441 said:

Flourish, thanks for all the information on this case.

What was the business she was starting??

I think there's a good possibility she was also sleeping with John IV. I always wondered what his true motives were for testifying against dad and MEchele.

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You are welcome

Regarding the business, it's not a surprise to me that it is one that would attract wealthy clientele:

[Mechele's friend] described her friend as a stay-at-home mom with a young child who just entered elementary school and who, with her husband, bought a $400,000 office space in the spring to set up a medical day spa that was going to offer Botox, laser hair removal, facials and massages.

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from: http://www.adn.com/2006/10/05/224810_former-stripper-wanted-for-murder.html

I shudder to think of how John IV could have been affected by it all, then and now. It's been said that Mechele took upon a sort of mother-like approach to John IV, but considering that they were closer in age to each other than she was to at least 3 of her boyfriends, I don't think it's over-reaching to wonder about their relationship.

Here's a link to an article which discusses his testimony:

http://www.adn.com/2007/10/02/117382/carlin-iv-testifies-linehan-saw.html

quote from above link:

In a moment many in the crowded courtroom missed, the young man, who was a teenager when Leppink was killed, flashed a quick wink to Linehan at the defense table.

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Oh yeah, and I keep forgetting to tell ya'll that I asked one of our verified lawyers about having the same judge sit for a retrial of an overturned case. Our lawyer replied (my interpretation of the reply) that it depends on the situation and state and what-not, and not unheard-of, but not entirely common or best practice.

I do wonder why this isn't going to be heard before a different judge if only to avoid an appeal issue or some other issue during and after the retrial.

Looks like the judge set a new date for the retrial Hope this one sticks! :maddening:

Scheduled Trial Week 04/09/2012

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http://www.courtrecords.alaska.gov/pa/pa.urd/pamw2000.event_lst?54330965

flourish said:

Looks like the judge set a new date for the retrial Hope this one sticks! :maddening:



http://www.courtrecords.alaska.gov/pa/pa.urd/pamw2000.event_lst?54330965

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Whoooooaaahhhhh nowww...I just noticed that it says "2012" on there. :thud:
:floorlaugh:

I copied and pasted that from the courtview and, yep, just double checked and it still says that...I'm assuming that's a typo and it's 2011...LOL

flourish said:

RBBM I can understand why he would go out to Hope not only once, but twice. As you said, he didn't have a lot of experience with women. Here he is, he is getting these seriously mixed messages from Mechele (emails stating how much she wanted a life with him vs. disappearing act(s) and blowing off the visit with his dad). Think of all the battered women--and men--who return over and over to their abuser, in the hopes that they will be able to work it out. Essentially, Mechele's treatment of Kent was at best emotionally and mentally abusive. At worst it was murderous.

RBBM Good question that I do not know the answer to. I wonder, too, if Kent's parents can testify regarding the letter or if all mentions of the letter are off limits. I understand the argument that she can't face her accuser, but one would think that there would be exceptions in cases where the accuser can't be faced because the defendant killed them...it's like a Catch-22 almost.

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I completely understand why Kent went there ... and I concur that Mechele is, and was, psychologically abusive. I have to wonder if her husband wore that sad puppy countenance and demeanor before she was arrested ... like the way he hugged her, while she seemed more interested in her lawyer's arm ... was that just the circumstances, or was he always so vulnerable around her? Women that are psychologically abusive to men turn them into sad puppies. I hope he's gotten better while his wife has been in prison, but she may still have her clutches into him. I wonder who she is seeing when he's working. Mechele's track record speaks for itself ... she's not going to be without a man while her husband is away, working hard to pay for her defense and visits with her daughter.

The letter would unfortunately turn into hearsay ... third party testimony or information ... something that cannot be subjected to cross examination, and therefore not admissible. If Mechele could be pushed into needing to mention the letter ... then it will be entered. The letter offers support of her defense that he was obsessed with her. Without the letter, can she really say that he was obsessed? John Carlin is dead, the son has moved away and who knows what he will say, and the other boyfriend thinks Mechele is a snake who stole sentimental gifts from him.

Without the "he was obsessed" argument, the conviction of Carlin, and without the letter from Kent predicting his own murder, I have to wonder how strong the case is. The insurance policy is in, so that means the marriage discussion is in since the policy was supposedly a wedding gift from her grandfather. Kent's parents could testify, but I understand his father is not in great health. The Hope letter is in. The gun is in ... but no one knows for sure where it is buried or hidden because Carlin was the only person that knew where it was ... and he's dead.

Hope note, luring, gun, insurance, a dead accomplice, a fourth party that has distanced himself, a teenager that has since grown up. Since the son can testify what happened with the gun and bleach - Mechele and John, and John Carlin's testimony cannot be introduced ... or can it ... I think that Mechele has a very uphill battle to get out from under this conviction.

We've got the teenager testifying that Mechele and his father were cleaning a gun. Mechele bought Kent a life insurance policy a couple of weeks before he was murdered. Kent removed her from the policy shortly before he was murdered. The Hope note can be identified as luring Kent to Hope. We know he showered her with gifts, and that in return she falsified information that she was making upgrades to a cabin that she bought near Hope. She skipped out on a weekend with Kent's father, and then vanished ... leaving a note indicating that John Carlin knew where she was. That means John can be placed as the shooter even though his conviction was wiped out by death, since it's possible that Kent convinced John to take him to Hope to find the cabin. There only has to be a connection between John and Mechele, and with the son's testimony about the gun - her goose is cooked.

That's what I think ... rambling on and on ...

flourish said:

You are welcome.

I doubt she did take the time to get to know him. IMHO, she was/is basically a con-woman and Kent was a mark. In an email from Carlin to Mechele, Carlin refers to a previous conversation/email where Mechele told Carlin that he (Carlin) was a "mark she got close to." I'm pretty sure it's safe to assume she uttered that same line to Kent. and Scott. and Barrow guy.

I assume that the new prosecutor is working hard to strengthen the case and solidify some things, while emphasizing others. I agree that part of that should include a determined effort to "humanize" Kent more than in the previous trial. And that idea that he was gay but completely obsessed with Mechele at the same time is so ludicrous and, if brought up, needs to be seriously questioned.

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Yes, Kent needs to be interpreted by others in a re-trial (maybe a neice or nephew, a friend from home) ... the only voice Kent had was through Carlin, Mechele, his parents, and the fact that he stole money when he worked at the family store chain. The theft was resolved within the family, and outside of that he liked women, liked the casinos, enjoyed a comfortable bachelor life.

Maybe even the third boyfriend, the one that got away, has something good to say about Kent - although he has to mention the strange relationship between him, Mechele, and the two other men that thought they would marry her ... while he too thought he was engaged to Mechele. He shared her bed, so he figured his engagement was real. Mechele shared a murder plot with Carlin, so he thought their marriage was real. Kent had introduced Mechele to his parents, so he thought family was real. I don't think the guy that was in bed with her can claim some kind of privilege, or that his relationship with Mechele counted more than the guy that was set to get some part of the million dollar life insurance and run off to an Island that didn't have extradition. I suspect they both thought their marriage proposal was real, as did Kent. Mechele found their weaknesses, and exploited them. One fiance wanted sex, the other wanted money, and the third wanted a family ... she played it all. I wonder what her husband needed that she exploited. All of the above?

flourish said:

Dang it, don't you hate it when you have a post all typed out and then you hit "submit" and a server somewhere goes down so you lose your post?

I have heard some of the things you refer to, but, yeah, since there's never been a court document or mainstream-media article about it, we haven't discussed it here. However, people can feel free to google and read to their heart's content

I feel bad for Mr. Linehan, although, obviously, since I think she's guilty, I have to wonder about his...apparent ability to continue to stick by her all this time, particularly after the affairs were out in the open public. It speaks positively about his character that he has the capacity to continue to be so generous, loyal, forgiving, patient, and unendingly supportive. However, one has to wonder about his self-esteem and denial, etc.

I worry the most about their daughter. I imagine that her ideas about authority and the justice system have to be seriously effected by all that has happened. I hope that she is provided with any appropriate mental health services that she needs now or in the future. I don't have any doubt that Mr. Linehan will do whatever is in his power to help his daughter cope.

Okay, this time, I'm copying my post before hitting "submit!"

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Self-esteem ... that's it. He doesn't seem to have any during the trial. He looks more psychologically beat up than Mechele, and he's only faced with losing her, not his freedom and future.

I think it's too late for their daughter, especially since the formative years of 0 - 4 were with her mother - sometimes while the father was on a military mission. I have to wonder if her daughter has an independent thought. With such a manipulative mother, chances are she was indoctrinated, not educated. I think the best way for the daughter to cope is to set aside the idea of scamming one's way through life ... if she learned that through Mechele (and she could have learned other sociopathic ideas from her mother by the age of 5), then no matter how bright and capable she is, she may only look for the easy way ... even if it includes murder ... just like Mechele.

flourish said:

IIRC, Mechele paid the initial cost and/or payments by check with her and Kent's joint checking account. I wonder why her "grandpa giving the gift" didn't send a check to the insurance company himself? :floorlaugh::innocent:

Yes, in one of John's interviews, he says something like, "you got the right plan, but the wrong guy," indicating that Mechele had gotten someone to kill Kent, but it wasn't John.

While there has been some speculation that John III was covering for John IV, citing John IV as the shooter. I have no idea if there is anything to back that up at all. Mechele's supporters go on and on about shoe sizes, so I wonder the shoe sizes of all the parties we know about, male and female, and any other men Mechele may have been...with. You never know...

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The problem with "right plan, wrong guy" is that John Carlin was a complete liar. He would have said anything to get out of it. I doubt that Kent would have gone to Hope with just anyone, especially leaving his car parked in front of Carlin's house, so it's unlikely that it was the "wrong guy" ... and then, there's the gun.

One of the last remarks on ... think it was the Dateline program ... was from Carlin in jail, talking to the interviewer, and he said to look at the footprints ... that he's a heavy guy and would have made deep footprints. Okay, if that's the argument that Mechele wants to make, something about footprints in the mud ... let's see it. If she points fingers at Carlin, she raises the question of whether he was convicted ... and the point of law that "a convicted prisoner can have his conviction wiped out" after being murdered in jail has to be introduced during jury deliberations (I think) ... as it's an obvious question the jury would ask if Mechele pointed fingers at him.

flourish said:

RBBM Very well put, otto.

It had never occurred to me that Mr. Linehan might have ultimately perished unnaturally. Actually, I think she would have continued to live as they had been, and she would have affairs that he would either not know about, choose not to know about, and/or forgive her for. He's the "medical" component to the business, if I recall and understand correctly, so she still needed him around, IMO. And who knows--perhaps she not really a sociopath and actually loves him. :bateyes::shakehead:

:whip::whip::whip:

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LOL ... no, she doesn't love him and never has. The military doctor is just part of her social climbing. If she could have a lawyer, she could begin to enjoy the real life. Her matrimonial home, featured in a couple of family shots, is slummish (back to her roots) because she pretended to be the animal advocate ... all sorts of mess and chaos in the family home. She would toss the good doctor the minute she found a lawyer or accountant.

flourish said:

Oh yeah, and I keep forgetting to tell ya'll that I asked one of our verified lawyers about having the same judge sit for a retrial of an overturned case. Our lawyer replied (my interpretation of the reply) that it depends on the situation and state and what-not, and not unheard-of, but not entirely common or best practice.

I do wonder why this isn't going to be heard before a different judge if only to avoid an appeal issue or some other issue during and after the retrial.

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Sometimes there's a motion to have a certain judge oversee all aspects of a case ... case manager. If the judge is impartial, is familar with all aspects of this case, and has ruled fairly, should he be removed? If both parties are in agreement that he continue ... are they? Does Linehan, who was sentenced to 99 years, have any objection to this Judge continuing on the case?

flourish said:

Whoooooaaahhhhh nowww...I just noticed that it says "2012" on there. :thud:
:floorlaugh:

I copied and pasted that from the courtview and, yep, just double checked and it still says that...I'm assuming that's a typo and it's 2011...LOL

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It's a slow case ... maybe the defense needs more time to explain what Mechele was doing bleaching a gun that was just like the one missing from the gun case ... with a guy that was murdered in prison ... how the million dollars can be explained ... what the Hope note really meant ... and how the successful, well-healed, bachelor fisherman ended up dead in Hope?

Hopefully it's 2011 ... thanks for the updates!